Redneck plumbing 301 (advanced course)

[Missourian]

Trigger warning... Nothing you see in this thread will be up to code.

Mrs Mo calls me on the road yesterday... says I need to call the water company... the bill says we used 31,000 of water last month. The water company says am I sure I don't have a leak?

Long story short... some previous owner decided burying a 3/4" galvanized pipe in the crawlspace was a brilliant idea... then to add insult to injury... they plopped a huge rock on to of it to keep it from cavitating. That is what was leaking.

Most of the house was PVC and CPVC, but this was some of the oldest galvanized pipe.

Usually I just take it out and replace it with pvc or pex...but this one runs inside the wall and that pipe still looks good...so I figure... no problem... I'll replace as much as I can... then I'll sharkbite the galvanized to pex and Bob's your Uncle we'll be gtg.

Nope.

First... even though pvc and galvanized pipe are virtually the same diameter... everything I've read says sharkbites are not recommended for galvanized pipe.

Also... even if some redneck wanted to see for himself if it would work or not... the local hardware store didn't stock them.

Plan B was a dual compression fitting coupler like this one.



They didn't have that either.

Plan C was one of those black rubber connectors with hose clamps. The smallest size available was 1.25".



Soooo on to plan D... scour the hardware store looking for something that would work.

What I came up with was a braided vinyl hose rated to 175 psi (double the maximum house water pressure). It was 1" ID... which is the OD of the 3/4 inch galvanized and the 3/4 pvc, some 1.25 inch pvc whose inside diameter matched the outside diameter of the braided tubing, and a couple of hose clamps plus various connectors.

The galvanized pipe stub is a piece I cut off the old pipe and took to the hardware store with me.














So far, so good... not a drip nor drop of leaking.

Needless to say... this is not a proper or permanent repair... it's just to get though until I can replace the pipe in the wall.

That pipe runs the cold water to the full bathroom upstairs AND the only shower.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm a plumber 2...

Cold on the right
Hot on the left and...
Shit don't flow uphill...

 

[daveman]

If it's stupid but it works, it's not stupid.

 

[daveman]

I'm a plumber 2...

Cold on the right
Hot on the left and...
Shit don't flow uphill...

My Dad taught me the three rules:

1. Cold water's on the right.
2. Shit flows downhill.
3. Payday's on Friday.

 

[Damaged Eagle]

*****CHUCKLE*****

 

[flacaltenn]

Trigger warning... Nothing you see in this thread will be up to code.

Mrs Mo calls me on the road yesterday... says I need to call the water company... the bill says we used 31,000 of water last month. The water company says am I sure I don't have a leak?

Long story short... some previous owner decided burying a 3/4" galvanized pipe in the crawlspace was a brilliant idea... then to add insult to injury... they plopped a huge rock on to of it to keep it from cavitating. That is what was leaking.

Most of the house was PVC and CPVC, but this was some of the oldest galvanized pipe.

Usually I just take it out and replace it with pvc or pex...but this one runs inside the wall and that pipe still looks good...so I figure... no problem... I'll replace as much as I can... then I'll sharkbite the galvanized to pex and Bob's your Uncle we'll be gtg.

Nope.

First... even though pvc and galvanized pipe are virtually the same diameter... everything I've read says sharkbites are not recommended for galvanized pipe.

Also... even if some redneck wanted to see for himself if it would work or not... the local hardware store didn't stock them.

Plan B was a dual compression fitting coupler like this one.

View attachment 638298

They didn't have that either.

Plan C was one of those black rubber connectors with hose clamps. The smallest size available was 1.25".

View attachment 638297

Soooo on to plan D... scour the hardware store looking for something that would work.

What I came up with was a braided vinyl hose rated to 175 psi (double the maximum house water pressure). It was 1" ID... which is the OD of the 3/4 inch galvanized and the 3/4 pvc, some 1.25 inch pvc whose inside diameter matched the outside diameter of the braided tubing, and a couple of hose clamps plus various connectors.

The galvanized pipe stub is a piece I cut off the old pipe and took to the hardware store with me.

View attachment 638290

View attachment 638289

View attachment 638293

View attachment 638295

View attachment 638294View attachment 638292

View attachment 638291


So far, so good... not a drip nor drop of leaking.

Needless to say... this is not a proper or permanent repair... it's just to get though until I can replace the pipe in the wall.

That pipe runs the cold water to the full bathroom upstairs AND the only shower.

Just tell the kids their pool this summer will be 30,000 gallons less in size.

You need to dry out the crawlspace? Or are there salamanders and toads living in the wetlands?

Make sure the EPA doesn't designate you as a wetland. LOL...

 

[progressive hunter]

My Dad taught me the three rules:

1. Cold water's on the right.
2. Shit flows downhill.
3. Payday's on Friday.

dont chew your fingernails,,

 

[sparky]

Trigger warning... Nothing you see in this thread will be up to code.

