Plumbing ?

[ronin]

I've been trying to hook up a long water supply to the back yard using pvc. Got a new water service (1" copper) up to the house from the street and a new brass 1" ball valve w/threaded female outlet stubbed off towards the back that I am tying into. I am using a sch 80 pipe nipple into the ball valve and a pvc coupler (w/teflon tape), threaded female inlet and slip connector outlet to the line that runs out back.

Here's my issue. All glued connections in the line are water tight. But, at first I had a leak at the brass valve/pipe nipple connection. The other side of the nipple going into the pvc threaded coupler was fine. So I had to cut-off the coupler and install a new, longer nipple (because I lost a couple inches w/the cut) and reinstall the whole mess.

Now, the brass valve to pipe nipple doesn't leak, but the other end at the pvc connector does. ARGHHH! To tighten it up and see if it will seal, I have to cut the pvc pipe past the connector so that I can screw it in a turn or so without backing out the nipple from the valve on the other side. Then I need to install a coupler to splice the pvc pipe back together.

So, it either stops leaking (like that will happen ), or not. So when in doubt get a bigger hammer. Or in this case, what I want to know is if there is any reason I can't cut the threaded end off the nipple back to the smooth pvc in the middle and glue on a slip connector. Essentially I'd be making my own custom pvc pipe nipple threaded on one end (that goes into the brass valve, which doesn't leak and I don't want to disconnect or mess with) and a smooth, unthreaded end that I could glue and be pretty sure wouldn't leak again anytime soon.

I don't care that I couldn't unscrew it after that because I'd have to cut it anyway if I ever had to remove it. What do you think?

 

[bssterl]

Sharkbite

Have you considered using Sharkbite fittings? They're a simple push to connect fitting and they seem to hold up well.

 

[ERD50]

I'm lost - I need a drawing, maybe even a simple text representation.

Sharkbites are an option, or maybe a union coupler - that can be unscrewed and allows the other parts to turn so you can tighten as needed?

-ERD50

 

[calmloki]

I really don't care for threaded pvc fittings - they have to be tight, but not tooo tight, and don't they take a special tape? sumbatches always seem to leak for me. Glue on young Ronin if you plan to bury it "forever". Sharkbites are really easy and allow removal and rotation, but I see two potential problems - they cost more than a glue on fitting and burying them gives me concern about grit and the O ring and the moveable outer sleeve that allows disconnection. Neither may be a real concern, but I'd glue it and go.

Goggling led to this:

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/p...e-threaded-pvc-fittings-mine-always-leak.html

 

[ronin]

Sharkbites would help a bit while trying get the threaded portions tightened up correctly. But they wouldn't help with the friggin' leak at the threaded joints. This portion is above ground just before the elbow that takes it down below ground. I don't like threads either. I don't particularly like compression fittings that much if I can glue it up instead.

I cut the line and re-tightened the pipe nipple to pvc female coupler and reattached the cut. Just waiting another half hour to turn on the water and pressure test it. I tried cutting off the threads on the old pipe nipple to see if my pvc pipe shears would get the job done. Seems like it might work. Nipple and sch 49 are the same outer diameter, so I should be able to glue on a slip connector and hope for the best. My luck the nipple will spring a leak on the brass valve side with all the fussing around it.

 

[ronin]

As I feared, I am cursed. It now leaks back where it did in the 1st place, at the pipe nipple to brass valve joint. About ready to tap out.

 

[samclem]

As I feared, I am cursed. It now leaks back where it did in the 1st place, at the pipe nipple to brass valve joint. About ready to tap out.

That's a threaded connection? Did you try using a bunch of Teflon tape (at least three wraps, more is okay)? That often helps--fills the gaps and allows the connection to smoothly be turned tighter. You could also add Teflon tape to the other threaded connection while you've got everything apart.

Just to ask the questions: You've got some way to winterize this above-ground line (or it never freezes at your place), right? And if it's going to a hose or sprinkler there's an anti-siphon valve somewhere in the line to prevent any nasty lawn chemicals or bacteria from entering your home water, right? If the PVC is for potable water, do some reading to satisfy yourself that you think it's a good idea (I'm not a fan). Just checking.

 

[ronin]

Yeah it has the Teflon tape on both ends. No freezing around these parts. No lawn sprinklers, no anti-siphon. Just some risers with garden valves. Not potable, just for watering a few fruit trees.

 

[naggz]

I really don't know what I am talking about, but...

I believe that tapered threads are for sealing things together, and need the teflon tape (and /or teflon paste) to ensure a water-tight seal.

Straight threads are meant to hold things together, and an O-ring or Gasket does the sealing. Does your ball valve require an O-Ring?

 

[ronin]

I don't think so. The inlet side of the ball valve has a copper male threaded piece screwed in and sealed with Teflon tape. No leak on that side.

 

[calmloki]

I've seen copper to cpvc conversion fittings that give copper threads and allow a glue in cpvc on the other end - GRAINGER APPROVED VENDOR Adapter, CTS,40,3/4 In,MNPTxSlip Socket - CPVC Pipe Fittings - 2GKA4|2GKA4 - Grainger Industrial Supply

Or maybe bsstrl had the better plan all along:

SharkBite 3/4 in. Brass Push-Fit x MNPT Adapter-U134LFA at The Home Depot

 

[ronin]

After further research, it seems the SharkBite cannot be used on regular pvc. Also, it is not recommended to try to glue up cpvc to regular pvc fittings.

One more try to refit it all tomorrow and get it snugged up tight. Beyond that, I may have to call in the professional. Bums me out since it is not as if this is rocket surgery. I do know which end of the tool to apply to the task.

 

[samclem]

Is it possible the brass valve is just not designed to take a threaded PVC nipple (straight VS tapered, etc) ? I've never used them like that. They do make PVC ball valves with female threaded connections, these would seem most likely to be compatible with the PVC nipple.

This is just a guess, I have no direct experience with this and I have boxes of leftover plumbing fittings from previous failed efforts.

 

[scrinch]

Ronin, I think you have the right idea now. Use lots of teflon tape and then tighten it up til your arm hurts. Then do the gluing. One suggestion though. Replace the cpvc nipple with a brass nipple. In my experience, a brass nipple can be screwed a lot tighter into a female brass fitting than a cpvc nipple can. Cpvc always seems to bind when it starts to get tight...even with teflon tape. You can't get a cpvc nipple very tight without worrying about breaking it. So I think you can get a better seal screwing brass into brass. Then I think you can get a better plastic-to-metal seal by attaching the female PVC threaded coupler onto the brass nipple. The larger diameter female PVC will be stronger (torque-wise), and PVC doesn't seem to bind like cpvc does when it is torqued against metal threads.

 

[ronin]

4th time is the charm. Ditched the pipe nipple in favor of a male to slip adapter, eliminating one threaded union. Taped it up and cranked it down. So far so good.

Now only 300' more trench to dig and pipe to lay to get to the back half of the property. Will be installing another ball valve shut off back there for the landscape nursery tenant I am getting, so he can mess around with his own irrigation scheme and not have to come up front to shut down the water to the back. Fortunately, he's got a trencher and I won't need to dig it by hand this time.

Funny thing (or not so funny at this point)... checked the new garden valves this morning in the front that the plumber installed on the new copper main service line to the house. Both were leaking at the threaded joint. The guy that came out to fix 'em used a ton of Teflon tape and Teflon pipe dope on top of it before cranking the snot out of them. Don't seem to leak anymore. Knock on cypress.

 

[scrinch]

Excelente!

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