Copper Pipe Repair for Dummies

Assorted copper fittings

It's often amusing, although almost always frustrating, to see what sort of dumbassery the latest DotD candidate has managed to publish. The best (worst?) ones are those who make a basic mistake at the get-go and continue to run with it. That's pretty much what James Cooper of HomeSteady.com did when he pounded out "How to Fix Leaks in Copper Pipe Fittings."¹ Based on his heavy work load (He's "on the board of many corporations"), we figured James should have had his handyman write this one instead... and it shows.

Cooper's unfamiliarity with the terminology of plumbing led him to a pair of articles, both at reputable sites (no forums or blogs) about using compression fittings. That's where he dug up his opening line:

"To repair a leaking copper pipe fitting you can use a plumbing connector such as a compression fitting. Compression fittings are used to connect copper tubing that you often find behind your refrigerator. Compression fittings are couplings that are used to connect two copper pipes or a pipe to a fixture or valve.This is an easy-to-install connector that comes in a variety of diameters."

We beg to differ, Jim: you were asked how to fix leaking fittings, but you went straight to repairing a leak in a length of pipe. That's why James instructed his readers to,

"Remove the compression nut and ferrule from each end of the connector and hold it against the copper fitting."

Unfortunately, Cooper's source worded the information differently:

"Hold the compression repair coupling against the damaged pipe and mark 1 in. from each end."

Umm, yeah: that's how you repair a leak in a straight pipe, be it a pinhole or a crack.² That's not how you repair a leak in a fitting. You see, James, fittings are how copper pipes change direction or join. They include tees and elbows, neither of which could be fixed by sticking in a straight-line compression coupling.
The simplest fix for a leaking fitting, and the one you hope is all that's necessary, is to resolder a leaky joint. If that won't do the trick, you are probably in for a visit from your plumber. Just hope the plumber you call knows more than our Dumbass of the Day!

¹ The original has been deleted by Leaf Group, but can still be accessed using the Wayback machine at archive.org. Its URL was   ehow.com/how_6195954_fix-leaks-copper-pipe-fittings.html
² Our house plumber has put together a set of emergency repairs that can hold back the drips until you can do it right or get a plumber over.

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