The DIY thread - DIYourself

Patrick said:
No, they are slow. It is a 1 count, and you get accustom to it after a bit.

My kitchel system spools up slowly.
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Good to know. I just ordered a second kit solely for a power supply for the other side of the kitchen. I have plenty of tape, but running the wire to the other side of the kitchen would require me in the attic. Opening another box from Home Depot sounds much better to me. Also, based on my calcs the wire size for that run would be 14ga which sounds crazy to me. Easier to just wire up a new supply to the existing 120v at that spot.
 
Finally got around to replacing the leaking well pressure tank, crusty manifold etc. Other than playing hunchback under the stairs the hardest part might have been using the bike pump to add an extra 5psi to the tank precharge. I wont complain about pumping up bike tires of any size anymoreIMG_20200404_173031.jpg
 
rlb said:
Good to know. I just ordered a second kit solely for a power supply for the other side of the kitchen. I have plenty of tape, but running the wire to the other side of the kitchen would require me in the attic. Opening another box from Home Depot sounds much better to me. Also, based on my calcs the wire size for that run would be 14ga which sounds crazy to me. Easier to just wire up a new supply to the existing 120v at that spot.
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Better a trip in the attic than in my crawl space, I swear there are monsters living down there...and yet that’s where I’m headed shortly. But first another trip to the depot for a new sink strainer nut and gasket. The idea of a trip to HD sounded a lot better yesterday before I had to go there to purchase some copper fittings for the baseboards and soil for the wife, that is before the line to get in and the sliding bandanna on my face. Today I’m going full ‘used’ m95 mask.
 
rlb said:
Good to know. I just ordered a second kit solely for a power supply for the other side of the kitchen. I have plenty of tape, but running the wire to the other side of the kitchen would require me in the attic. Opening another box from Home Depot sounds much better to me. Also, based on my calcs the wire size for that run would be 14ga which sounds crazy to me. Easier to just wire up a new supply to the existing 120v at that spot.
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it is speaker wire - well, the kind that can be pulled through wall - i have some i could drop off.

Amazon.com: Monster Cable CI Pro 14-2/500 14-Gauge 2-Conductor In-Wall Speaker Cable - 500-Foot Spool: Home Audio & Theater

Amazon.com: Monster Cable CI Pro 14-2/500 14-Gauge 2-Conductor In-Wall Speaker Cable - 500-Foot Spool: Home Audio & Theater
smile.amazon.com
 
serviceguy said:
Better a trip in the attic than in my crawl space, I swear there are monsters living down there...and yet that’s where I’m headed shortly. But first another trip to the depot for a new sink strainer nut and gasket. The idea of a trip to HD sounded a lot better yesterday before I had to go there to purchase some copper fittings for the baseboards and soil for the wife, that is before the line to get in and the sliding bandanna on my face. Today I’m going full ‘used’ m95 mask.
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Talk about a quick job taking a turn for the worst! I had planned to lift the baseboards in our living room by an inch in order to make room for the new floor (a small detail that both the GC and the plumber did not take into account when I had the subfloor for half the house done, minutiae after all). I kept procrastinating it because it requires draining the heating system off course.

So after procuring the parts on Saturday (HD trip #1) and getting pump in anticipation for the job it's game day on Sunday! Not so fast...my wife decided to rain on my parade announcing that one of the kitchen sinks was leaking. Damn, another trip to HD (HD trip #2) for a new the strainer nut and gasket.
HD1.jpgHD2.jpg

Once back at home I get to it and boom, the tail pipe locking nut explodes as soon as I touch it, Damn, yet another trip to HD because obviously I didn't plan for this to happen. This would be trip #3. I'm not happy about it. So after the usual non-sense (mask and gloves on, distancing, queueing with idiots that keep complain like they're the only one in line etc.) I get my parts, go back home and fix the sink. Detour #1 is out of the way.

