Attaching drop ear 90 to concrete block wall

[MiamiCuse]

I have to attach some brass fittings to concrete block walls. Those are "drop ear 90" at the end of copper water supply lines that look like this:

[MiamiCuse]

Sorry last post was truncated...

I have to attach some brass fittings to concrete block walls. Those are "drop ear 90" at the end of copper water supply lines that look like this:

I tried using TAPCON screws but the shalft is too big for the small holes. I could put some 1/2" furring backing on but that would require me to move all the plumbing on that wall out (shower valve, diverter, hand shower, body sprays, overhead shower etc...).

Any idea how to attach these to the concrete block walls when these holes are so tiny? I guess I can drill bigger holes, but if there is an obvious answer I missed would appreciate a heads up.

Thanks in advance,

MC

[Tegger]

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in news:ickdim $8tj$ [e-mail]:

Well, I am certainly flattered. Thanks.

[DD_BobK]

Those drop ear elbows are designed to be screwed to wood. Typically, I drill the holes out to 3/16" & use #10 SS sheet metal screws.

In your situation, I'd use brass machine screws (~1-1/4" to 1-1/2") with double nuts to create little headed mounting studs..

Drill holes in the blocks including recesses to accept the nuts on the back side of the drop ear elbow. Use SIKA Anchorfix #1 (Fast set ~5 min gel, 1hr cure) to attach the whole assembly.

cheers Bob

[Evan]

Well clearly the TAPCON screws that you currently have available to you are too large to fit into the provided holes in the fitting you need to attach, so you either need to find TAPCON screws which will fit the holes you need them to pass through (as miraculous as it sounds they are available in MANY sizes), OR you need to obtain normal screws and the appropriate plastic anchors which will allow them to be used in a concrete block wall...

It isn't rocket science -- you frequently post these odd ball questions about the most simple aspects of a more complicated project... This is the sort of stuff that diverges from the "ah, i can see how it is designed to work together" engineering aspect to the "how do i attach this contraption to the rest of what all is there" practical installation experience...

If you don't know how to attach the fitting to a concrete block wall then even if you know how to solder the copper pipes, you shouldn't be doing this work -- pay someone who has done the job before to do it for you, keep your mouth shut and your eyes open while they do the work and you can learn the legitimate way -- by paying a person who does the work for a living to show you how...

~~ Evan

[Joe]

Been there, done that. Drilled 3/8" hole in brick/block/whatever, inserted wood dowel coated with slow cure epoxy and set flush, used #8 x 1" sheet metal screw. Still working fine after 10 years or so. Pilot hole in dowel helps.

Joe

[MiamiCuse]

Home Depot only carries 3/16" and 1/4" and bigger. I could not find one that has a small enough shaft to fit into these fitting holes, that's why I asked. I have all sizes I could find. Please point me to a source with a smaller then 3/16" sizes. OR you need to obtain normal

Plastic anchors does not work for me, not good enough, I considered it but not comfortable with it.

I usually don't have problems with the more complicated aspects as I research and execute them. The simple aspects is where I may look for help here as someone may know off hand. Complex issues are not appropriate in forums of this nature.

I did pay pros to do my work. I ripped them out due to inferior workmanship. I learned a lot of what NOT to do by observing pros, or people who pretend they are pros. I would not have to do this if they did their job right in the first place.

~~ Evan

[MiamiCuse]

Ahh this is what I was looking for, thanks a bunch!

[Colbyt]

The Tapcons with the 1/4" hex heads will go through 95% of the holes that a #8 screw will so maybe the person who said you needed smaller Tapcons was correct.

[MiamiCuse]

3/16" Tapcons will not go through those holes and those are the smallest I can find, also checked with this website:

and they don't seem to indicate there is a smaller size then 3/16" either.

[Colbyt]

Then use this product with a #8 screw that is least 1.5" long.

I know Ace sell them and I think Lowes does.

I use the red one with #6 or #8 HH screws. Hung a lot of heavy blinds and drapes. Never had a callback.

[Evan]

.

