Need quick advice for fixing galvanized horizontal hot water pipe in crawlspace (first time)

[Joe]

Surprisingly cheap at Harbor Freight, and bargains on eBay, too.

Joe

[John Grabowski]

*Make the replacement 3/4" copper. I can't see how your plumbing is hooked up, but there are fittings available for just about every configuration. You may need copper female adapters that will thread onto the galvanized and you can then solder your copper pipe to it

There are dielectric fittings available that are used for pipes of dissimilar metal being connected together.

Try going to a plumbing supply when they are not busy and maybe one of the counter guys will help you out.

[Stormin Mormon]

My policy on breakers. The first reset, I don't worry about. If it trips again, I go looking.

Maybe the same for pipe leaks? And like the other poster says, time to insulate.

[trader4]

You use a copper adaptor on each end. The adaptor has male or female threads on one end and a solder fitting on the other. The threaded end connects to wherever you disconnect the galvanized pipe. The repair coupling is only needed if you need to butt one piece of copper pipe up to another to complete the connection, which you may need to do. It depends on how the existing plumbing is connected, your choice of where to disconnect/replace, etc.

The classic example of using a repair coupling would be if you wanted to replace a one foot section of copper pipe in the middle of a run. You cut the one foot out, cut a replacement piece, a repair coupling goes on each end and the coupling gets slid completely onto the new pipe. After it's in place, you slide them back so half the coupling is on the existing pipe, then solder.

If you decide instead to replace with galvanized, you can get galvanized cut and threaded to whatever length you need at HD, Lowes, etc. And with that, as others have said, you would use a galvanized coupling, which gets held in place with essentially a big nut. You could use two couplings, but typically you can screw at least one end of the pipe out of another fitting, so you only need one coupling.

[JIMMIE]

I would cut the pipe and disconnect it at the nearest threaded fitting, Screw in a couple of Sharkbite adapters and plug in some PEX, copper or CPVC. Things can go wrong when you do this. Backup plan should be call the plumber. Oh yeah, run a ground wire connecting the galvanized pipes together.

Jimmie

Jimmie

[aemeijers]

No, you need to go to a threaded coupling on each end, and use a galv to copper adapter. Threaded one side, looks like a copper fitting on the other. Borg will have it. You then piece in the copper in between, and use the repair coupler for the last inline joint, unless there is enough slop in the line that you can hold the ends apart long enough to slip a regular fitting on.

-- aem sends...

[aemeijers]

A real supply house will thread long sticks for you pretty cheap, when you buy it. Gotta have your dimensions dialed in rather well to go that route, though.

-- aem sends...

[JIMMIE]

Compression fittings for galvanized pipe can come in handy for a repair like this .

Jimmie

[Stormin Mormon]

Do those exist? I can't say as I've heard of those.

[DD_BobK]

Yeah...good point. I borrowed my set from a friend's dad in 1979. When I went to return them....he said "keep them, I know you'll get more use out of them than I will". He also gave me the Tri-stand and a 2 1/2" pipe cutter.

I got another set for next to nothing at a garage sale & sold it for $60.

For $60 (or less) on ebay you can get the ratchet handle, a 1/2" &

3/4" dies........way cheaper than new I got my 1" die on ebay.

cheers Bob

[N8N]

I need friends like yours.

Although I did sell a set of chassis punches years ago that I salvaged from a dumpster. I regret it now, but at the time I was moving every year and that box had to weight 100 lbs.

nate

[Steve Barker]

cut it out at the ends, screw in pex male adaptors, string up a section of pex. clamp, clamp. done.

[DD_BobK]

Yes ...... it was very generous but the dad was a mechanical engineer (I was an ME student) and my friend was an English major with no interest in tools, etc.

Those punches were a great DD (dumpster dive) but a set weighs a lot and having to lug them around is a real PITA.

cheers Bob

[Elmo]

On Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:06:01 -0600, Steve Barker wrote: Nobody told me that as of January 1st, 2010, Home Depot in California stopped selling the dialectric unions!

California law changed the guy told me. Dunno the particulars, but both Home Depots I checked had that entire section removed!

Will check Lowes tomorrow.

[DD_BobK]

My best guess is that the union that HD was selling ran afoul of Califonia lead content restrictions.

The are lead free CA approved units (I've seen them on the web).

Another reason to use PEX. Or get a union online

cheers Bob

[Harry K]

Yep, known as "Dressler" couplings. Redneck repair, cut pipe at leak and insert a Dressler. But if the galvanised has sprung one leak, others will follow.