SINK.jpg

Back to the main project, everything went surprisingly according to plan. Measure twice, cut once works I suppose. Except...I went in the creepy crawl space to check if there was any leakage under the floor and was pleasantly surprise not to find any...then all of a sudden a hissing sound and I felt wet. What the...? I could only think of the new fittings give way but everything seemed dry and tight...I turned around and realized that I accidentally touched the water main while crawling to the beaseboard pipe point of entrance in the crawlspace which caused it to explode...obviously this happened after 6pm so HD was closed already...I tossed a piece of plywood on top of the line so it wouldn't spray the insulation under the floor, ran to the garage, grabbed the water main wrench and t handle and ran again to the curbside valve to shut off he water. Oops, the valve doesn't shut off completely, so I am still flooding the crawlspace but at a much slower pace, actually one that allows for the dirt to absorb the water being leaked. Tried and wrap an old innertube around it but it did not work. So this morning I was at HD again at 6am to purchase a very expensive lot of Sharkbite fittings, shut off valves etc. that allowed me to gain back use of my water (and stop the slow leak that has been affecting us for the last 3 years).

Now my problem is how permanent is this fix gong to be? I particularly don't like the join between the old water main pipe (1/2 copper) and the Sharkbite connector, I cleaned the pipe as good as possible and I could have swear it with no problem (if it wasn't for the slow flow of water coming out of it so I don't think I had any other choice. Everything is tightand dry now but I am not even sure it's up to code. I have the wasterdept. stoping by and shut the main valve tomorrow (which I don't believe they will be able to do) to make a more permanent fix, but what should I go with? Compression fitting? Solder it? @Patrick ? Can I call this my @seanrunnette moment?

WM1.jpgWM3.jpg

What I had to work to begin with...

WM2.jpg
 
nice job getting the water back on quickly!!
if bumping it took it out, it would have failed soon anyway - and you probably wouldn't have been there to catch it.
so can take a bit of good news away.

sweat a female NPT on the incoming pipe (which might be impossible because of the water - so compression?)
- then nipple, then screw a NPT ball valve on, then a nipple, then a union. then copper to your tee
i don't like the sharkbite before the valve.

this makes the valve serviceable even if it can't be fully shut at the road. not that a ball valve would fail.
i don't like sharkbites in unsupported situations - but i suspect what you have is legal, since the sharkbites
can be removed to replace that very expensive valve.

you had copper coming out of the ground?
 
Patrick said:
you had copper coming out of the ground?
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Yeah this is a good question, that looks like galvanized piping that you took out, and no surprise that it started leaking when you looked at it funny.

Can you dig a little to uncover more of the copper coming in? That should give you a bit more to work with. The water co may suggest replacing that section all the way to the outside in order to make a secure connection. However, in most cases you own the line from the curb valve into the home, so I think that would be on your dime.
 
Patrick said:
nice job getting the water back on quickly!!
if bumping it took it out, it would have failed soon anyway - and you probably wouldn't have been there to catch it.
so can take a bit of good news away.

sweat a female NPT on the incoming pipe (which might be impossible because of the water - so compression?)
- then nipple, then screw a NPT ball valve on, then a nipple, then a union. then copper to your tee
i don't like the sharkbite before the valve.

this makes the valve serviceable even if it can't be fully shut at the road. not that a ball valve would fail.
i don't like sharkbites in unsupported situations - but i suspect what you have is legal, since the sharkbites
can be removed to replace that very expensive valve.

you had copper coming out of the ground?
Click to expand...

1/2 copper pipe. Soft? I don't know but it should be even though it's pretty hard now, and probably brittle.

Not sure if sweating is Ok, I would have to manage and dig out a little more pipe, it turns horizontal right beneath the first fitting to exit the crawlspace, but it is possible, granted they can completely shut off the main water otherwise it's a job for the scuba plumber.

I was planning what you suggested (I need to source the parts quick, because the water dept is going to be here tomorrow morning) but I can't find a 1/2 compression fitting anywhere (and I mean HD by that).

I need to find my thinking hat (if I ever had one).

rlb said:
Yeah this is a good question, that looks like galvanized piping that you took out, and no surprise that it started leaking when you looked at it funny.

Can you dig a little to uncover more of the copper coming in? That should give you a bit more to work with. The water co may suggest replacing that section all the way to the outside in order to make a secure connection. However, in most cases you own the line from the curb valve into the home, so I think that would be on your dime.
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They just used galvanized fitting but the line is copper, not sure if it was flared or if they used compression fittings, which would point to soft copper tubing. The only option I have right now seems to sweat a 1/2 to 3/4 adapter and use a copper pressure cup union before the valve.

I checked the old valve cluster, looking from the inside of the copper pipe I had to cut looks like it may have been a flared copper line.
 
