Removing galvanized and going copper

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maxdad118

JOAMOS
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So I've sweated copper a few times and not paying top dollar to have it done. To minimize down time I'm considering doing a lot under the house before tying into the riser out front and water heater. Also I'm using 3/4" with 3/4x 3/4 x3/4 tees for takeoffs to 2 separate bathrooms and a line for a future Tankless? Does this seem like a good system I planned? Some copper is under the house already but my water pressure is about 45lbs at the front spicot downstream of an old gate valve on galvenized riser...The whole horizontal run under the house from the riser is galvenized😞. Space is limited so I'm going to tackle this in phases. A little one day and so on. I plan on ball valves at each 3/4 takeoff so I can get the water back on once 1 bathroom is back up. Eventually I will do the hot as well and heard 1/2" from the water heater is all that's necessary? Does that seem right? Hopefully I'm not buying off more than I can chew...The line from the meter to the riser appears to be PVC. Any suggestions or tips are greatly appreciated.!!:confused:
 
Use 3/4 off the water heater and the reduce to 1/2 about 4ft from its final destination.
FYI- pex is easy to run but if it freezes you can't put an electric pipe thawer on it cause it does not conduct electricity.
 
Use 3/4 off the water heater and the reduce to 1/2 about 4ft from its final destination.
FYI- pex is easy to run but if it freezes you can't put an electric pipe thawer on it cause it does not conduct electricity.

If copper freezes you can thaw it out and find where it split quicker I agree. :)
 
I don't want any chance of rodents chewing through that's why I'm going copper. Thanks

Good point. I didn’t realize that mice and rats were as big of a problem with PEX until now when I started searching. Our house is old and from time to time we get a mouse so I will keep an eye on it. I put out dope in the fall about the time mice might be looking for a warmer place in my shop or garage or basement. I haven’t heard of PEX damage here from rodents but in some areas of the country I guess it is bad.

If it is a problem I would also be worrying about my wires and chance of fire. :thbup:
 
The usual method is to "T" 3/4x1/2x3/4 to each fixture until the end and then 3/4x1/2, and the reason is to allow for a consistent supply when all fixtures are operating simultaneously.

3/4 in and out of the water heater and since you are planning for an eventual tankless, run a 1/2" return from the farthest riser so that with a timer and pump you can have instant hot water.

If in fact your supply to the house is PVC, how is your elec. service grounded?

Copper is good for an average of 20yrs. and you can manifold from copper to pex.
 
This thread has me researching rodent proofing PEX now. It seems there are several spray products that people use on wiring to car engines to PEX that are reported to work and are safe to humans. If I get any good leads on it I will start a thread as to not hijack this one.
 
My personal suggestion here.

-3/4" copper or larger to the water heater and cold water.

-3/4" or larger OUT of the water heater.

-Build a manifold that equally distributes water pressure to each fixture, even if you decide to use pex. Each sink or appliance should be split to 1/2" lines.

-Expansion tank BEFORE the water heater with s/o valve before the expansion tank. I don't care what anyone says, every water heater should have an expansion tank.
 
your plan sounds like a good one.

if I were you, I would run 1'' pvc from the meter outside to the house.

then install a ball valve and use the ball valve to transistion to copper

run a straight line of 3/4 as a trunk line to the fartherest bathroom or to the water heater

3/4 to bathrooms
3/4 x 1/2 tees to individual fixtures along the way..end the run with a 3/4 x 1/2 x 1/2 tee

hot water from heater 3/4 to the bathrooms...then 3/4 x 1/2 x 1/2 tee

on repipes....I drill a hole in the floor outside the wall behind the toilet and in the cabinets
instead of tearing into the wall.
then use a ''bell' eschushion and a ''straight '' stop instead of angled with the valve tight on the eschushion on the floor,,and chromed risers to the fixture..looks good

I have done hundreds of these,,,if you have any questions feel free to look me up
 
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your plan sounds like a good one.

if I were you, I would run 1'' pvc from the meter outside to the house.

then install a ball valve and use the ball valve to transistion to copper

I have done hundreds of these,,,if you have any questions feel free to look me up

In the 50's when this house was built the potable water system was galv., from the meter, and the elec. service used it as a grnd. without a driven grnd. rod. The main has since been changed to what appears to be sched. 40 PVC, subsequently removing the length of galv. from the elec. grnd.

