Replacing galvanized water pipe with copper

[Ken]

During the course of trying to tee off my main water supply pipe (to feed a new sprinkler system), I've encountered the need to replace my old 3/4" galvanized steel supply pipe with 1" copper pipe. I've received quotes from three plumbers ranging from $700 to $1000, so I'm trying to figure out whether it's the type of project that a plumbing newbie can handle. I'm nervous about screwing it up and being without water for several days.

I have a photo illustration of the project the project on my website

that will give you an idea of the scale. It's about 20" from the union with the city pipe to my copper sprinkler tee. It runs uphill and jinks slightly, and having never worked with copper before, I'm uncertain as to whether I'll be working with a blowtorch to bend or joint my along.

Also with the connections, is it as easy as it looks? Just get a pipe wrench and screw the pipes together?

Appreciate any insight.

[Proctologically Violated©®]

Are you able to get to the city valve? If so, it looks pretty straightforward, as it looks like the endpoint is a brass coupling. Altho it would help to have *some* experience. :) And, if so, you could always improvise w/ a garden hose 'til you figger things out. There are basically two ways to go: all threaded w/ brass, or threaded/sweat, for copper.

If not, you'll *still* be connecting to galvanized, and possibly not even at a thread. This is dicey-er. If at a thread, you can put on a standard adapter and proceed. If at cut galvanized, I figger there's some kind of adapter (a shoulder coupling is one, but probably not something you'd want to bury), or you can thread the cut galvanized--not so easy, but doable.

[Ken]

If you're referring to the main shutoff valve at the water meter, yes, I have full access. From the water meter, there is a copper pipe that runs under the sidewalk onto my property. Once it's a foot or so on my property, there is a fitting (union?) from which point it's galvanized steel. I'd like to start my copper at this union (rather than the meter) if you think that's a decent plan. It would save me having to dig under the sidewalk. I fully understand what this fitting is. Can I sweat a threaded fitting onto my new copper pipe and screw into this fitting?

I was assuming from my limited research that this was a "dielectric union". I'm encouraged that you think it'll be a simple matter to connect to this, though I'm trying to learn how.

I don't quite understand this lingo. When you say "threaded w/brass", do you mean that I would thread the new copper pipe and then screw it into the brass fitting at the endpoint?

When you say "threaded/sweat, for copper", do you mean that I would sweat a threaded fitting onto the end of my new copper pipe and then screw that onto the union at the endpoint?

You really lost me here; I thought that the only galvanized steel that would be left in the equation was the few inches between my sprinkler tee and the foundation.

Thanks very much for your help.

[Ken]

This is my start point where (I hope) to start my new copper pipe:

This is my end point. Can someone advise me on the fittings that I'll need to connect these points?

[Proctologically Violated©®]

Ok--

(I'm a diy-er, not a plumber)

At the meter side, it looks like that funny coupling doodad is threaded onto brass. I would remove that and use a "female copper adapter", which allows the transition from threaded pipe to sweated copper.

At the end point, it looks like a brass coupling, and I would either keep the coupling and put a "male copper adapter", or remove the coupling and put a female copper adapter on the pipe.

Here's how:

I would take 1-2 feet of copper pipe, sweat on the adapter, and THEN dope up the threaded end (when cool, of course), and thread on to the existing pipe. This way, heat won't mess with the teflon tape/pipe dope used on pipe threads.

Then, sweat on a copper coupling on the copper tube, and continue the run.

If you need to bend the pipe slightly, you can use a "hickey" used for electrical tubing. Or your knee. :)

People disagree on what to use on pipe threads for sealing. I've had inconsistent results with teflon tape. Old hercules pro dope and thread is a pita, but guarownteed. They make new high falutin and pretty pricey teflon pipe thread dopes, that plumbing houses carry/recommend. They seem pretty good.

You gotta know how to sweat copper. Some people have a knack, others need some practice. It's real quick, once you know how. Clean super brite w/ coarse steel wool, flux, sweat.

Not kidding about the garden hose. They make fittings for garden hose, so you can make temporary connections until you finish the job. ie, sweat so the joints don't leak. :)

When using a pipe wrench, always use two, so that you don't stress the pipe "downstream". Breaking inaccessible joints can be a bitch.

[Clark]

Ken wrote in news: [e-mail]:

You've got all the pipe exposed and they still say 700 minimum? Call another plumber or two until you find an honest one. I can't see that being more than an hour's time and ~100 $ in material.

[Doug Miller]

Why do you need to replace it with copper? Any reason you can't use plastic?

[hallerb]

replace the entire line from copper at sidewalk to house with PEX, its plastic last forever, tolerates minor freezes, really low cost and easy to work with.

[jimleong]

Why not replace all the galvanized pipe, no matter how short the run, when you have it all exposed?

[Ken]

I don't have a great answer; I just saw it going into my foundation and because that portion is relatively protected from moisture, it looks to be in fairly good shape. Also, my plumber said that when you start sawing old galvanized pipe, you risk creating leaks all along the line.

[Steve Barker]

I'd convert to PVC at the first available possible point and forget the copper hassle.

[Proctologically Violated©®]

Might need an alternate ground, then.

[hallerb]

leave existing steel line in place and electrically connected, also could add a ground strap between abandoned water line and city water connection

[Steve Barker]

Water pipes are not an accepted ground anyway. There should be a minimum of two 8' ground rods at least six feet apart doing the grounding duties.