Codes are made by manufacturers , insurance agencies , real estate & other housing related monopolies mainly for their own gains cloaked in the guise of safety

If there was ever a 'disinformation' concern.....

~S~

 

[Grumblenuts]

Nothing comes easy, lol.

Your fix is something I would only try in a real bind anymore. Best to work from the nearest galvanized threaded joint you can find forward. Any supply shock from turning the war off fast is apt to blow that thing right off and your crawlspace will soon be flood city again.

A few hopefully helpful tips from another code careless veteran / master of none:

1. Inline galvanized couplers beat the PVC ones any day.
2. Whenever you find yourself having to trust SS hose clamps to seal plastic on metal pipe, try to create a barb by peening the end of the pipe a little wider. The clamp then applies more pressure where needed, when needed and everything tends to stay put.
3. No need to use CPVC primer on those purely PVC joints, but it won't hurt anything.

Also, these things never work out:

They just end up taking up precious real estate in your plumbing leftovers junk box. These may help for maybe a year or two:

but those barbs molded into the rubber don't actually do anything. The useful barbs are on the things you're slipping them over -- which then often requires removing the clamps altogether.

 

[Missourian]

Just tell the kids their pool this summer will be 30,000 gallons less in size.

You need to dry out the crawlspace? Or are there salamanders and toads living in the wetlands?

Make sure the EPA doesn't designate you as a wetland. LOL...

Luckily (or unluckily) the crawlspace is attatch to a concrete cellar. The water pipe is about four feet from the access door.

Best we can figure is the water followed down the wall into the cellar and out through the floor drain... so 30,000 gallons literally down the drain... which is also why we didn't notice a problem. The cellar accumulates a little water after heavy or continuous rain.

Being in the middle of the rainy season seeing some water down there was not unusual.

 

[Missourian]

Nothing comes easy, lol.

Your fix is something I would only try in a real bind anymore. Best to work from the nearest galvanized threaded joint you can find forward. Any supply shock from turning the war off fast is apt to blow that thing right off and your crawlspace will soon be flood city again.

A few hopefully helpful tips from another code careless veteran / master of none:

1. Inline galvanized couplers beat the PVC ones any day.
2. Whenever you find yourself having to trust SS hose clamps to seal plastic on metal pipe, try to create a barb by peening the end of the pipe a little wider. The clamp then applies more pressure where needed, when needed and everything tends to stay put.
3. No need to use CPVC primer on those purely PVC joints, but it won't hurt anything.

Also, these things never work out:

They just end up taking up precious real estate in your plumbing leftovers junk box. These may help for maybe a year or two:

but those barbs molded into the rubber don't actually do anything. The useful barbs are on the things you're slipping them over -- which then often requires removing the clamps altogether.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm going back under the in a few minutes and I'll see if it is possible to get to the next connection back on the galvanized. You know how it is... the pipe is in the shallowest corner of the crawlspace and there are other pipes that inhibit access.

What I really need last night was the shower. I'd been reworking the plumbing all day and Mrs. Mo was mixing up dirt, manure and compost in the garden while planting all day...so there was a lot of pressure to get water upstairs last night.

If I can't get to the next fitting I will definitely try the peening.

I don't actually know much about working with galvanized or black iron pipe. I'm always fearful putting enough pressure on to break a fitting loose will torque a connection further up the line and make a new harder to reach problem.

 

[Grumblenuts]

You know how it is... the pipe is in the shallowest corner of the crawlspace and there are other pipes that inhibit access.

Of course!

If I can't get to the next fitting I will definitely try the peening.

I don't actually know much about working with galvanized or black iron pipe. I'm always fearful putting enough pressure on the break a fitting loose will torque a connection further up the line and make a new harder to reach problem.

If you don't see any rust you should be fine. Try to wedge one pipe wrench in to hold the coupler still then work the pipe with another one on the same side by pushing them together then resetting as needed.

On second thought, I doubt peening will work out in that situation. I was thinking you could modify it back in the shop, but no, that makes no sense. I know it works with brass and copper. With the black or galvanized, you could just weld a bead around or score a notch and wrap it with a thick length of solid wire . They're apt to crack if you try to flare them. You just need something to block the clamp from sliding freely. But again, you'd likely need to get it back to your shop in any case. You're going to end up fighting your way back to a threaded joint, but then you can just thread PVC into the galvanized no problem.

 

[Missourian]

Repair lasted 22 days... failed yesterday afternoon.

Been treating the pipe with Deep Creep penetrating oil at the next connection...which likely led to the failure of the repair. The vinyl tube slipped off the galvanized pipe.

After the failure, a pipe wrench removed the galvanized pipe with ease. Took it to the plumbing supply and had it threaded. Transitioned from there to CPVC, then directly to PEX.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Repair lasted 22 days... failed yesterday afternoon.

Well at least it lasted 22 days... Pls remember nothing lasts forever...
Wait, there is High-proof Homemade licker...

 

[Indeependent]

Trigger warning... Nothing you see in this thread will be up to code.

