OT: CPVC water pipe repair

Hi guys,

I went and made a boo-boo over the weekend. Was using a stud sensor over drywall in order to mount wire racks directly to wood studs in my garage.

Used a 5/64" drill to make a pilot hole in the drywall and BAM, got a face full of water. It was a "sinking" feeling to be sure.

The pipe feeds the fire sprinkler system and IIRC, the pressure gauge was at 150 psi before I shut off the supply. My next door neighbor's gauge reads 200 psi. The pipe is pink CPVC.

Is there a safe and sane way to plug the hole or will I be relegated to cutting a huge hole in the wall, slicing the pipe and installing a union? Does the union also have to be pink CPVC? My local Home DePot only carries white PVC-1.

Short term... tap for a stainless steel screw?

I have NO idea what should really be done.

Daniel

If you want the repair to be reliable, you're pretty much stuck with opening the wall and cutting out the bad pipe and gluing in a coupling. Although there are some wrap type repair fittings, they are only suitable for temporary use. You definitely don't want to be sealing them up in a wall. The last thing you want is an undetected leak in a wall that you don't notice until you have mold or structure problems. DO NOT use the white PVC for the repair. It's not the same as CPVC, it won't hold the pressure and the fittings are different sizes. I'm not sure, but I think the pink CPVC is only for identification purposes to differentiate the fire system from the household water system. Most home centers carry the slightly yellow CPVC fittings which can handle the pressure.

I think if you do the repair, you will void the certification of the system. Installers need to be NFPA certified. You better reach for the phone book and not a drywall saw.

Ace hardware carries CPVC pipe.