Harry K

[Elmo]

To report back, I finished the job, thanks to all of you for the advice.

Since dialectric unions are nowhere to be found here in California due to the lead-free requirement that went into effect on the 1st of the month, I opted to replace the original leaking 1960's 3/4 inch galvanized pipe with

30 feet of galvanized 3/4 inch pipe.

The job was harder and easier than I thought it would be.

What was really hard was getting the 45-year-old pipes apart; and getting the very last coupling to not leak!

What was much easier than I thought was putting the threaded pipes together; every fitting but the last fitting was really easy to assemble.

I'll report at the bottom of the thread the steps I performed so that someone else in the same predicament can follow in our footsteps.

[Elmo]

Here's what I did:

1. I hacksawed the 45-year-old leaking 3/4 galvanized hot-water pipe to separate it about six inches from the fitting nearest to the leak.

1. I could not, for the life of me, get the fitting off, so I bought a really long aluminum handled pipe wrench that barely fit and even then, only horizontally, and after about 45 minutes, the pipe (which was now crushed flat on opposite sides) unscrewed from the fitting.

2. Surprisingly, the threads on the old fitting were still good. Amazing.

1. I followed the other end of the 3/4" galvanized steel pipe 25 feet to a fitting, yet, again, I could not remove the sawed-off pipe from that fitting. So I cut off that fitting and a couple of elbows and another

3'foot pipe and then unscrewed that pipe out of it's fitting. Again, it took about 1/2 hour with the much longer pipe wrench in a very tight crawl space.

1. Then I went to Home Depot and bought 30 feet of galvanized 3/4 inch steel pipe for about 15 dollars (plus 10% tax) each. Home Depot kindly cut the 3rd pipe into two smaller sections and threded both ends for me.

2. I picked up a couple of elbows, a "nipple", and a couple of couplings, one of which was meant for joining the last two pipes together. Also I picked up #5 thread paste, which was a yellowish gooey stuff.

1. I easily threaded the first 10-foot pipe, a coupling, and then the second 10-foot length. Then I started from the other end to bring the elbowed section to the original pipe. I was about an inch short in the end so I had to go back to Home Depot and have them cut and thread a pipe that was an inch longer than I had previously calculated.

2. The last pipe-to-pipe coupling went on relatively easily, but I had to take it apart four times to get it to not leak. It had a slow drip, maybe a drop every minute. I kept tightening it and taking it apart and repeating the testing process.

1. Finally, I went out and bought pipe teflon tape and wrapped that around the middle threads and tightened it up real good. This time it didn't leak.

2. By now, I was swimming in a mud bath. You can't believe how much water is in 50-feet of pipe when you have to break it open again and again!

1. Anyway, finally, that last coupling held tight w/o a drip but the shower ceased to work! Turns out it had "crud" that I must have dislodged, so I removed the inside filter and it worked again. I'm amazed those little rocks made it all the way to the highest point for water in the house, but they did.

2. I turned on the water and had myself a nice shower to clean all the mud and dust and spider webs off my clothes and body. Whew!

Thanks for all your help! The repaired pipes should last another 45 years, by which time I won't be around to worry about them.

I did have two questions though: a. I found out when I went back to Home Depot for the teflon tape that I used #5 goopy stuff but I should have used #2 apparently. Do you think it matters that I used the gas-line pipe goop instead of the water line goop?

b. Following the pipes while checking the others, I found a "ground" wire attached to the pipe but unconnected about where the hole to the water heater in the garage is. Do you think that ground was connected to the water heater (which was replaced about two years ago)?

[hallerb]

was the old line restricted by rust inside?

I hate to tell you this:( and hope I am wrong but every person I know with galvanized started out like you.

Hey it leaks I will replace this area. nice all fixed:)

Uh oh another leak, oh well I was kinda rough on the lines getting them apart:( Well this time I will be more careful:)

Oh no now I have 2 leaks:( Geez this isnt looking good:(

At some point you will tire of peacemeal fixes and have to replumb your entire home.

Just be aware of it, its like cancer it SPREADS:( and all the lines are the same age and now at end of life.............

sorry to give you this bad news but you need to know..........

future plans and budget

[Elmo]

Yes. The old line was almost totally plugged by globules of hard rusty stuff.

Hopefully it will last a year or two until I get back and get a job so I can afford the deluxe repair!

Do you think it's OK I used goop #5 (for gas pipes)?