Mrs Mo calls me on the road yesterday... says I need to call the water company... the bill says we used 31,000 of water last month. The water company says am I sure I don't have a leak?

Long story short... some previous owner decided burying a 3/4" galvanized pipe in the crawlspace was a brilliant idea... then to add insult to injury... they plopped a huge rock on to of it to keep it from cavitating. That is what was leaking.

Most of the house was PVC and CPVC, but this was some of the oldest galvanized pipe.

Usually I just take it out and replace it with pvc or pex...but this one runs inside the wall and that pipe still looks good...so I figure... no problem... I'll replace as much as I can... then I'll sharkbite the galvanized to pex and Bob's your Uncle we'll be gtg.

Nope.

First... even though pvc and galvanized pipe are virtually the same diameter... everything I've read says sharkbites are not recommended for galvanized pipe.

Also... even if some redneck wanted to see for himself if it would work or not... the local hardware store didn't stock them.

Plan B was a dual compression fitting coupler like this one.

View attachment 638298

They didn't have that either.

Plan C was one of those black rubber connectors with hose clamps. The smallest size available was 1.25".

View attachment 638297

Soooo on to plan D... scour the hardware store looking for something that would work.

What I came up with was a braided vinyl hose rated to 175 psi (double the maximum house water pressure). It was 1" ID... which is the OD of the 3/4 inch galvanized and the 3/4 pvc, some 1.25 inch pvc whose inside diameter matched the outside diameter of the braided tubing, and a couple of hose clamps plus various connectors.

The galvanized pipe stub is a piece I cut off the old pipe and took to the hardware store with me.

View attachment 638290

View attachment 638289

View attachment 638293

View attachment 638295

View attachment 638294View attachment 638292

View attachment 638291


So far, so good... not a drip nor drop of leaking.

Needless to say... this is not a proper or permanent repair... it's just to get though until I can replace the pipe in the wall.

That pipe runs the cold water to the full bathroom upstairs AND the only shower.

How much higher was your water bill?

 

[Missourian]

How much higher was your water bill?

It was over $300.

We pay a flat rate for the first 1,000 gallons... like $16-20... then a penny a gallon for each additional gallon.

 

[Indeependent]

It was over $300.

We pay a flat rate for the first 1,000 gallons... like $16-20... then a penny a gallon for each additional gallon.

You have to weigh off the cost of water vs a complete repair.

 

[Missourian]

You have to weigh off the cost of water vs a complete repair.

The water company allowed me to remit my receipts for the total repair...which was around $350 in parts...for consideration of a reduction of my bill. Don't know yet if they'll give me a little relief. We'll see. I suspect not without an invoice from a plumber.

Even here no one expects a person to repair things themselves.

 

[Likkmee]

I'm a plumber 2...

Cold on the right
Hot on the left and...
Shit don't flow uphill...

I lay as much pipe as I still can.
I haven't had da drip drip drip in many decades

 

[justoffal]

Trigger warning... Nothing you see in this thread will be up to code.

Mrs Mo calls me on the road yesterday... says I need to call the water company... the bill says we used 31,000 of water last month. The water company says am I sure I don't have a leak?

Long story short... some previous owner decided burying a 3/4" galvanized pipe in the crawlspace was a brilliant idea... then to add insult to injury... they plopped a huge rock on to of it to keep it from cavitating. That is what was leaking.

Most of the house was PVC and CPVC, but this was some of the oldest galvanized pipe.

Usually I just take it out and replace it with pvc or pex...but this one runs inside the wall and that pipe still looks good...so I figure... no problem... I'll replace as much as I can... then I'll sharkbite the galvanized to pex and Bob's your Uncle we'll be gtg.

Nope.

First... even though pvc and galvanized pipe are virtually the same diameter... everything I've read says sharkbites are not recommended for galvanized pipe.

Also... even if some redneck wanted to see for himself if it would work or not... the local hardware store didn't stock them.

Plan B was a dual compression fitting coupler like this one.

View attachment 638298

They didn't have that either.

Plan C was one of those black rubber connectors with hose clamps. The smallest size available was 1.25".

View attachment 638297

Soooo on to plan D... scour the hardware store looking for something that would work.

What I came up with was a braided vinyl hose rated to 175 psi (double the maximum house water pressure). It was 1" ID... which is the OD of the 3/4 inch galvanized and the 3/4 pvc, some 1.25 inch pvc whose inside diameter matched the outside diameter of the braided tubing, and a couple of hose clamps plus various connectors.

The galvanized pipe stub is a piece I cut off the old pipe and took to the hardware store with me.

View attachment 638290

View attachment 638289

View attachment 638293

View attachment 638295

View attachment 638294View attachment 638292

View attachment 638291


So far, so good... not a drip nor drop of leaking.

Needless to say... this is not a proper or permanent repair... it's just to get though until I can replace the pipe in the wall.

That pipe runs the cold water to the full bathroom upstairs AND the only shower.

Awesome!!!