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The very popular general plumbing, toilets, sinks, faucets, pump problems, questions and answers discussion Forum
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Author:
Sims (MA)
My water heater went, and I called up the plumbers that I've used in the past, they do a pretty good job, and they installed a new tankless water system. The unit works great, but they had to place it on an outside wall because of the type of vent system it has. This is fine, but now I have a lot of unnecessary piping in the basement. They ran the line from the heater to where the old heater was and connected it in. Thing is I don't need that, all my water faucets and appliances are on the side of the house where the new heater is. So now I have one line heading to the middle of the house, splitting off and coming back as three lines to the side of the house. It's a waste of space, pipe, and since I have to wait for the water to reach the faucet or appliance, it’s a waste of water. I asked the plumbers about in the future cutting out the other pipes (about 25 feet worth) and making new connections closer to the heater, but he pointed out that one of my pipes is brass and not a standard size. He said these things are problematic because they're really 5/8 not 1/2 and connections to them tend not to be good. At which point he pointed out that the connection I have to the brass are somewhat corroded, probably do to leaks in the past before I bought the house. His suggestion was to replace the brass line if I wanted to do this.
I could do that, but yet again more work then I intended since I’ll have to replace shutoffs and re-pipe up to the kitchen and bathroom. I was wondering if a sharkite connector might work. Could a 1/2 sharkbite connect to a 5/8 brass? A normal pipe connector I wouldn't think so, but sharkbites are larger than 1/2 inside, it's just the O-ring that has to get around the pipe. I've used sharkbites before and they seem to work well for a while, never had one go on me yet. Has anyone tried to do what I'm suggesting?
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Author:
LemonPlumber (FL)
Well I never heard of connecting to brass as problematic.Sounds like he should have changed that connection point and made it the first and possibly last tie in of the hot feed ?hope he insulated the hot side!could you post pictures of the brass?
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Good Luck. Insulate your hot piping, although costly, it will pay you back every day.
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Author:
Sims (MA)
He ran the hot line up the side of a 2x4 to secure it, and then I put insulation over the other side. I'll post pictures when I get a chance.
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Author:
packy
it is against the law for you to do your own plumbing in massachusetts.
your plumber will know which fittings to use.
together we can...
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Author:
hj
If he thinks a line is an "unusual 5/8" one, then I doubt that he knows what to use. Where would the poster GET an odd sized 5/8" line, if that is even what he has.
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Author:
jimmy-o (CA)
We are not trying to be harsh, but your description lacks specifics. A sharkbite for 1/2" copper is for exactly a 5/8"OD tube. We don't know WHAT that brass is. Sharkbites have little tolerance on size.
And while those of us in the rest of the country may scoff at your law, the fact is that is it quite illegal in MA to do this work yourself, and we understand the penalties are quite harsh. And we also here that they prowl around LOOKING for people like you!
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Author:
packy
fairly common to have fine thread brass piping used for domestic hot water.
male, female and reamed adapters are readily available at supply houses.
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Author:
hj
Where do you find "fine thread brass" fittings to go with that pipe? WIthout seeing the installation, I might think he has 3/8" brass pipe.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
Nevada Plumber (NV)
Packy, what is a reamed adapter? Maybe it's just late, but I don't think I have heard that term before.
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Author:
dlh (TX)
very often you can not just hook the heater to the closest pipe. you piping was designed and installed to come from a certain location so it starts out larger there and may get smaller the further it goes. the lines by the new heater may be smaller and if so then tying onto them will create other problems in your system.
make sure your piping doesnt need to be completely changed before agreeing to doing all the work your plumber is suggesting. i doubt your house has any piping that wasnt common or readily available at one time and should be able to get adapters for it now if nothing else
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PLUMBERS "Protecting The Health Of The Nation"
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Author:
packy
you may call them something different.
a reamed adapter is a 1/2" brass or a 3/4" fine thread brass by 1/2" copper female adapter which has had the threads reamed out of it. so the fitting is sort of a sweat coupling that you slip over a piece of brass pipe and solder it to copper tubing.
handy when you can't get to a fitting to unscrew a nipple.
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Author:
packy
how many fine thread adapters would you like me to send to AZ?
pertty common stuff around boston and suburbs.
i can even send you a 3/4 fine thread x 3/4 fine thread x 1/2 brass drop eared tee.
i also have a supply of 1/2" copper by 3/4 fine thread 90's.
i don't remember but i may have a couple of 3/4 fine thread stop and waste valves.
oh, lastly, i have a few 1/2 IPS x 3/4 fine thread brass close nipples.
the only thing i'm missing so i can open a museum is a hopper cock..
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Author:
hj
I assume if you have one or two of those parts, that would be a lifetime supply. How about a picture, since I have NEVER seen fine thread pipe and fittings for general use. Specialized use for faucets was somewhat common at one time.
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Author:
hj
quote; you may call them something different.
I guess I would, like a "juryrigged pipe connection". I take the nipples out of the fittings instead trying to do a makeshift solder joint.
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Author:
packy
hj, a reamed aedapter is not a jury rigged fitting.
have you never opened up a wall/floor/ceiling and found a bad threaded brass joint?
there are times when it would be a MAJOR job to get to a fitting/s to unscrew a nipple/s. thousands and thousands of times plumbers use their imp cutters to cut a brass pipe and sweat on a reamed adapter.
it is done all the time around here.
i'll take some pictures of some of my fine thread collection and post soon.
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Author:
hj
My Imp cutter does not have a wheel big enough to cut through a brass pipe. And NO, I have never had a brass fitting in the floor, or anywhere, that I could not get the pipe out of it, now galvanized, that is a different story.
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Author:
iplumb (MA)
I had a job recently where it was extra thick threaded copper,watertown supply had nothing to adapt to it,I had to take a reamed adaptor ,put it in a lathe and bore it out...thank my dad for the machinist background !
fine thread brass and reamed adaptors are common around here...not always easy to work with thats for sure
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