marshaul
Member
I have a pair of effluent pumps I need to get aboveground, but I'm a little stumped by the PVC union(s) I have to work with. Part of the problem is that all this stuff is a couple of feet below the top of the access riser, so I can't get good leverage with just any tool.
Here's a good overview of my leach field lift station:
Sorry the following close-up isn't a little sharper, but I'm wary of spending too much time with my iPhone suspended over an open tank. In any event, note that I've labeled the valve and unions:
(A) is the shut-off valve to the leach field. (B) and (C) both appear to be unions screwed onto the same threaded piece of pipe. (B) has a hexagonal drive cross-section, whereas (C) has the studded drive cross-section you might prefer for hand-tightening unions (only there's no way I can reach both arms down in there to get anything like good torque on this thing – it's too far).
At the moment, I have on 18" pipe wrench. It's long enough to give me some leverage, but so far wrenching on (B) and (C) has done nothing but mangle the drive profiles a bit and leave me unsure how I should proceed. I definitely don't want to damage anything that isn't easy to replace.
Now, I almost bought Harbor Freight's 2-pack of strap wrenches ($5!), but the handles are fairly short. I'd probably have to use both to get good leverage, and I might not be able to reach far enough down there with both arms.
I could also buy another pipe wrench, if I was sure the union would come apart before I did any serious damage.
So, first of all, does anybody have any suggestions?
Secondly, just to be excruciatingly clear – unions (B) and (C) appear to screw onto the same threaded piece, so I assume that they tighten towards one another and loosen away from one another. That is, to loosen I should torque each fitting counterclockwise as seen looking from outside on its side. Does that make sense? Is it correct?
Here's a good overview of my leach field lift station:
Sorry the following close-up isn't a little sharper, but I'm wary of spending too much time with my iPhone suspended over an open tank. In any event, note that I've labeled the valve and unions:
(A) is the shut-off valve to the leach field. (B) and (C) both appear to be unions screwed onto the same threaded piece of pipe. (B) has a hexagonal drive cross-section, whereas (C) has the studded drive cross-section you might prefer for hand-tightening unions (only there's no way I can reach both arms down in there to get anything like good torque on this thing – it's too far).
At the moment, I have on 18" pipe wrench. It's long enough to give me some leverage, but so far wrenching on (B) and (C) has done nothing but mangle the drive profiles a bit and leave me unsure how I should proceed. I definitely don't want to damage anything that isn't easy to replace.
Now, I almost bought Harbor Freight's 2-pack of strap wrenches ($5!), but the handles are fairly short. I'd probably have to use both to get good leverage, and I might not be able to reach far enough down there with both arms.
I could also buy another pipe wrench, if I was sure the union would come apart before I did any serious damage.
So, first of all, does anybody have any suggestions?
Secondly, just to be excruciatingly clear – unions (B) and (C) appear to screw onto the same threaded piece, so I assume that they tighten towards one another and loosen away from one another. That is, to loosen I should torque each fitting counterclockwise as seen looking from outside on its side. Does that make sense? Is it correct?
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