Had to repair a leak in the piping for my hot water baseboards. I knew that the tubing was not ordinary, but didn’t expect what I found.
There is a double loop of copper around the basement ceiling. The fittings are marked 1 3/4″, and have shallow solder cups – Sort of like refrigeration fittings. Risers to the baseboards upstairs I had assumed were ordinary 1/2″ copper. Not.
When I cut the riser I needed to work on, it turned out to be VERY thick walled. Also, it is slightly larger in outside diameter than 1/2″. It won’t fit ordinary 1/2″ fittings. Existing fittings are marked FF-A. I measured the large tubing as best I could without calipers, and the 1 3/4″ markings must indicate internal diameter.
This is a rural area, and no one around here knows what the stuff is. The man I bought the house from said that the previous owner, who put the H/W heat in himself, had worked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and got the tubing there.
It seems to me that I should try to locate a few fittings for this stuff against possible future need. Anyone got any notions?
Edited 11/2/2004 4:17 am ET by Patrick
Replies
bump...
Don't have a clue, but if you had a picture that sure might help
with your description.
Don't have a digi camera, sorry.
If there are specific characteristics that would help anyone to ID this stuff, please let me know.
Anything written on the outside of the pipe...
Instead of reducing - swedge a standard series pipe or tube to the outside of what you have... Modify a reducing bushing to fit the OD.. Ream it instead of drilling..
Drill / ream out the ID of the existing pipe to accept a standard street fitting...
Sounds like you have SCH120 pipe....
1/2 or 5/8" OD???
Is the house done 100% in this stuff???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I can't find anything on the outside of the tubing. Fittings read FF-A.
Don't have calipers, but the smaller tubing seems to be 9/16 or 5/8".
Thankfully, only the plumbing for the h/w heat.
What is SCH120 pipe?
Still say swedge on a "normal" sized pipe and go from there...
SCH120 = HD pipe...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Go to heatinghelp.com and the 'Wall' forum... post a photo, someone there will know.
Posted a query on HeatingHelp.com . Thanks for the lead.
Wouldn't surprise me a bit if it was some custom made gov't spec stuff. I did a design project for the USAF where they had bolts custom made, special threads, the whole nine yards...
Edited 11/2/2004 10:51 am ET by PaulB
Would not surprise me either, but I hope not.
Try mixing tubing fittings into the scheme of things or fall back and put...
Tear out all of the DIY stuff and install all off the shelf parts and pieces...
Learn to swedge...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Ordinary 3/8" copper just slips into this stuff. The fit is close enough so that I could clean it well, flux it, and solder a joint that is holding.
Unless I get dealt a very different hand, replumbing this system is not in the cards. I'm hoping to find a small assortment of these odd fittings, and maybe a little of the tubing, aginst possible need. Get some copper wire and attach it all out of the way to one of the pipes.
Is it possible you have brass pipe instead of copper? Stuff is very thick walled.
Nope, definitely copper.
Could you put threads on it? Die might makeup for any difference in OD.
Edited 11/2/2004 10:42 am ET by csnow
Sure looks like enough metal to thread, but I'm not real familiar with that. Can it be done in place?
yup
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
"Sure looks like enough metal to thread, but I'm not real familiar with that. Can it be done in place?"
If there is enough room.
I had some stuff kinda like that that was 3/4 and had a wall thickness that was about an eighth inch, and the pieces were about 5 feet long with one end that was bigger in id so you could slip em together and solder em...no couplers...a 55' vintage house..Strange