Copper Pipe Question

[Stormin Mormon]

Now, that looks like a useful gadget. I doubt I could "sell" it to the powers that be. But, it looks useful.

[Stormin Mormon]

Something I've done with more or less success. Cut the coupling length wise (think hot dog bun) with a pair of tin shears. Pry it open (think clam on the beach opening its mouth). Sand and flux the pipe, where it's leaking. Turn off the water, of course. Drain the pipe if possible. Sand the inside of the fitting. Squeeze the fitting around the pipe. Might need pliers. More flux. Heat the fitting, and be generous with the solder. If you're lucky, you just soldered copper over the pinhole, and you won't have a leak for the next umpteen years.

[dpb]

Bert Byfield wrote: ...

And now you do... :)

It should be possible to get a miniature tubing cutter around it if it's

1/2". If it's 3/4, they're pricey enough you may not want to spend the money for a single use. But, generally there's enough flex in copper to be able to make sufficient clearance unless there's a vertical also too close.

But, if need to, the hacksaw will work. As you say, be sorta slow and shouldn't have any problem.

And, of course, if it is just a pinhole, in all likelihood you could simply clean and flux around it and fill the hole w/ solder and it'll last indefinitely that way w/o the connector at all.

--

[fftt]

Get a close quarters tubing cutter....Ridgid makes a couple different size ranges.

Up to 15/16 od and up to 1 1/8" both available on line for less than $20.

but you'll need about an 1 1/2" clearance to get them to work but most installations have enough play to make the cut.

Otherwise you could make the first cut with a hack saw & then clean them up with a tube cutter.

You could make up the lost length difference with a new piece of tube or if its not much just span it with couplings.

cheers Bob

[Bob F]

The only way insulation could solve the problem is if the pipes are VERY short, and the water heater has no heat trap at all.