The DIY thread - DIYourself

Patrick said:
there is no pressure reducer to go from street pressure to under 100psi?
where is your meter?
something ain't right in dixie.
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What I replaced is what was in that picture. Water meter is at the curb, so I suppose is the pressure reducer.

By the way, I had to correct my shopping list, the 1/2 inch compression fitting does not fit a 1/2 copper line, it appears the correct fitting I the 5/8.

compression.jpg
 
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JerseyPete said:
I am curious on where some of you stand on teflon tape vs pro dope?
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I have a liquid pipe sealant but it doesn't have any indication about being lead-free other than a generic "doesn't include harmful components"...on the other end Teflon tape doesn't say anything at all on the package.
 
Patrick said:
- not sure how well copper does in direct contact with dirt/moisture.
i would have expected PB or galvanized.
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Pretty good, just about everything from mid 50's on is copper and that's what you want. Galvanized doesn't last. Not sure which PB you meant but lead is lead, and polybuteline has it's own propblems.
 
JerseyPete said:
I am curious on where some of you stand on teflon tape vs pro dope?
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I go with Both....works for me.

Correction....I use Teflon tape and PTFE paste over top. Recently Blue monster, previously some other brand. I take care not to slather it on the bottom few threads so it doesn't end up in the pipe even if considered and labled "non toxic"
 
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rlb said:
Another vote for getting a valve sweated on however you can.
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I helped someone who had an old set of shark bites that leaked on top of their electric hot water tank and blew the circuit. It seemed like the water quality impacted the fitting over time (hard water or whatever). I wasn't impressed.
 
rlb said:
Pretty good, just about everything from mid 50's on is copper and that's what you want. Galvanized doesn't last. Not sure which PB you meant but lead is lead, and polybuteline has it's own propblems.
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This, every part in that clusterf**k that I replaced was galvanized, the copper was surprisingly (to me) clean and not corroded inside, and once the caked dirt was removed there was very little if any corrosion at all. Inside the baseboard core instead, but that's a different story. I'm ready both for sweating and compression, the whole thing is assembled with teflon tape and ready to go in.
 
serviceguy said:
This, every part in that clusterf**k that I replaced was galvanized, the copper was surprisingly (to me) clean and not corroded inside, and once the caked dirt was removed there was very little if any corrosion at all. Inside the baseboard core instead, but that's a different story. I'm ready both for sweating and compression, the whole thing is assembled with teflon tape and ready to go in.
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i wouldn't expect corrosion inside copper - but it is subject to oxidation when exposed to acid.
Think the green stuff on the statue of liberty. the oxidation layer is relatively strong too.
most leaking copper i've come across is because of physical contaminants in the water wearing down an elbow.
Sure it isn't mineral scale? Sounds like the air traps aren't working - or the system isn't being bled 100%.

i use teflon tape on brass fittings, and PTFE on pvc and black pipe - always set back a couple threads.

you solution looks workable! got the fancy chrome nipple!

the union you used looks like a dielectric union? there would be an insulator on both sides of the clamp nut.
Clamp your ground wire to the copper pipe on both sides,
just to make sure your plumbing is grounded.

a pro press would solve the soldering problem!
 
rlb said:
Or better yet, maybe the waterco guys can propress a fitting to that stub.
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I wouldn't expect them to go in my crawlspace. I wouldn't go there if all my plumbing, heating and electric were not there!

Patrick said:
i wouldn't expect corrosion inside copper - but it is subject to oxidation when exposed to acid.
Think the green stuff on the statue of liberty. the oxidation layer is relatively strong too.
most leaking copper i've come across is because of physical contaminants in the water wearing down an elbow.
Sure it isn't mineral scale? Sounds like the air traps aren't working - or the system isn't being bled 100%.

i use teflon tape on brass fittings, and PTFE on pvc and black pipe - always set back a couple threads.

you solution looks workable! got the fancy chrome nipple!

the union you used looks like a dielectric union? there would be an insulator on both sides of the clamp nut.
Clamp your ground wire to the copper pipe on both sides,
just to make sure your plumbing is grounded.

a pro press would solve the soldering problem!
Click to expand...

Which is the union you're referring to? My plumbing vocabulary is in Italian...the ground needs to be redone, I just forgot to buy the proper clamps yesterday, for now I'm reusing the original that was clamped to the main line before the valve.

