hope you guys can help with copper pipe in a cramped area!
pulper_11
| Posted in General Discussion on
The pic will show hot and cold copper pipe running up and then bending at 90 degrees. I not only want to keep water supply where it currently goes, but need to add it above for both pipes.
i thought about using a T fitting but the pipe on the right be able to do the 90 degree bend anymore (would hit into the pipe on the left).
the vent makes it a more cramped.
any ideas how to do this? perhaps a T fitting for both, and then using a few elbows for the right pipe to go around the left pipe?
hope this makes sense.
thanks.
ps and no, i didn’t do the boring into the floor plate for the vent!
Replies
Sounds like you want to extend both headed for the ceiling.
you can put tee fittings on the vertical run of each pipe, below the existing elbows, and couple with a street elbow for each.
point the tee to the camera in this photo, and the street elbow headed for the ceiling.
If you have to go behind the PVC on the same level, you can use a 45 to point back to the far wall, with a 90 to make the turn
If you don't want to sweat all these joints in close quarters, you could make the runs with PEX. The flexibility of PEX would let you skip the 45 described above, if the upper connection is far enough above the copper left turn.
If you do what UncleMike says for the shorter LH pipe, I think you should be able to replace the elbow with a regular tee on the other.
I just had a pinhole leak in something similar but worse than this (about a 30 degree corner, above the sill plate). I called my plumber, who came out and used coldpress fittings. Was about $200. I can solder, but not in that tight of place without igniting something. Good luck
thanks for your replies! i am concerned about leaks but i'm not sure when my plumber would be available to do this so i'm looking at tackling myself. for practice, i have several fittings and old pipe that i cut out to work on my soldering skills.
a couple questions:
1. just want to confirm: you're saying that the t should be pointed to the camera, and on that t i should put an elbow, and then the vertical pipe attaches to that elbow? that would mean that the horizontal pipes will attach to the top part of the t-fitting, if i'm understanding this correctly.
2. I'm just not sure why it should be a street elbow?
3. somewhat unrelated, the big notch is cut into the the floor plate for the vent. not sure if that's a problem or not, structurally, since this isn't a load bearing wall and i've looked to find rules regarding cutting into the bottom and top plates for non-load bearing walls and have had difficulty (easy to find rules for studs and joists, but not the plates).
but if it isn't a problem, could i do the same to the top plate? right now, there's a bulk-head to allow the vent to come out and not cut too much out of the top plate. the top plate is two laminated 2x6 laminated with a 2x8. i can post a pic if that helps. otherwise, hopefully this makes sense.
thanks!!!
Something like this should work (Just happen to have a bunch of cut up pipes from the current reno) Street elbow = one less joint to solder, less space required.
Picture worth at least a couple hundred words.
That's a great picture! thanks, and it helps explain a lot.
two questions about this:
if i'm installing a shower valve with the vertical pipes, do i have to bring the extended pipe back in plane with the pipe on the right? i'm assuming so, but just want to check.
also, i'm dealing with 3/4" pipe here. at what point with a shower valve do i have to reduce it down to 1/2"?
thanks again.
Mount the valve body where it needs to go.
Make the pipes line up. They will be in line at the valve. Chose the most direct path to get them there. Minimise the number of fittings.
Switch to 1/2" as soon as practical. I'd use a 3/4 x 1/2 x 3/4 TEE and a 3/4 x 3/4x 1/2 TEE to make the connection to the existing pipes.
can you tap into the water supply on the other side of the framing and then go up?
also, if your supply is 3/4 inch, as previously mentioned you can go to 1/2 inch at the 90 and branch off from there - you could go with malleable (bendable) copper and bend the copper to where you need it, just be careful not to kink it
as a separate discussion, if you're going to sweat the fittings, get a spray bottle with water and soak down the area around where you're planning on sweating the fittings, also soak any penetrations (aka holes, don't want to ignite the dust/debris inside any framing). Keep the spray bottle with in reach while you're sweating the fittings and hang around the site for at least 1/2 hr after you're done
good luck