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Renovation 4th Edition

Page 76

by Michael Litchfield


  copper, without the electrolytic corrosion that

  tings. when running pipe between copper fittings with a seating depth of 1⁄2 in., for

  usually occurs when you join dissimilar metals.

  example, add 1 in. to the overall measurement. rigid 3⁄4-in. copper fittings have a

  3⁄4-in. seating depth.

  Valves are specialized fittings with moving

  as important, after you dry-fit pipes so fittings point in the correct direction,

  parts. Gate valves are the most common type of

  use a grease pencil or a builder’s crayon to create alignment marks on the pipes and

  shutoff valve, although lever-handled ball valves

  are gaining popularity because they are easier to

  fittings. That way you’ll be sure the fittings are pointing in the right direction when

  operate. Hose bibs have a threaded outlet for

  you make the final connections. alignment marks are particularly important when

  attaching a garden hose. Angle stops are shutoff

  cementing plastic pipe because you must turn plastic pipes one-quarter turn after

  valves that control water flow to lavatories, sinks,

  inserting them into fittings; the marks tell you when to stop turning.

  bidets, and toilets. Temperature- and pressure-

  relief (TPR) valves are spring-loaded safety valves

  plumbing

  325

  tool too aggressively, you will flatten the pipe or

  score erratically, thus creating a weak joint.

  CuTTINg aNd

  When the cut is complete, clean the end of the

  SoLdeRINg CoPPeR

  pipe with the deburring attachment on the cutter

  so that you get a good, solid joint. Leftover burrs

  also increase turbulence and thus decrease flow

  through the pipe. Use plumber’s sand cloth or

  emery paper to polish both ends of the pipe, and

  a round wire brush to clean the insides of fittings.

  To solder copper pipe, first use a flux brush to

  apply self-tinning flux (soldering paste) to the

  outside of the pipe and the inside of the fitting.

  Then slide the fitting over the pipe. If the fitting

  is a directional fitting, such as a tee or an elbow,

  make sure that the fitting points in the correct

  1. Hold the tubing cutter square to the pipe and score it 2. Ream the inside of the pipe to

  direction.

  lightly at first. once the cutting wheel tracks in a groove,

  remove burrs left by cutting.

  gradually tighten the cutting jaw as you revolve the tool.

  Heat the fitting ( not the pipe), moving the sol-

  dering torch so that all sides of the fitting receive

  heat directly. The flux will bubble. From time to

  time, remove the torch, and touch solder to the

  fitting seam. When the fitting is hot enough, the

  solder will liquefy when touched to it. After a few

  trials, you’ll know when a fitting is hot enough.

  When the fitting is hot, some fluxes change color,

  from milky brown to dull silver.

  Two passes with the solder, completely around

  the joint, will make a tight seal; more than two

  passes is a waste. The solder is sucked into the

  joint, so don’t worry if you don’t see a thick fillet

  3. use a strip of plumber’s sand cloth 4. use an acid brush to apply flux liberally to the outside

  to polish the pipe ends slightly

  of the pipe ends; put a thin, even coat on the inside of

  of solder around the joint. Let solder cool before

  beyond the fittings’ seating depths.

  pipe fittings, all the way to the bottom of the fitting

  putting pressure on a joint. After a soldered joint

  Put on clean disposable gloves after

  sockets.

  has cooled for a minute, you can immerse it in

  polishing because skin oils can

  water to cool it completely, but be careful when

  interfere with a solder bond.

  handling hot metal.

  Soldering in tight spaces can’t always be avoided.

  P R O T I P

  If a fitting has several incoming pipes—at a tee,

  for example—try to solder all pipes at the same

  Quality solder, such as a silver

  time. Reheating a fitting to add pipes will weaken

  alloy, is easier to work with than

  standard 95/5 solder: you’ll have

  earlier soldered joints. Clean and flux the pipes,

  a wider working temperature

  insert them in the fitting, and keep the torch

  range, better void filling, and

  moving so you heat both ends of the fitting equal-

  fewer leaks. Quality solder can

  ly. If you must reheat a fitting to add a pipe later,

  cost 50% more than standard

  wrap the already soldered joint in wet rags to

  types, but it’s worth it.

  keep solder from melting. When soldering close

  to wood, wet the wood first with a plant spritzer

  filled with water, then use a flame shield to avoid

  scorching or igniting it.

  5. Heat the fitting—not the pipe—

  When space is tight, presolder sections in a

  and apply solder to the lowest fitting

  vise. Then, when placing the section in its final

  hub first. Periodically remove the

  position, you’ll have only a joint or two to solder.

  torch and touch the solder tip to the

  If one of the materials being joined might be

  fitting joint. When the fitting is hot

  damaged by heat, solder the copper parts first,

  enough, the solder will liquefy and

  disappear into the joint. (Note: The

  allowing them to cool, before making mechanical

  flame shield behind the fitting

  connections to the heat-sensitive material. For

  was set aside temporarily to get a

  example, if you need to connect copper supply to

  clearer photo.)

  a pump outtake with plastic or adapters, solder

  the male (protruding) or female (receiving)

  326 Chapter 12

  adapter to the copper pipe before screwing it in

  (or on) the pump outtake.

