🧿I. What to use to seal a leaking cement pipe?

Depending on the amount of leakage, whether the water supply is interrupted, and the extent of damage, sealing methods can be categorized as follows:

1. Quick Emergency Leak Sealing (Suitable for small-scale leaks)

Underwater Curing Epoxy Mortar/Leak Sealing Agent: This is a fast-curing cement-based material specifically designed for underwater operations. Before application, clean the surface, then press the material firmly onto the leak point. It solidifies and forms a seal within a short time (minutes to tens of minutes).

Leak Sealing King: Similar to the above material, it sets quickly, has high strength, and provides good temporary sealing for cracks and holes.

2. Internal Sealing (Suitable for large-diameter pipes accessible even when the water supply is interrupted)

Epoxy Resin Grouting: For cracks, drill holes at the crack and embed grouting nozzles. Then, use high-pressure grouting equipment to inject epoxy resin grout deep into the crack, achieving sealing and reinforcement from the inside.

Polyurethane grouting: Polyurethane grouting materials foam and expand upon contact with water, forming an elastic colloid, making them particularly suitable for sealing leaks in flowing water, providing excellent sealing results.

3. External permanent sealing (the most common and reliable method)

Using dedicated leak repair clamps: This is currently the most mainstream and reliable method. Specially designed leak repair clamps are available for the uneven surface of cement pipes, which will be explained in detail below.

Steel clamps: For regular cracks, custom-made two-part steel clamps can be used, with a rubber gasket embedded in the middle, and secured with bolts to achieve sealing.

🧿II. How to repair uneven cement pipe surfaces?

The rough and uneven surface of cement pipes is the main challenge in repair, as it hinders the tight fit between the sealant and the pipe wall. The core of the solution lies in "filling and smoothing" and "adaptive sealing."

Using dedicated leak repair clamps is the best way to solve this problem. 1. Choose a Well-Designed Leak Repair Clip

Wide-Body Design: Leak repair clips specifically designed for cement pipes typically have a wider shell to provide a larger contact area and clamping force.

Thickened, Winged Sealing Ring: The sealing ring is not flat but designed with multiple "wing lips." When the bolts are tightened, these wings deform, fully filling the pits and uneven areas on the cement pipe surface, forming multiple lines of defense for sealing.

Adjustable Flexible Structure: The leak repair clip shell has a certain degree of flexibility, allowing it to deform slightly under bolt pressure to adapt to the macroscopic non-roundness or slight deformation of the pipe.

2. Use a Sealing Agent

Before installing the leak repair clip, fill severely uneven areas or pits in the cement pipe with some fast-curing sealant or epoxy repair agent to initially level them. This provides a more uniform bearing surface for the leak repair clip's sealing ring, greatly improving the sealing success rate.

3. Key Operating Points

Surface Cleaning: The surface of the pipe must be thoroughly cleaned of silt, moss, loose cement chunks, and other impurities until a solid base layer is exposed. This is the foundation of all steps.

Uniform Tightening: When tightening the bolts of the leak repair clamp, a "diagonal alternation, gradual force application" method must be used to ensure that the two half-rings close evenly, preventing new leaks caused by uneven force.

🧿III. Advantages of Using Leak Repair Clamps to Repair Cement Pipes

Similar to repairing ductile iron pipes, using leak repair clamps to repair cement pipes also has significant advantages, and these advantages are even more pronounced due to the characteristics of cement pipes:

1. Excellent Adaptability, Specifically Addressing Uneven Surfaces

This is the biggest advantage for cement pipes. Leak repair clamps designed specifically for cement pipes have a special sealing ring structure that effectively compensates for surface unevenness, solving the pain point of traditional methods failing to seal cement pipes.

2. Fast Installation, Ideal for Emergency Repairs

Similar to repairing ductile iron pipes, the leak repair clamp installation process is standardized, eliminating the need for material curing (unlike cement and epoxy mortar which require long curing times). It achieves rapid water stoppage, significantly reducing water outage time and minimizing losses.

3. No Internal Support Required, Simple Operation

Traditional repairs of concrete pipes (such as cutting joints or applying tape) often require internal pipe support, making the process complex. The leak repair clamp is a purely external installation; installation can be completed simply by digging an operating pit and cleaning the outer wall of the pipe, reducing operational difficulty and risk.

4. Reliable Sealing, Resistant to Interface Displacement

The leak repair clamp forms a completely encapsulated sealed cavity. Its flexible sealing design not only seals leaks but also accommodates minor displacement and deformation caused by foundation settlement and temperature changes, a capability not found in rigid connections (such as concrete enclosures).

5. High Overall Economic Efficiency

Although the cost of a single leak repair clamp is higher than that of a pack of leak-sealing compound, its success rate is high, its service life is long, and it eliminates the need for repeated repairs. The savings in water outage losses, labor costs, and subsequent maintenance expenses result in a lower overall long-term cost.

The housing is typically made of metals such as ductile iron and carbon steel, which are corrosion-resistant and high-strength. It can last the same life as the original pipe, eliminating the need for frequent repairs. Baoshuo brand carbon steel half joints are available in a variety of rubber materials, including NBR, EPDM, FKM, and silicone rubber. The half joint body is available in Q235 carbon steel and 304 and 316L stainless steel.

The following are Baoshuo brand oil-resistant pipe repair clamps, high-temperature-resistant pipe repair clamps, acid- and alkali-resistant pipe repair clamps, stainless steel pipe repair clamps, high-pressure-resistant pipe repair clamps, and large-diameter pipe repair clamps.

Summary and Recommendations

For leaks in cement pipes, especially on uneven surfaces, the preferred solution is to use wide-body leak repair clamps (leak repair clamps) specifically designed for cement pipes with special sealing rings.

The standard operating procedure is as follows:

1. Water outage and pressure reduction: Drain or reduce the water pressure in the pipe as much as possible.

2. Cleaning the base surface: Thoroughly clean the outer wall of the pipe around the leak point, removing all loose materials.

3. Local leveling (optional): For deep pits or large cracks, preliminary leveling can be done using quick-sealing material. 4. Install the leak repair clamp: Align the sealing ring with the leak point, close the two halves of the housing, and tighten the bolts diagonally alternately to the specified torque.

5. Restore water supply: After installation, turn on the water and observe whether there is still leakage.

This method combines speed, reliability, and adaptability to the special working conditions of cement pipes, making it one of the most effective methods for repairing cement pipes in municipal drainage, industrial water supply, and other fields.