I am replacing vanity sink. To remove old vanity, I need to remove shut off valve. it was threaded onto a chrome pipe. hot water valve came off fine. on cold water side, unforturnately, the chrome pipe came out. see pictures below




The way that the chrome pipe came out give me a feeling that it is not as reliable as soldered copper pipe. is that true? what do professional plumbers install nowadays? I would really hate to finish the project and sometime later found out that I have a slow leak inside the wall.

what is the best approach to fix my problem? I read that it would be advantagous to open the wall from backside which has only drywall. However, it is an occuppied, recently painted bedroom. I would try avoid touching it. But I don't know if there is any way to work from bathroom side which has tile on the wall.

thanks in advance!

Those appear to be galvanized pipe nipples. I would remove the hot one also and replace them with brass nipples. The cold water angle stop is either stuck to the nipple with rust or the stop was tightened more on the nipple than the nipple was tightened to the fitting in the wall. The cold nipple appears to have all it's threads intact, so the fix is just teflon taping and or doping the threads of the nipple and rescrewing it into the in-wall fitting.

they look like chrome plated brass to me.
if the old one came out intack without anything behind the wall turning, a new one will be no problem.
as suggested, teflon tape and pipe dope ontop is the belt and suspenders best way..

Adjsut your monitor's properties. There is no way they are chrome plated brass, but he should change them to brass.

Packy is right that the short threaded segment does appeared to be chrome plated brass.

Steve is also right that the cold water angle stop is either stuck to the nipple with rust or the stop was tightened more on the nipple than the nipple was tightened to the fitting in the wall.

Steve and Packy, you both think that I can/should use the pipe nipple, right?

the supply pipe & fitting behind the wall can move. So I still need to open the wall one side or another to attached the nipple back. Is there another way?

I will try use teflon tape and pipe dope ontop. I previously thought that one should use just one or another but not both. I thought I read that pipe dope is superior to teflon tape when sealing NPT pipe thread. yet, I will do what you guys say.

hj, I appologize for the quality of the image. But the nipple does match chrome plated brass description to me. I imagine galvanized pipe has much thicker wall.

The house was built in late 50's. cold / hot water is supplied via 1/2" copper piping. This bathroom was remodelled sometime in the past, as the wall has two layeys of drywall.

hj, the second picture has light reflecting back off the nipple. unless he simonized the galvanized nipple, no matter what resolution i have my monitor set at, there should be no reflection. nes pas?

Sure appears to be galvanized to me.

they are, in fact, chrome plated brass nipples (albeit very dirty/aged)

you can replace the nipple into the hidden fitting by inserting by feel (make sure it does not start 'cross-threaded') and tightening with the angle stop attached ..... use 3-5 wraps of 'teflon' tape + the pipe dope of your choice

in order to avoid 'scratching' the chrome, they were usually tightened as a 'unit' with an adjustable wrench .... if originally a pedestal sink w/ 'pigtail' connectors the measurement off the wall was critical resulting in some being tighter than others

if they will now be inside a cabinet .... they can be installed with any wrench .... they can even be replaced with 'newer' brass .... no real reason, just options

there 'should be' a drop ear elbow secured to structure inside the wall ..... just like your shower arm attaches

looks like you have some 'REAL' plumbing !!!!

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Bernabeu,

Many thanks to your detailed explanation.

Yes, they are chrome plated nipples. So I will install a new angle stop (or maybe a straight one) on the nipple. prep the other end with 3-5 wraps of 'teflon' tape + the pipe dope.

I will keep my finger crossed that I would not knock off dope or tape when I insert the nipple behind wall and fish for the elbow; unfortunately, the elbow is not secured to the stud in any way! I hope this is something realistic to accomplished and the maneuver will create a long-lasting secured connection behind the wall.

the connection from the old angle stop to faucet was some small diameter rigid pipe, so I see why some thread might be looser than others as the previous plumber would try to keep the compression connector pointing up. I will be using flexible braided supply line. When I replace the valve, should I use straight stop instead of angle stop?

Thanks again for everyone's advice,



Edited 1 times.

Replace the angle stops with the same type.Preferbly 1/4 angle stops
If you use teflon tape be sure and wrap the tape clockwise around the pipe so when you install it the wrap is not "against" the direction of the thread direction. Hold the pipe and tape in seperate hands and turn the pipe clockwise as you release the teflon tape on the threaded end

ditto

if you are now using a cabinet ..... longer (brass) nipples would make 'catching' the elbow in the wall easier .... don't forget the escutcheons (can add split type later, if necessary)

90 degree stops are what you want



==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

The threads on the pipes in your photograph appear to be "silver", a brass pipe would have "yellow" threads.

The nipple on the hot side is defiantly galvanized. Not to sure about the one on the cold. That could be chrome plated brass.

John

hj,

a 'field cut' chrome plated nipple would have exposed brass threads ..... however, a 'store bought' manufactured nipple would ALL be plated incl. the threads

? remember setting the ARMSTRONG STOCK deep to 'bottom out' the threads so no brass was exposed ? PLENTY of wick and dope ?



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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

bernabeu, i wonder how many plumbers out there know what wicking is?

I for one used my share of it. Did you know it was used for slip joint washers? Especially on flush ells. How many know what a flush ell is?

John

We used O-Cedar mop strings when we ran out of wicking.

yeah john, we used wicking with bowl wax for flush ells.

Bowl wax could get very messy. We would use ware proof grease.

John