  Copper pipe: Disconnecting,

  Finally, before soldering pipe to a ball valve

  or a gate valve, close the valve completely. Other-

  reconnecting, and repairing

  wise, solder can run inside and keep the valve

  from closing fully. However, when soldering a

  To disconnect a soldered fitting, apply heat until the solder melts, then gently

  shower’s pressure-balancing valve or a tempering

  tap the fitting off the pipe. when the metal is cool, clean the pipe end, reflux,

  valve, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

  reheat, and solder on a new fitting. unless the fitting is an expensive one, such as a

  Finally, it’s helpful to have unions near most

  gate valve, don’t reuse fittings that have already been soldered.

  valves so that sections can be disconnected with-

  when disconnecting a fitting on an existing supply line, drain the pipe first;

  out needing to undo soldered joints.

  otherwise, the solder won’t melt. Draining and reconnecting will be much easier if

  the pipe section can be isolated with a shutoff valve, but sometimes old valves don’t

  FlexIBle Copper TuBIng

  sh
ut perfectly. In that event, ball up a piece of white bread and stick it in the pipe

  Because flexible copper tubing can be bent and

  to block the trickle while you solder. once the water runs again, the bread will dis-

  run through tight spaces, it’s used primarily

  solve and flush out.

  for short runs to dishwashers (1⁄2 in.), ice makers

  Finally, here’s a fix for split pipes that doesn’t require soldering at all: Cut out

  (1⁄4 in. or 5⁄16 in.), and in similar situations.

  the damaged section of pipe and slide a compression repair coupling over the cut

  Chromed copper tubing is commonly used when

  pipe ends. (The coupling’s inner diameter is the same as the 1⁄2-in. rigid copper’s

  supply risers will be exposed because it looks

  outer diameter.) use a pair of adjustable wrenches to tighten the compression fit-

  good. Flexible tubing is softer than rigid copper

  tings on both ends of the coupling, and you’re done.

  pipe, so take pains when you cut it not to col-

  lapse the tubing walls by turning a pipe cutter

  too aggressively. And use a special, sleevelike

  tubing bender to shape it so you don’t crimp it, as

  shown in the bottom photo at right.

  Flexible copper tubing is most often connected

  either with compression fittings or flared fittings.

  A compression fitting has a ferrule of soft metal

  that is compressed between a set of matched

  nuts. A flared fitting requires that you flare the

  tubing ends with a special tool. When using

  either type of connector, remember to slide nuts

  onto the tubing before attaching a ferrule or flar-

  Repairing pipes split by freezing water is no big deal

  ing an end. Both types of connection are easy to

  with a compression repair coupling. each end of the

  disconnect, so they are used where repairs may

  coupling compresses a brass ferrule to create a

  watertight seal without soldering.

  be expected, such as the supply line to a toilet.

  Don’t reuse ferrules, however; replace them if you

  need to disconnect fittings.

  use a tubing bender to shape chrome

  supply risers; the wire coils of the

  bender support the soft tubing and

  zzzzzz a Compression Fitting

  3/8-in. chromed

  keep it from buckling as you

  copper tubing

  gradually shape it.

  Compression

  nut

  Compression

  ferrule

  Angle stop

  plumbing

  327

  In most situations, braided stainless-steel

  supply lines are a better choice than flexible cop-

  FiNdiNg pex ONLiNe

  per tubing: Braided lines are strong, look good,

  and can be connected and disconnected as often

  To ensure that their products are correctly

  as needed.

  installed, many PeX manufacturers offer on-site

  training and certification and sell only to certi-

  PEX Supply Pipes

  fied installers. But you can easily find supplies

  PEX is a flexible tubing system that’s been used

  online. a recent Fine Homebuilding survey of

  in Europe for radiant heating and household

  favorite sites included:

  plumbing since the 1960s. It wasn’t widely used

  www.pexsupply.com

  in potable-water systems in North America until

  www.iplumb.tv

  the late 1990s. But within five years, it had cap-

  www.mvsupply.biz

  tured 7% of the market, even though it was unfa-

  www.houseneeds.com

  miliar to most plumbers and cost roughly the

  www.blueridgecompany.com

  same as copper. Every year, PEX gains a larger

  share of residential installations, and it is now

  approved by all major plumbing codes—though

  not by all states. As PEX tubing, tools, and tech-

   Fewer leaks. PEX tubing runs to fixtures

  niques become more widespread, more and more from hot- and cold-water manifolds with

  weekend plumbers will be installing it. There’s a

  multiple takeoffs. Most of the fitting is simple,

  lot to like.

  consisting of crimping steel or copper rings

  onto tubing ends. Because most leaks occur at

  pex aDvanTages

  joints, fewer fittings also mean fewer leaks.

