quality differences in copper unions?
user-133125
| Posted in General Discussion on
I’m curious if people have had issues with leaking copper pipe unions that they’ve purchased from various vendors. The unions sold by Home Depot (Nibco) get awful reviews on the HD website, but it’s impossible to know if that’s because they’re poorly made or poorly installed.
Do you folks have a favorite manufacturer, or do you use whatever you can find locally?
Thanks,
Tom
Replies
Yes...
... but I think installation plays a significant role in success with current products.
Assembling copper unions now I use teflon paste both on the mating surfaces (scant, but it's there) as well as on the threads. Seems not only to help lubricate mating surfaces as they're being forced to conform to each other but also to help threads during tightening. Before I added this detail one in five would leak ever so slightly even after re-tightening. With the paste I've done several with 100% success upon completion.
I won't bury them though, leave 'em exposed & with enough room for two-wrench access even if they're behind a removable panel or suspended ceiling tile. Same with isolation or shut-off valves.