Okay folks, grab your wrenches, this one's a tale from the trenches. Sun was out, figured I'd finally tackle the grime on the driveway with the pressure washer. Got everything hooked up – water tank pump connected, hose ready. Fired it up. Psst... PSSSST! Not the power spray I wanted, nah. Water was drip-drip-dripping underneath the pump itself. Seriously annoying.

Down and Dirty Troubleshooting

First thing I did? Shut it off. Fast. No point wasting water or risking a bigger mess. Dried the area best I could with an old rag. Needed to see exactly where that leak was coming from. Got down on my hands and knees – glamorous, right? Spotted it. Looked like the leak was sneaking out right where one of the pipes screwed into the pump housing. Tightened that connection by hand first. Still leaked. Gave it another good crank with the wrench. Nope. Still a steady little stream.

Time for the Simple Stuff

Okay, maybe not the pipe joint itself, but the seal inside it. Remembered I had some white Teflon tape tucked away. Good old plumbing friend. Unscrewed the leaky connection completely. Wiped down the pipe threads clean. Then, grabbed the tape. Wrapped it around the male threads – nice and tight, maybe four or five wraps clockwise. Screwed the pipe back into the pump housing. Really put my back into it with the wrench, making sure it felt snug and solid.

The Moment of Truth... Almost

Fired up the pressure washer again. Held my breath. Looked good... for about ten seconds. Then, Pffft. Still leaking! Not as bad, but definitely there. Same spot? Squinted. Wait... no. Now it looked like it was weeping from the actual pump housing seam, near that connection. Seriously? Felt like kicking it.

Checked my handy work. The pipe felt rock solid. Maybe the pump body gasket itself gave up the ghost? Didn't have a spare gasket kit on hand, and honestly, wasn't looking to rip the whole pump apart that afternoon.

Reaching for the Big Guns (Well, Big Putty)

Remembered seeing a tube of that epoxy putty stuff in the back of the garage shelf – the kind you knead together. Might be worth a shot? Worse case, I'm buying a new pump tomorrow. Dried the leaky seam area super thoroughly. Like, super dry. Took that epoxy putty, mixed a good chunk until it was one solid color. Jammed that sticky mess right over the weepy seam and smoothed it down over the joint area. Made sure it had good contact and covered everything. Left it alone for like, two whole hours. Followed the curing time on the tube.

Finally Back in Business?

Couldn't wait longer. Hooked everything back up. Turned the water on slow, watching that putty patch carefully. No drips! Hit the power switch. The pump whirred, built pressure... and YES! Solid stream! Pointed it at an old bucket for a few minutes, just to be sure. Checked the patch and connection area. Bone dry. Felt like a victory. Used it for half an hour washing the driveway afterward. Pump sounded fine, pressure stayed good. Putty held.

Hope this fix lasts! Shoulda done this last winter when I first noticed a tiny drip... Lesson learned: Don't ignore the small leaks!