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there is a tool to block the water while sweating on something with threads.

might be able to rent. Not worries about how soft it is, i just don't like the ability of a sharkbite to "move"
- not sure how well copper does in direct contact with dirt/moisture.
i would have expected PB or galvanized.

if they fail it, they fail it. not end of the world.
 
serviceguy said:
1/2 copper pipe. Soft? I don't know but it should be even though it's pretty hard now, and probably brittle.

Not sure if sweating is Ok, I would have to manage and dig out a little more pipe, it turns horizontal right beneath the first fitting to exit the crawlspace, but it is possible, granted they can completely shut off the main water otherwise it's a job for the scuba plumber.

I was planning what you suggested (I need to source the parts quick, because the water dept is going to be here tomorrow morning) but I can't find a 1/2 compression fitting anywhere (and I mean HD by that).

I need to find my thinking hat (if I ever had one).



They just used galvanized fitting but the line is copper, not sure if it was flared or if they used compression fittings, which would point to soft copper tubing. The only option I have right now seems to sweat a 1/2 to 3/4 adapter and use a copper pressure cup union before the valve.
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FWIW.... I think Lowes is open later, like 8pm maybe?
 
Patrick said:
there is a tool to block the water while sweating on something with threads.

might be able to rent. Not worries about how soft it is, i just don't like the ability of a sharkbite to "move"
- not sure how well copper does in direct contact with dirt/moisture.
i would have expected PB or galvanized.

if they fail it, they fail it. not end of the world.
Click to expand...

I do like the solution you suggested originally after reading it better, brass nipples ? That is if I can sweat the female FIP adapter to the water main. Parts are readily available at HD in that case.
 
MadisonDan said:
FWIW.... I think Lowes is open later, like 8pm maybe?
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Their website says 7:00 pm. It helps though. Thanks though.

Stuck at home 9am to 6pm WFH, that may change as today all managerial positions get a live update from the CEO...possibilities range from forced vacation, voluntary pay cut, furlough...
 
Patrick said:
nice job getting the water back on quickly!!
if bumping it took it out, it would have failed soon anyway - and you probably wouldn't have been there to catch it.
so can take a bit of good news away.

sweat a female NPT on the incoming pipe (which might be impossible because of the water - so compression?)
- then nipple, then screw a NPT ball valve on, then a nipple, then a union. then copper to your tee
i don't like the sharkbite before the valve.

this makes the valve serviceable even if it can't be fully shut at the road. not that a ball valve would fail.
i don't like sharkbites in unsupported situations - but i suspect what you have is legal, since the sharkbites
can be removed to replace that very expensive valve.

you had copper coming out of the ground?
Click to expand...

Updated plan based on Lowe's parts availability:

1/2 compression to 1/2 MIP (brass)
5/8 compression to 1/2 MIP (brass)
1/2 threaded female to 3/4 threaded female (brass)

or

1/2 sweat to 3/4 MIP (copper)

then

3/4 male to 3/4 male nipple (brass) (need to distance from the ground)
3/4 FNPT to 3/4 FNPT ball valve (brass)
3/4 MNPT to 3/4 Push-to-Connect (brass)

then the existe 3/4 copper pipe to the push-to-connect tee.

Am I overthinking it?
 
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serviceguy said:
Updated plan based on Lowe's parts availability:

1/2 compression to 1/2 MIP (brass)
1/2 threaded female to 3/4 threaded female (brass)

or

1/2 sweat to 3/4 MIP (copper)

then

3/4 male to 3/4 male nipple (brass) (need to distance from the ground)
3/4 FNPT to 3/4 FNPT ball valve (brass)
3/4 MNPT to 3/4 Push-to-Connect (brass)

then the existe 3/4 copper pipe to the push-to-connect tee.

Am I overthinking it?
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overthinking is @Patrick department, maybe leave that part to the experts?
 
serviceguy said:
Updated plan based on Lowe's parts availability:

1/2 compression to 1/2 MIP (brass)
1/2 threaded female to 3/4 threaded female (brass)

or

1/2 sweat to 3/4 MIP (copper)

then

3/4 male to 3/4 male nipple (brass) (need to distance from the ground)
3/4 FNPT to 3/4 FNPT ball valve (brass)
3/4 MNPT to 3/4 Push-to-Connect (brass)

then the existe 3/4 copper pipe to the push-to-connect tee.

Am I overthinking it?
Click to expand...

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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