Hey lads so i went to change a washer the other day on a very old tap. It was seized and gave way and the solder joint came lose.
So basically the original set up is a tad meh probably not up to today’s standards. Not the way i would have done it but they chose the cheaper way out.
The T fitting is sitting the wrong way around if they have a wrong way to sit? lol. Instead of the middle inlet being connected to the mains they used an ending of the T fitting. So tap number 1 was basically straight of the main hot water pipe. Then the middle of the T fitting goes left to tap number 2.
From my knowledge the correct way to work this would have been to have the middle of the T fitting connected to the mains and then have the water travel left and right? Not sit the tap on a small piece of copper pipe about 2 inches long straight of the T fitting. I drew a diagram i did take pics but its hard to see how it works from pics.
Option 1.I can go crazy and redo the pipe its not a long pipe and shouldn’t be hard if all goes well its 1/2inch in diameter. I will get a new T fitting and place it the correct way around and run piping both ways and connect taps on both ends. I can probably reuse the original copper pipe on one side i will just have to buy new copper pipe for one side and new end fittings for both pipes plus new taps. This option is okay just going to cost more but it will be a better job. Plus minimum amount of copper pipe i can but is 1.5 meters when i only need like 800mm. I can also use pex type piping (plastic) Cheaper you get like 6 meters for 10 dollars lol.
Right now there is no tap or pipe on the T fitting on one side. I am using a push fitting to stop water from leaking. Issue here the end capping is sitting on the T joint so i had to shave the t joint down to make it fit or else no hot water for any one.
Or option number 2 quick and sleazy. I leave the end capping on and cut the pipe in the middle and connect a new end fitting and tap that is over the sink but closer to the washing machine so it can be used for both the sink and washer? Safer option because who knows what else can go wrong while trying to fix it?
My main issue is the T fitting goes into the wall and is a solder joint so i have to undo that with out making a mess out of it. I can probably use my gas soldering iron as a blow torch to heat the fitting.
I know option 1 is probably my only option lol. But if you have an idea let me know? I still have the tap that is connected to the washing machine working.
Just try to do it yourself, it will give a great feeling when it turns out OK. If it doesn’t, just try again.
You can always hire a plumber when it doesn’t work out well.
I would go full retard and go for a nice and solid replacement without any unneccesary joints. Clean solid and tidy
I understand that water spins backwards when going down the drain in the “down under”. So that makes me an expert. You can use most tee’s in any orientation or direction. So use whatever leg you need to, or leave your cap in place and cut another tee in if that’s easier. Don’t mess with old solder joints right up against the wall. Use pex. Us push fittings.
Hydraulic Analogy / Current (water) running through the water (wires) causes it to boil, increasing the pressure (voltage), but resisting (impeding) the flow of hydroelectricity (water currents). This is the basis for Ohm's law.
Who knows, maybe he’s been holding his thumb on the pipe all this time waiting for help. My guess is that the guy that resurrected this thread turns out to be a spammer. I could be wrong though.
The main issues with that house is that it was built in the 60/70s and that is an original copper pipe and Australia has long moved onto a new standards in sizing so fixing stuff around that house is a pain. The piping in not metric or even standard size NTP.
I work on a lot of older houses. Cooper pipes for plumbing is still the best and is still used a lot in commercial. The problem with cooper is cost in both materials and labour. The salvaged cooper though is worth a fortune.
Copper lasts a long time if not corroded. Pex is plastic? More susceptible to corrosion and cracking I assume. There is a reason soldering copper is still the standard. Even pro press is iffy.
Just redid our main line with a ball valve. And a line under the house. It was fun. Plumbing is quite fun and easy.
One of the main reasons copper is still used is because in certain jurisdictions the code has not been changed yet. Not because Pex is bad but because it is too easy and allows non plumbers to use. This protects organized labor. I think it will be the standard everywhere in the future. Europe has been using it for years.
I have several large a/c units at work, ranging from 1.5 tons to 20 tons. We have some pro-press creeping in and I can tell you it is only as good as the installer, but failures are not immediate and have cost me money. Our campus does not allow PEX and I am good with that in my environment. I would rather the refrigerant lines and water lines be sweated copper any day.
I do cheat and use PEX at home. My house was built in the 1850’s and has every cludge in the world, so why not PEX as it is easy. When I bought the house in 1990, first job was to rewire as it was dangerous. I pulled out enough silver wire to buy all of my copper including the entrance cable.
That article doesn’t mention copper is antimicrobial as all copper alloys are.
If your hand has a flu virus on it and you touch a copper doorknob, then 99% of the virus dies within 30 minutes.
Also, if it embedded in a concrete slab it will not corrode. More tolerant to freeze thaw. Can be run almost as easily as wiring. Many pluses. It would be my material of choice is I was building my house today.
