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Author:
sum (FL)
I changed the hose bib and ball valve on one side of this duplex, now it's time to redo the other. I posted some pics before but now I am ready to take the plunge.
Here is the mess I am going to replace.
The PVC tee is already gone, the previous owner teed off a line to supply a toilet in an illegal gazebo which is to be demolished. I hired a plumber to come cut the tee off and put a cap on it, and had the inspection last week. Now that is over, I can redo this mess the way I want to do it.
Galvanized 3/4" with a male adapter pointing up, then PVC, then a galvanized tee, then threaded to a copper male adapter on the wall.
So to start off, I cut the PVC pipe, then carefully unscrew the female adapter connecting to the galvanized at the bottom, yes? I remember that's where bernabeu recommended.
Can I just solder a female adapter to the end of a 3/4" copper pipe and thread it onto the galvanized with dope? Or will this accelerate the corrosion of the galvanized pipe due to dis-similar metal contacting? I need a dielectric union there or not?
How tight do I torgue the metal female fitting onto the galvanized elbow? I am really scared it may break.
As I work my way up, copper pipe, brass full port ball valve, a copper tee, I believe the tee needs a female fitting adapter on it to thread into the copper male adapter on the wall, that would "push" the pipe outward a bit, which again may apply strain to the galvanized elbow down below. Do I need to offset the pipe a little to accommodate this? The tee will have the branch connecting to the wall, and a garden valve goes up top.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
1. At this stage, even if electrolysis occurs the galvanized is so deteriorated that it will probably fail soon any way.
2. If anything breaks when you screw the adapter to the steel, it was already too far gone to worry about it.
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Author:
sum (FL)
I understand that, but I need to have in my back pocket a plan B, so if something happens I can still restore water to the other unit of the duplex.
If the elbow breaks can I saw the pipe a clean edge, sand the outside smooth and put some sort of a compression cap on it?
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Author:
hj (AZ)
1. the pipe is so corroded that it will be impossible to grind it smooth
2. Unless you act like a 600# gorilla, you are NOT going to break the pipe.
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Author:
sum (FL)
I planned out my steps and I see an issue.
It seems I will have to put the fitting female adapter on the male adapter at the wall, with dope, then I have to put the branch of the copper tee to it and solder it, with the pipe dope threaded joint less than an inch away.
I can't think of another sequence to avoid soldering that joint before it is attached, because I won't be able to move or flex the galvanized pipe at all, hence the connection need to start at the bottom and work my way up.
Copper female adapter -> short piece of pipe -> full port ball valve -> short piece of pipe -> copper tee.
The copper tee is the last fitting I will connect.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
How are you going to connect the copper tee to the galvanized thread? No matter how you do it, it will NOT line up with the galvanized elbow at the bottom.
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Author:
srloren (CA)
You need to get rid of the rusted galvanized piping under the ground for sure if you don't want to revisit this situation. Turn the water off at the meter or pump house. I would probably begin by removing some plaster around the pipe where it comes out of the wall so I could put channel locks on the pipe for back up, that goes into the galvanized tee. Cut the PVC between the 2 elbows and make the cut so you can put a coupling at that point for reassembly. Bail out any water from the ditch so you can re-glue the PVC pipe and fittings. Remove the old valve and galvanized tee. Replace it with a brass tee and use Teflon tape and pipe dope over it for extra insurance. Use Channel locks for back up while replacing the tee as you do not want to be soldering inside the wall if at all possible because you over tightened it. Prior to assembly, solder the short piece of copper in the top adaptor for the new ball valve. Then teflon tape and dope it and screw it together. This is so you don't heat up the valve too much. Then begin gluing from the bottom upwards to the PVC adaptor that screws into the bottom of the ball valve. Install the ball valve to the adaptor with teflon tape and pipe joint compound. Now you are ready to fit up the copper and solder. Be sure you clean the inside of the fittings as well as the ends of the copper with sand paper and flux inside and outside of fittings and tubing. Open the hose bib so pressure does not build up inside and solder away. This is not a difficult job providing you are familiar with the soldering process. Good luck.
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Author:
WC (VA)
Avoid soldering close to a installed threaded connection/fitting.
1. Prefab Tee fitting
2. Slip Couplings
3. Union?
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Author:
hj (AZ)
There are probably as many ways to do this job as there are plumbers looking at it.
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Author:
sum (FL)
"You need to get rid of the rusted galvanized piping under the ground for sure if you don't want to revisit this situation."
I wish I can replace it, but it is a 50 feet run to the meter, and under poured concrete deck and driveway. So, if and when I need to address it, it would be a project 50 times bigger than the current task at hand.
I hope it can hold another 8-10 years. HOPE.
Meanwhile, I need to address the current crisis for this nightmare property.
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Author:
sum (FL)
Here is what I will do...if it ever stops raining.
(1) remove all pieces between galvanized elbow female connection to the wall copper male adapter.
(2) if clearance allow me to turn the ball valve around and clear the wall, I will connect a short piece of pipe, to a ball valve, another short piece of pipe, then a copper male adapter.
(3) make the connection between the assembly and the galvanized female threaded elbow. Use pipe dope and turn until tight and pray it will not break the galvanized.
(4) take a copper tee, to the branch AND top solder a copper fitting female adapter. The branch will connect to the wall's male adapter. The top will connect to a garden valve.
(5) measure the distance between the tee's bottom socket to the top of the assembled piece coming from below. Cut a piece of copper pipe and solder to the bottom of that tee. Once the tee is soldered on all three ends, connect to the wall at the branch, use pipe dope. As the tee is being threaded in it should barely miss the piece from below.
(6) On the final turn to align the two pieces, use a 3/4" copper repair coupling, flux all and slid it over. Once they are aligned, slid the coupling in place, then solder.
That seems like it should work, and it avoided any soldering near the threaded joints.
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Author:
hj (AZ)
Your tee and street adapter are going to be a lot longer than that existing tee, so the top and bottom pipes will NOT line up for your repair coupling. However, if you go back to my very original posting, and use the sweat x FIP x sweat, (or sweat x sweat x FIP if you want to go up to the hose bibb), tee I originally recommended it WILL screw on the pipe in the wall, (and forget about "twisting it off or any thing like that because it is not going to happen), it WILL line up. Then insert your street adapter, or riser, for the hose bibb.
Edited 1 times.
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Author:
sum (FL)
you mean the new copper tee with the street adapter will be farther from the wall then the piece coming up from below?
So I guess I need one of these then?
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Author:
hj (AZ)
That is what I said "weeks" ago.
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Author:
sum (FL)
well, back then I was going to do it, but the city needs a permit to do the water cap of the gazebo supply line. If I did it then it would have completely eliminated the need to cap that line, but I realized they needed to see the line capped off. So I left it alone, paid a plumber to come cap that line, get that inspected and passed, so that now I can get rid of it once and for all. On the other side of the duplex I changed it out, but used a regular copper tee with street adapters but there, it was a PVC line, so I could "flex" it a bit.
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