I had asked how his elec. service was grounded, because when I change a main service from metal to PVC I permit it, use sched. 80 PVC and drive two ground rods 7' apart.
 
Good point. I didn’t realize that mice and rats were as big of a problem with PEX until now when I started searching. Our house is old and from time to time we get a mouse so I will keep an eye on it. I put out dope in the fall about the time mice might be looking for a warmer place in my shop or garage or basement. I haven’t heard of PEX damage here from rodents but in some areas of the country I guess it is bad.

If it is a problem I would also be worrying about my wires and chance of fire. :thbup:

The primary reason PEX becomes subjected to rodent damage originates from the manner of eradication, IE. poison or trapping. Poison causes them to become extraordinarily thirsty and so the hot water side of the PEX is vulnerable.
 
Going back to the plan in post #1, using valves to temporarily end your run, just use a short copper pipe and sweat a cap on the end. It's easy to cut off the cap later and continue the run. the waste is negligible.
 
Going back to the plan in post #1, using valves to temporarily end your run, just use a short copper pipe and sweat a cap on the end. It's easy to cut off the cap later and continue the run. the waste is negligible.



beat the pipe closed with a hammer and solder the end you beat

damn caps cost money :rofl:
 
Good tips guys! Thanks. It's been raining cats and dogs these days so I'm putting it on hold for a bit, maybe a month or so away. Plus I have a new proble-roof leak��
 
So, you're ready for all the "water masters" to vote themselves a raise, because they may have to work more than their usual 15min. a day to figure out what to do with all the rain.

Look in the attic and there should be wet sheating boards where the water is coming in.

Water will travel and then drip on to the insulation and ceiling, giving you a false location.
 
your plan sounds like a good one.

if I were you, I would run 1'' pvc from the meter outside to the house.

then install a ball valve and use the ball valve to transistion to copper

run a straight line of 3/4 as a trunk line to the fartherest bathroom or to the water heater

3/4 to bathrooms
3/4 x 1/2 tees to individual fixtures along the way..end the run with a 3/4 x 1/2 x 1/2 tee

hot water from heater 3/4 to the bathrooms...then 3/4 x 1/2 x 1/2 tee

on repipes....I drill a hole in the floor outside the wall behind the toilet and in the cabinets
instead of tearing into the wall.
then use a ''bell' eschushion and a ''straight '' stop instead of angled with the valve tight on the eschushion on the floor,,and chromed risers to the fixture..looks good

I have done hundreds of these,,,if you have any questions feel free to look me up

Do you have a picture of this? So instead of coming out of the wall it's coming thru the floor, vertically by the toilet and in the cabinets beneath the sinks? That would make it easier!?😃👍
 
Do you have a picture of this? So instead of coming out of the wall it's coming thru the floor, vertically by the toilet and in the cabinets beneath the sinks? That would make it easier!?😃👍

There are seldom published photos of this practice, and there are two schools of thought in following it.

Yes it is easier too just drill 3 holes from underneath and stick 3 pieces of pipe up and use 3 compression valves.

However, in the case of the WC, is the floor a soft surface or a hard surface?

And in the case of the lav cabinet, are you intending to change it in the near future, and if so, expand the holes for the pipe to make the removal of the lav cabinet easier.

Sometimes things are not always as easy as they appear.
 
There are seldom published photos of this practice, and there are two schools of thought in following it.

Yes it is easier too just drill 3 holes from underneath and stick 3 pieces of pipe up and use 3 compression valves.

However, in the case of the WC, is the floor a soft surface or a hard surface?

And in the case of the lav cabinet, are you intending to change it in the near future, and if so, expand the holes for the pipe to make the removal of the lav cabinet easier.

Sometimes things are not always as easy as they appear.

What is the WC acronym referring to? And the previous owner installed slate for a bathroom flooring!! Horrible! Eventually this will get gutted and remodeled.
 
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WC is short for "water closet", somewhere water is temporarily housed.
 

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