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Starcraft27

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May 3, 2011
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Location
Orinda, Ca
Hi. my 3/4" copper main to my house was hit with a shovel and damaged badly where its restricting water. About a foot of the line needs to be replaced. Is the best way to replace to cut out as close of a peice of new 3/4" line and two repair unions to slide over on each side and solder?

Also my main shut off valve does not shut off all the way I wanted to replace it. When it gets to the house their is a weird half circle bent copper tubing before it enters the crawl space. What is this and can I just scrap it to make my job easier and put the shut off on a straight piece of copper coming up to a 90 degree fitting to enter the house?

Last but not least my utility shutoff isn't valve leaks a little bit as well so while I'm doing this work water still flows which makes soldering a pain. I've used white bread in the past rolled up to stop the flow. Is their anything better?
 
27, There is some pipe fitting on the market called shark bite (push & lock style fitting) ,this will make your job much easier to do. Water or no-water just push & lock
 
shark bites are approved for under ground application. If you do not want to use a shark bite shut-off, you can use a jet sweat
 
IFIXH20 said:
shark bites are approved for under ground application. If you do not want to use a shark bite shut-off, you can use a jet sweat
Click to expand...

That is a much better solution.
Shark bites may be approved for under ground but common sense tells most plumbers not to use them in that application.

John
 
John, why do you think shark bites are bad to use under ground. If you meant using on soft copper, then i could agree -but if not then why?
 
they have rubber o rings, they will eventually be eaten by minerals and leak. there is a tool that oatey makes that you put into the pipe and expand a rubber ball you can then swat on a ball valve without the water flowing and after unexpand the ball and close the new valve.

comes with 1/2 3/4 and 1"

make sure your valve is made from red brass if its a temporary that will end up underground, yellow brass will break down, another reason to not use shark bite in this application.
 
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IFIXH20 said:
John, why do you think shark bites are bad to use under ground. If you meant using on soft copper, then i could agree -but if not then why?
Click to expand...

I have the same belief as Liquid. There sealed with O rings and in time O rings do fail. As far as stopping the flow of water all he has to do is just loosen the spud nut on the meter and allow the water to leak out at that point. To punches a jet sweat for one job isn't very to cost effective.

John
 
Guys, how many meter union o-ring/gasket have you replaced, not many here.
 
johnjh2o said:
Meter gaskets are not O rings they are a red rubber type gasket. Much like the ones you use on a garden hose.

John
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Mr. J , you miss the piont - rubber is rubber, now i know there is different grades. Don't be afraid of the Shark. I remember when pvc dwv came out ,my father was afraid of the plastic , I told him not to be afraid of the plastic.
 
Your missing the point the rubber on the meter is in a location that can be seen. I said I don't object to shark bites in a location the you can access. Just like compression fittings. Would you use them underground?

John
 
johnjh2o said:
just like compression fittings. Would you use them underground?

John

NO. Bites and compression are a little different. Again, I will not use bites on soft copper . Read the orginal post - I see no problem with him using a shark bite shut-off valve.
Click to expand...
 
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You have your opinion on these fitting and I have mine. There is nothing that you or I can add that will change that. I see no reason to continue this discussion. :D

John
 
i juct checked the shark bite page and it seem they are certified for underground use but looking into the meaterial used which Is dzr brass ( yellow brass ) which under many codes IS approved for use underground, but not under my Code ( canadian )

... I still think when those O-rings fail its gonna be a pricy bill and I have seen these fail, though it was in a parkade where there was no real damage.

Agree to disagree, they thought Polly B was sent from heaven also at one time.
;)
 
Shark bites are for use in emergency situations only, in my opinion. Just gotta get rid of the water, sometimes you can unscrew the union at the meter and drain it off there, other times you can use a compressor to blow the water out, a jet sweat can be handy as well.
 
HoffmannFamilyPlumbing said:
Shark bites are for use in emergency situations only, in my opinion. Just gotta get rid of the water, sometimes you can unscrew the union at the meter and drain it off there, other times you can use a compressor to blow the water out, a jet sweat can be handy as well.
Click to expand...

I love it when I find someone that thinks like me.

John
 
phishfood said:
Details, fitting type, time in service, etc?
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unknown time in service, but it was a hotel and It was likely installed by a maintenance person. the line was a 3/4 re-circ line and there was calcium buildup inside the fitting. To be fair I did find a small bur on the copper pipe where it was cut and coupled that could have potentialy caused a pinhole that became wire drawn over time, when I got there it was spraying hot water onto the celing. there were 2 sharkbite couplers used so I presume a leaking section of pipe was "repaired"
 
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