OK...

If you CAN NOT find any TAPCONS that will fit through your hole, then make the hole larger with a drill and a bench vise...

In this case you really are showing your inexperience -- I have never had a problem getting a TAPCON through holes that were a little small using a REAL electric hammer-drill to install them...

If you were unable to figure out that you can safely enlarge the holes on that fitting then again, you should not be the one to be installing it as it is beyond your ability to install... Sometimes looking at a situation to look for the simplest solution to make it work is better than trying to find what you think you need...

Your other comments about workmanship are really bogus -- you are a critic of all the trades and a master of none... Do you really think that the fitting will fall out if you install it with a normal screw and a plastic anchor made for concrete block ? Really, what with the fact that it will soon be braced in place with the shower head you screw into it... As far as you not being able to "get a piece of strapping in behind the fitting" to help you attach it, you are really showing your utter lack of woodworking ability and imagination if you can not figure out how to cut away material on a piece of wood so that it can brace a plumbing fitting without sticking out of the wall too far...

This is where the guy who has done this sort of thing hundreds of times, whose job you find "substandard" has over you, they know that it doesn't have to support thousands of pounds -- it just has to stay where it is put without falling out...

~~ Evan

[MiamiCuse]

That was one of the options, I choose not to do it yet because I have about half a dozen of these drop ear 90s to attach to concrete block walls and that's why I came here looking for opinions. That does not mean I am clueless as to what I do, I simply want to see what others suggest and sometimes someone would say something that might not have occured to me.

Again, that is my chose not to enlarge those cast brass holes unless I had to.

Anyone here asking any question is either asking for opinion to supplement their own, or they are looking for help.

I admit I am master of none. Does not bother me. That's why I come here to ask for help some times.

Again, taking a simple question and formulated your own assumptions into it and making a judgement. No one says the fitting will "fall out", the fitting is a cast brass fitting soldered onto copper pipes. Since it is a female threaded fitting and will be receive a nipple connection, the force it will be subjected to will be torque, the two screws are supposed to hold it in place for that purpose. I don't want to use plastic anchors, that's as simple as that.

As far as you not being able to "get a piece of

There is no wood involved. This is a set of valves and fittings attached to concrete block walls. If it's wood backing I wouldn't be asking these questions. The shower valve has a set minimum and maximum thickness and in considerations on all the parameters I placed the outlets where they are. To insert wood behind them would have caused the valve to protrude too much, that's why I recessed the valve into the block wall.

Again, you are assuming things about situations you know absolutely nothing about. Yes I hired an AC pro who have installed hundreds of AC units in the attic and he ended up cutting two of my trusses to accommodate the replacement after I told him to find a similar size unit. I hired a plumbing company to relocate my DWV system and they end up sending completely twisted my 3/4" soft copper line, and put sleeves over it to conceal the kink and twist, then they ran a 2" PVC vent line right across the opening of my existing attic access door etc etc etc...so Yes, I am doing a much better job then they are.

You are making baseless assumptions on why I asked what I asked based on your own limited imagination, short sighted extrapolations and biased subjectivity. Thank you very much. You shall have the last word on this if you wish, if it makes you feel better and superior, I am glad.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 11/25/2010 4:22 PM MiamiCuse spake thus:

I'll give you the same advice Evan gave, minus his nasty editorial remarks: Use screws and plastic wall anchors.

If you're not comfortable with these, then get comfortable with them. They'll hold that plumbing in place plenty well.

If you don't like the plastic anchors, you could always use metal ones. (Can you still get those old-school lead anchors?)

[Evan]

Argument ? No... Calling out foolishness that has been well demonstrated over time -- Yes...

I mean have you ever gone back and read your own questions to see just how "out there" some of them are ?

Yet you are able to gripe about past projects and weird mistakes that trades workers have made yet you are totally OCD'ing on how to screw a plumbing fitting to a concrete block wall...

Pot -- meet kettle... Plain and simple man...

You can't claim that your posting history doesn't exist, period...

That is not an argument...

~~ Evan