I dug out some more of the line going back to the meter...boy it's twisted between rock cracks and whatnoit
 
serviceguy said:
That is just an adapter, 3/4 FNPT to 1/2 FNPT. I came to the conclusion I'm going to solder a copper FMIP connettor to the main line, I don't like the fit of the Lowe's compression fitting, I keep tightening it and it keep coming loose as soon as I wiggle the valve. BTW, water co. says SharkBite are now code even for buried pipes.
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i used a sharkbite on copper in the wall when i had a leak in the 2nd floor plumbing, no problems in almost 4 years (i was NOT sweating pipe in a stud bay of my 100+y/o house through a 8-10in square opening, the alternative was to tear down the plaster and lathe on the other side of the wall :O )
 
And this is how it's done (hopefully it will hold), safety first (I had enough of bumping my head on the A/C ducting). Lighting sucks but it's a crawlspace so... Waiting on the water co. guy to come back and hook up the meter back up. The valve before the meter needs to be changed and the one buried in the ground before that at street level is broken, so he could not shut it down completely, so he closed it the best he could and the disconnected the meter from the valve so the leakage goes in the ground and I not in the meter/house. Hopefully they change the valve, just in case I have to make another run for it.

copper 1.jpg

Needs more clamps.

copper 2.jpg
 
serviceguy said:
Hopefully they change the valve, just in case I have to make another run for it
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They probably will, that's their property and they want a working valve in case they have to shut you off. If they try to skimp on this I would ask for the replacement, the valve needs to be functional for this exact reason. It shouldn't take them more than an hour.

Edit: Actually, if the curb valve is busted, and the valve at the water main is also broken (did they actually dig up the main to check this??) they might run a completely new line to your meter.
 
rlb said:
They probably will, that's their property and they want a working valve in case they have to shut you off. If they try to skimp on this I would ask for the replacement, the valve needs to be functional for this exact reason. It shouldn't take them more than an hour.

Edit: Actually, if the curb valve is busted, and the valve at the water main is also broken (did they actually dig up the main to check this??) they might run a completely new line to your meter.
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My water setup is a little different maybe because very old or the way they do things here...the main shut off valve is buried in the dirt at the curb, the second shut off valve is in a well at the edge of the property and attached directly to the meter, then there is about 30'-40' of copper line that enters the house in the crawlspace where is located the valve that I had to replace. From there the line just runs unsupported to another valve right behind the hatch (the access the crawlspace) and from there to the center of the house where the pressure reducer is.

They did not change the valve. I asked if they could and they said no, if I need to shut the water off I need to call them ($50) and they will shut the valve before the one in the well were the meter is (which is buried in the ground and broken as well, they're supposedly going to change it in the next few days). My wife tried to argue that we may not have time to wait for them to show up if it happens, again, during the week end but they say that they're in call 24/7...

Well, at least I did not go to jail for tampering with the water main...which is good, I hear they're that good at keeping social distance...
 
serviceguy said:
My water setup is a little different maybe because very old or the way they do things here...the main shut off valve is buried in the dirt at the curb, the second shut off valve is in a well at the edge of the property and attached directly to the meter
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Ahh got it, that's actually pretty typical, except for the extra valve by the meter. The curb valve is usually pretty close the the meter locations (both normally by the property line). Hopefully they come back and do it soon like they said they would.
 
serviceguy said:
My water setup is a little different maybe because very old or the way they do things here...the main shut off valve is buried in the dirt at the curb, the second shut off valve is in a well at the edge of the property and attached directly to the meter, then there is about 30'-40' of copper line that enters the house in the crawlspace where is located the valve that I had to replace. From there the line just runs unsupported to another valve right behind the hatch (the access the crawlspace) and from there to the center of the house where the pressure reducer is.

They did not change the valve. I asked if they could and they said no, if I need to shut the water off I need to call them ($50) and they will shut the valve before the one in the well were the meter is (which is buried in the ground and broken as well, they're supposedly going to change it in the next few days). My wife tried to argue that we may not have time to wait for them to show up if it happens, again, during the week end but they say that they're in call 24/7...

Well, at least I did not go to jail for tampering with the water main...which is good, I hear they're that good at keeping social distance...
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nice job. which line goes to the pressure reducer? and where does the other one go?

since you have a key, you can shut it at the curb, and crack open the meter. how wonderful would that be in the winter?
i think your new set-up will work
 
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