   It installs quickly. Because lengths of

   It’s safe: no open flame, no flux, no

  flexible tubing easily turn corners and snake

  solder, no pipe cements—in short, nothing

  through walls, PEX systems require far fewer

  toxic to leach into the water supplies.

  connections and fittings than do rigid

  Therefore, there’s no funny taste. Because it’s

  materials. For that reason, it’s particularly

  chemically inert, PEX won’t corrode, as metal

  well suited to renovation work.

  pipe will when installed in aggressive water

  In PeX water-supply installations, central manifolds

  (home-run manifolds) distribute hot and cold water to

  individual fixtures or fixture groups. Flexible tubing

  Submanifold Systems

  requires far fewer fittings than do rigid materials.

  zzzzzz submanifold system

  3/8-in. tube

  Submanifold

  1/2-in. tube

  Use 3/4-in. tube

  to supply the

  3/8-in. tube

  manifolds.

  PEX tubing employs manifolds to supply water to individual fixtures, with a shutoff valve for

  each. There are many ways to lay out PEX plumbing, of course. In a home-run manifold system

  such as that shown, at left, a single 3⁄4-in. trunk line feeds into a single manifold, from which

  1⁄2-in. tubing feeds all the fixtures. This drawing shows a submanifold system, which requires

  less tubing and less drilling to route it.

  328 Chapter 12

  conditions. Extremely acidic water, for

  example, can cause pinhole leaks in copper.

   It can take the heat. PEX can withstand

  water temperature up to 180°F at 100 psi,

  which is 40°F hotter than recommended

  water-heater settings. And hot water will

  arrive faster at the tap because, unlike metal

  pipe, there’s minimal heat loss through

  conduction. Thus it’s also less likely to sweat

  during hot weather.

   It’s quiet. The tubing expands slightly,

  minimizing air hammer—the banging that

  takes place in rigid piping when taps are

  turned off suddenly and running water stops

  abruptly. That ability to expand also means

  less-pronounced pressure drops (fewer

  The beauty of working with PeX is that it requires

  scalding or freezing showers), and PEX tubing

  relatively few specialized tools. Here, an inexpensive

  PeX-cutting tool with a replaceable blade produces a

  is less likely to rupture if water freezes in it.

  clean, squared-off end.

   It’s easier to repair. Because tubing

  connects to an accessible manifold with a

  bank of lever valves, you can shut off water to

  one side of a fixture as simply as flipping anr />
  Clamp-ring fittings are quick and leakproof.

  electrical breaker.

  after slipping a steel ring onto the PeX, slide

   It’s increasingly cost-competitive. Per

  a ribbed brass connector into the tubing.

  lineal foot, PEX costs about 40% less than

  copper, given copper’s soaring cost in the last

  few decades. PEX fittings are more expensive,

  but fewer are required. Labor costs are lower,

  too—anecdotal evidence suggests that a three-

  day installation with copper will take two days

  with PEX.

  pex DIsaDvanTages

   PEX systems tend to be exclusive, with

  many brands requiring proprietary connectors

  and crimping tools. Moreover, some

  manufacturers will sell only to installers who

  are certified in its procedures, although that’s

  use a proprietary crimping tool to

  likely to change now that PEX is sold online.

  squeeze the steel ring and compress the

  tubing onto the ribbed connector.

   PEX will break down when exposed to

  UV light (within 30 to 90 days), so get it

  installed and covered quickly. You can buy

  PEX with UV inhibitors, but it’s more costly.

   Although PEX can withstand high water

  This compression tee joins PeX tubing,

  temperatures, it will melt when exposed to

  rigid CVPC pipe, and copper—very useful

  open flame. It must not be directly connected

  in renovation plumbing. Because

  to gas- or oil-fired water heaters and must be

  compression fittings don’t crimp pipes,

  kept away from flue pipes, recessed lights, and

  they are reusable, allowing you to make

  other sources of excessive heat.

  adjustments as you splice new supply

  pipes to existing ones.

   PEX can also degrade if exposed to some

  oil- or solvent-based compounds, so avoid hand-

  ling oils or greases while working with PEX.

  plumbing

  329

  workIng wITh pex

  will take place between the two metals, and cor-

  rosion will accelerate.

  Although PEX fittings and connection tools dif-

  Today, galvanized pipe is largely limited to

  fer, there are basically three types: clamp-ring,

  gas-supply service. Because of safety consider-

  push-fit, or compression fitting.

  ations and the difficulty of threading pipe with-

  Clamp ring. After cutting PEX tubing squarely,

  out a power threader, have a licensed plumber

 

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