Horse shower repair: Fix a leaking pipe quickly and easily

Horse shower pipe systems often need repair in winter because of freezing temperatures
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Freezing temperatures impact on pipework everywhere and anywhere. Particularly at risk to winter leaks and bursts requiring repair are horse shower pipe systems because of their location and purpose.

We know this first hand as whenever cold weather arrives, we experience a very noticeable increase in enquiries from owners of horse showers, seeking a quick, easy and cost-effective repair method for leaking pipes not involving replacement or the services of a plumber.

So if a pipe in your horse shower has burst and you require a fast solution to keep Red Rum, Tiger Roll or Frankel clean, then here is how a pipe repair kit can save the day.

Why has the pipework in my horse shower burst?

When temperatures drop below zero, water inside pipes will freeze. The expansion of liquid into solid exerts extra pressure, causing cracks and splits to appear.

Leaks and bursts typically appear in pipes when the ice thaws, returns to water and suddenly finds newly formed cracks through which to escape. The problem is amplified when temperatures increase dramatically or pressure is involved.

If water in your horse shower pipework has expanded as ice, weakened the pipe, returned to water and is then flushed through the next time the system is used at 3bar pressure, there is a real chance it will cause damage.

Pipework which is indoors or buried underground has some form of protection from the cold. Likewise, pipes which have been insulated or lagged are less likely to freeze.

The pipe supplying a horse shower tends to be outdoors and open to the elements, making them prime suspects for suffering from bursts.

How to repair a horse shower pipe

Horse shower pipes are small in diameter and can be easily isolated, making them very straightforward to carry out a DIY repair on using a SylWrap Standard Pipe Kit.

The Kit is used on everything from oil and gas pipelines to major water mains to industrial applications to boiler pipe repair.

Once you have turned off the horse shower, identified where the leak in the pipe is and dried around the area, then the two-stage repair can begin.

The first stage involves sealing the leak with epoxy putty. Cut the amount of epoxy needed to cover the hole from the supplied stick and knead it by hand for a couple of minutes until it turns a uniform colour.

Whilst still soft, the putty is pushed into the crack or hole. It will harden to form a material as hard as steel, filling the crack and completing a waterproof seal.

The second stage of the repair involves a SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage being applied over the top. SylWrap HD is a fibreglass wrap with a water-activated resin.

It is wrapped over the top of the epoxy putty, where it will set rock-hard to provide an impact resistant protective layer over the pipe.

Repairs are permanent and can made in under 30 minutes using the SylWrap Standard Pipe Repair Kit, helping to save time and money.


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