Author Topic: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?  (Read 3049 times)

Poundwise

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Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« on: April 20, 2017, 11:11:30 AM »
We have a bunch of pipes running around our house and the yard as parts of a homemade sprinkler system and outdoor shower (previous owner of our house was a plumber.)

Last fall, I turned off the water to outside in November, and opened all the taps so any remaining water would drain out and dry. This has worked in previous years.

Over the winter, we had freezing days as usual.  One night I left the garage door open by mistake, which burst my pipes inside the garage near the main, and I fixed them myself using Sharkbites.  However, I thought that the pipes I had turned off would be fine.  Now that it's spring, it turns out that we have four leaks! One of them is due to a crack in a spigot. One is a split in the outdoor shower pipe. And two of them may be underground on the way to different branches of the sprinkler system, because there is low/no pressure from those outlets, but I haven't located where the leak is.

Is it time for me to move beyond sharkbites? But first, why did it happen?

https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/do-it-yourself-forum!/soldering-external-pipe-myself/

sokoloff

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2017, 04:30:58 PM »
I shutoff and blow out the outdoor water lines with compressed air every fall.

I hook up the air supply (limited to 60psi) via a series of adapters to get from the air hose fitting to the male hose end and then blow out the outside system by feeding air into the outside system and opening up each sprinkler valve zone (I go "around the horn" twice; you don't have to get every drop of water out, but I do let it run until it's mostly just a mist of air.) I then drain all segments of the backflow preventer, leave the backflow preventer gate valves half-open (45*) and then drain the feed line to the input of the backflow preventer.

Poundwise

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2017, 10:08:45 AM »
Thanks, sokoloff! What kind of air supply do you use? I'm thinking of getting a compressor for HVLP and nail gun anyway... would that work?

Le Poisson

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2017, 05:03:09 AM »
A compressor works well, but if you already have a shopvac use it on the blow setting and it will work just as well. You can get a fitting especially for this that looks like a cone. Shove it in the end of the pipe, and blow away. It's how we drain the pool lines every winter, and how we blew out the plumbing lines on our boat.

Poundwise

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2017, 08:36:41 AM »
Awesome, thanks!  We do have a shopvac so this sounds like a great solution for us.

Milspecstache

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2017, 04:44:50 PM »
Best fix is to transition to PEX.  It can withstand multiple freeze/thaw cycles without busting.  Only disadvantage is that you don't want it exposed to sunlight.

Tools aren't cheap so borrow them if possible.  Fittings aren't cheap either but in the end you will save money due to avoiding all of the problems with copper piping.  Oh, and it saves a lot of time.  I plumbed my entire house in PEX in 1 day.  Copper would have taken a week...

radram

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2017, 07:44:01 PM »
Best fix is to transition to PEX.  It can withstand multiple freeze/thaw cycles without busting.  Only disadvantage is that you don't want it exposed to sunlight.

Tools aren't cheap so borrow them if possible.  Fittings aren't cheap either but in the end you will save money due to avoiding all of the problems with copper piping.  Oh, and it saves a lot of time.  I plumbed my entire house in PEX in 1 day.  Copper would have taken a week...

I have never used PEX, so I can not speak to its quality or use, but Home depot seems to rent the tools.

Chas

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2017, 02:46:52 PM »
Actually, both Sharkbite and / or Watts Qickconnect fittings will work on both copper and or Pex pipe. As stated above, do not expose Pex nor any plastic fittings to sunlight.

Poundwise

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2017, 10:14:14 AM »
The info about Pex is good to know. Unfortunately, most of the plumbing is outdoors, but I will keep it in mind for indoor plumbing.  Overwhelmed with number of house projects right now...

MightyAl

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2017, 10:30:42 AM »
The info about Pex is good to know. Unfortunately, most of the plumbing is outdoors, but I will keep it in mind for indoor plumbing.  Overwhelmed with number of house projects right now...

I believe there is a direct bury outdoor PEX product.  Look into it because the ease of installation is much simpler then copper.  It cost me about $150 to plumb in my water softener and that includes the crimping tool at $75.

sokoloff

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Re: Why did my pipes split? Should I learn to solder?
« Reply #10 on: May 16, 2017, 03:06:01 PM »
For direct burial outdoor piping, I'd use polyethylene if it's legal in your area. It has carbon black in it, so it has some UV resistance, but no plastic lasts forever in direct sunlight.

160psi poly for anything permanently exposed to pressure; I use 160psi rated poly for sprinkler feeders and 100 psi rated for sprinkler zones (which are only intermittently exposed to pressure).

Crimps and crimp tool are cheap and readily available at Lowes/Home Depot/similar. I double clamp full-time pressurized lines.

 

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