Repairing small leaks in copper pipes by epoxy coating method good or bad?

I don't think much of the idea. Put your question in some context. Are you having pin holes in copper water pipe.

Looking @ home to purchase (7 yrs old) which had slight water leak & could not be located so owner had e-piping done to complete hot & cold water lines. Claims has been over 1yr & no leaks. Obtained lifetime warranty. Don't know if to be scared off (don't want to purchase then have to spend thousands to replace all copper water lines) or is improvement as owner & company that did repairs claim.

What's e-piping. Where was leak that couldn't be found and why couldn't it be found. Was it under ground, under a concrete floor? A warranty is only a piece of paper, only good if company stands behind it. Who's lifetime?

e-piping is as process of relining leaking galvanized & copper pipes with epoxy.
This process has been around in some forms since the seventies.
The company that did these repairs is "ACE DURAFLOW" which has been in business since the '90s & has good better business bureau rating.
There website explains process fully. Here is quick explaination: 1)they remove all connections blow heated air through lines till dry. 2)sandblast lines 3)under pressure force expoy through lines. This process is to seal pipes with a coating that is resistant to minerals in water & chemicals that may be added by water supply company.
Process per "ACE DURAFLOW" seals pinholes & small seaps along with strengthening pipes. Company provides a lifetime warranty against leaks unless due to vandalism & etc. (i realize a warranty is no better that the company that gives it & is only a piece of paper)
Per the current home owner several plumbers had attempted to locate the leak point & were unable? Since i was not there & do not own home i can not give better answer as to where or why leak was not located.
This process has already been done on this home & since i know possibly no more than you do about this process and can only look up on internet i am looking for parties that are familiar on process to determine if this is a good thing as represented or smoke & mirrors "BAND AID REPAIR" which will fail & after home has been purchased cause new owner to have to later tear out walls, slab & etc to totally repipe home with new copper.

I had just about the same thing done on my house sewer main. Works like a charm and saved me a bundle. I didn't know it was available for water pipes. Seem to ne it would cut down on the volume,
Streeter gave us all the information but then cost of relining a entire house. I'd be interested in knowing how pricey this would be. Should be great for under slab pressure leaks. Cheers, Tom

Thanks, Tom. This is 3800sq. ft. 2 story home w/4 baths utility room w/ sink & washer & kitchen w/sink & prep sink. Cost was around $9000.00

Sounds about right when you figure in material and labor to repipe a 3800 sq. ft 2 story dwelling with 4 baths etc.
Thanks for sharing. Tom

Epoxy pipe lining has been around in the US since the 80's, and the only people that I have heard that have a negative opinion of it (outside of the cost) are the ones who are not authorized to do it. It can be a cost effective solution if you are having a number of small pinhole leaks, and can be considered as an alternative to a whole house re-pipe. Depending on your situation, the e-pipe may be a cost effective solution, and the lining has been proven to hold up for years. I have not heard of solid reliable evidence of a e-piping that has failed, and because the equipment to do it run in the several tens of thousands of dollars, the barriers to entry are keeping out many smaller, more unreliable contractors. I would not let it keep me from buying the house, but I would know the contractor who did the work, and make sure the warranty is transferrable.
Sorry! I meant to hit the "agree" button Tom

Will this work on galvanized with iron oxide (rust) built up on the pipe walls?

It can and is used on copper, galvanized, and in some cases even black pipe or plastic pipe The epoxy is similar to a think glue , and the pipes are sand-blasted to smooth them. Once the sand-blasting is done, the epoxy is introduced, and blown from a central location (the manifold) to each fixture. If breaking walls is not feasible, or will be too costly, this will create an epoxy pipe inside the old pipe. While not cheap, can get the job done well. Flow is very minimally reduced, and often once the damaged portions of pipe are removed, and smoothed down, the flow is increased a little bit. [ur


Epoxy pipe lining can be done on copper, galvanized and sometimes even plastic and black pipe. The rust and corrosion on the walls are removed with sand-blasting, and the epoxy, glue like in consistency, is introduced through a central location (like the manifolds). The epoxy if blown in to the different fixtures, and dried in place to create a new smooth wall inside the old pipe. It is not always cost, effective, but if breaking balls, and digging down to re-pipe are not feasible, this provides an alternative. It makes a smooth, pretty coating on the pipes, and can even increase flow once the corrosion etc is removed.

Unitedleak,
I notice you're advertising a leak detection service in your posts.
We don't advertise products on AMHD. We usually just delete them with a warning.
But because you came in with a new concept I let them stand.
I believe lining the pipes can be a major saving in some cases. In point of fact I had the sewer main relined in my own house.
We thank you for the information but from now on lose the advertising. Thank you, Tom

Yes, the epoxy lining can work well with sewer lines also. While I am hesitant to say that it stops them, it is supposed to be resistant to tree roots also. A rooter type of device is used to clear the rots from the line prior to the sandblasting. So, am I to understand that simply including a site as a signature is not appropriate? I type in a site, and AMHD adds in the meta-tag, I guess. Ad deleted by speedball1

Unitedleak,
If you plan on using a link for a user name the we have a problem. This is considered advertising and will be deleted.
You'll notice I deleted all your ads except on your first post.
I'd really hate to lose you because I feel that you have something to contribute and would be a asset to The Plumbing Page. Are you a factory rep or salesman?
My advice would be to go back and register under a new user name. I sincerely hope I see you back under a different handle.
Regards, Tom