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The world of pipe fittings

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Re: The world of pipe fittings

#111

Post by sokoloff »

blincoln wrote: post #85
victor9000 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What was tricky about it? Having never done it, it seems somewhat straight forward in my mind.

Sinks are one of the few areas that I don't think one can get out of using threaded connections on the supply lines (haven't seen push-to-connect for that last leg yet). A lot of them use NPT threads, and NPT is very easy to put together in a way that will have a slow leak. Even a single drop every few minutes can cause big problems if left unattended for long enough. Also, a lot of the connections are in locations t…

The sink supply connections (usually from a shutoff valve) are compression threads (a parallel/straight thread).

If the valve itself is threaded on, that inlet might be NPT (or might be compression), but the valve outlet will be compression, which uses a tapered ferrule to provide the seal and straight threads.

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#112

Post by culopatin »

VLM wrote: post #86
balls187 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also, in my experience, when someone inexperienced first learns what pipe tape is, they try to apply it to everything. That’s me. Whoops.

Tape causes massive contamination problems with fuel and hydraulic systems. Its not that the Teflon reacts with hyd oil, its that the inevitably little tiny bits of stuff physically jam/ruin seals and clog nozzles.

But only if you put the tape over the edge. I usually leave the first 2 threads uncovered, why would it fall into the stream if you don’t cover the tip of the thread with it?

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#113

Post by toss1 »

VLM wrote: post #89
toss1 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can confirm - also started using PEX recently, and it is fantastic - wouldn't go back for anything! Straightforward, solid, more resistant to freezing (tho I still drain/blow out the outside lines in winter). I've even had zero problems with the PEX-copper fittings; I generally just attach straight onto a cut pipe rather than an NPT fitting, so that may account for my different experience. I've run a few new lines in…

There are two problems with PEX in the shop, one real one joke. The joke one is PVC + UV = shrapnel, and frankly given enough time and vibration PVC doesn't need UV to shatter, so old timers hearing you're using plastic in the shop will freak out. (edited for those who don't get the joke: Pex will definitely split or crack under UV but AFAIK never shatters, so using PVC is a major OSHA violation but using unprotected…

Thank you!! Very helpful tips, I appreciate it

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#114

Post by jsz0 »

I had to do some plumbing work a few years ago and quite enjoyed solving the puzzle and completing the work myself. It did remind me a lot of my day job in tech. No individual part of the job is all that difficult but planning and executing everything properly, and all the cryptic/arcane knowledge required, was very similar. And just like when one of my networks or systems is down the work had to be completed quickly to resolve the outage.

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#115

Post by agsamek »

lajosbacs wrote: post #96
throw0101c wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This article doesn't touch much about why plumbing is hard. I'm from Poland so I'm not only IT but also a plumber ;) I'm guessing that is a reference to Omid Djalili sketches about Polish plumbers: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K85ZtXnMxbM * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8mjzu0Runo&t=1m * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FM9Ps6cW9U * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omid_Djalili

It's a stereotype across the whole Europe, even Poland takes advantage of it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_plumber#/media/File:Pol...

Thanks for sharing. This was exactly what I was referring to. Also youtube links from the UK are nice, shame you are out of EU for the time being :)))

Anyway - I just added a valve regulation to our kitchen floor heating this weekend, so it was not only joking :)

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#116

Post by aidos »

jkqwzsoo wrote: post #9

In case anyone from the US reads this, BSPP and BSPT fittings are rare and incredibly frustrating here, as our NPT (National Pipe Taper) threads are different and the selection of BSP(P/T) fittings is extremely poor in comparison. Also, I work with NPT fittings quite a lot: > For what it’s worth, I tightly wrap the tape 10 times round the male thread and get an enraged mountain gorilla to tighten it up. This is a WTF…

I think there’s cultural difference where the tongue in cheek context has been lost a bit.

They probably use neither 10 full wraps, nor an enraged mountain gorilla, but then I’ve seen stranger things in plumbing.

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#117

Post by Scoundreller »

Kaibeezy wrote: post #40

All this plumbing talk got me remembering the time I redid a bunch of the copper in a fixer-upper. Reading up on solder joints, I got into the underlying metallurgy, and discovered solder isn’t “glue”. You have to abrade it to remove the oxide, quickly cover the raw copper with flux, and then let the boiling flux draw the molten solder into the joint. It doesn’t take much, and you end up with a metal-metal-metal bond…

> and discovered solder isn’t “glue”.

I see you’ve never had the chance to observe some of my PCB work!

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#118

Post by lajosbacs »

agsamek wrote: post #115
lajosbacs wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a stereotype across the whole Europe, even Poland takes advantage of it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_plumber#/media/File:Pol...

Thanks for sharing. This was exactly what I was referring to. Also youtube links from the UK are nice, shame you are out of EU for the time being :))) Anyway - I just added a valve regulation to our kitchen floor heating this weekend, so it was not only joking :)

I also found the UK vids amusing (am not a Pole) -- kind of how to make fun of a stereotype in a positive way.

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#119

Post by georgeoliver »

sokoloff wrote: post #103
georgeoliver wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a funny experience a week ago. One night working on a hobby web project it took me three or four hours to debug something, I finally got to bed around midnight thinking "boy, programming is hard". The next day at work we had to find a broken heat wire in a tiled bathroom floor, running 1000 volts through the wires to try to fuse the broken wire, then heating the floor up and searching with heat-sensitive paper…

Does a thermal imaging camera not work for the finding task? That seems like it would be faster, more certain, and less aggravation all around.

Good question, I don't know. The technician on site didn't have one. I guessing the camera would be faster, but the result image about the same. The nice thing about the paper is you easily can check multiple spots at once, so it's faster to divide down to the problem area.

Re: The world of pipe fittings

#120

Post by swayvil »

Given the choice, I love pex and those compression-bands that you put on with the special pliers. Pex got flex.

For drains, pvc of course.

Given run-of-the-mill refurbby waterline junk with plain ol copper, I like that brass kind of compression with the little sleeve.

Don't trust sharkbite. Am a mediocre sweater.

For gas, threaded with that pipe goo works surprisingly well. Haven't fucked it up yet.

I wonder if you can use pex with gas

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