As a plumber in washington, I havent ran into many copper solder leaks. During our ice freeze a couple months ago, thats when they started to break and pipes started to burst
Same here usually it’s the pipe itself that cracks in the middle but the solder joint are typically fine. But a lot of older homes in Oregon are still plumbed with grey poly pipe
Just wanted to say THANK YOU Roger I can say where I work due to social media policy but I work at a Home Improvement Store and started out as a Plumbing Associate found your channel when I started there and you have helped me learn tons of stuff that I have be able to pass on to customers and other associates. I would watch you on my lunch break to solve any questions I didnt have answers to. As here I am over 2 years later potentially wanting to do a Career in the trades instead of my plans to eventually go back to school for Computer Science haven't decided yet but the stuff I learned from you and as a plumbing associate has helped me and those around me already and is gonna be valuable the rest of my life even if I dont make it a career its invaluable! PS From Cali we have ABS and PVC usually to differentiate between brown water and clean water idk we dont have much CPVC here if any so we just have ABS, PVC, and PEX. Along with copper galv iron black steel etc.
For some reason whoever the plumber was at my family home (built in 94) used flare connections for all the supply lines and it's been a giant pain to deal with because everybody else seems to use compression. The toilet supply lines are 1/2" flare and only a few Home Depots carry them in stock and it's only the 12" variety so they have to get all twisted up which means once you take them off 3 years later to replace a part, you have to replace the hose again or it'll leak due to the rubber parts cracking when you move it. Originally they had solid copper supply lines but I couldn't use them with the new style fill valves. The dishwasher installer also refused to do the installation because his supply hose wouldn't fit our valve. I guess the solid copper WAS nicer and they put more work into it than just getting a hose but I wish it was the standard 3/8" compression. Is there a 1/2" flare to 3/8" compression adapter I can use? I really don't want to replace the supply valve if I don't have to - not sure if it's a FIP, soldered in, or compression.
ABS is far more shock resistant. It's also got better plastic deformation rather than cracking like PVC In places with soft substrate, earthquakes, etc ABS will stand up to shifting much much better than PVC. I've also seen ABS used for the same reason in pressure systems. It won't fragment and shatter. It's more of a plastic tearout if it ruptured.
we got so many old houses up here in Canada that use black polyethylene pipe along with barb insert fitting from deep in the well pump straight to appliances
They like using the ABS black stuff on RVs, I parted out 3 and they all had it, it seems to me it's more flexible than PVC, I used some of it when I ran out of PVC on the waste line of my bus to RV conversion, it bonded fine and didn't leak.
Dear Roger, I’m not sure if you remember and we messaged a while back, I took your advice and now I’m a student at a trade and a helper on the weekends ! How can I thank you ?
@1:08 is that flare fitting like a JIC/-AN fitting or just a brake flare kinda fitting? I've got tools to make both and all kinds of flares, double, bubble, single, ect.
6:42 typical plumbers both residential and commercial won’t build up a lot of experience using those MJ fittings. They are typically used on distribution piping 4”-12” the same fittings will be used for both ductile pipe as well as c900 pvc pipe. As they have the same OD. Over 12” then it’s a different story for c905 pvc etc. But they are fairly easy to use. They bolt together to form the seal and the blue bolts on the sides are called “break away” bolts. You tighten them down until the heads breaks off to ensure they have the proper torque equally on all sides. Tightening those break away bolts causes the clamps to compress against the pipe. It’s a built in pipe restraint, to prevent water hammer and an absolute MUST for big size lines. Otherwise if you’re just using a joining coupling it will blow off. Unless you have a thrust block poured. But most utility installers will use restraints and thrust blocks after the system is pressure tested with restraints.
Ductile pipe uses black MJ fittings , the red ones are used on plastic pipe (DR 18 and such). I think it has to do with the torque it takes to break the Frankenstein bolts.
@@danielquanbeck4405 Mega Lug specifications allow use for both ductile and c900. But on the breakaway bolts it calls for the removal of the extra tab for the ductile vs pvc but I’ve seen a lot of installers leave the tabs and I’ve seen some installers not even tighten the bolts till they break and the restraint held up fine. Wouldn’t advise that, but just saying.
@@mrDmastr19 maybe I’ve been using a different brand or product line of the same brand. But the brands I’ve used specify that the red/coral colored restraints are for plastic pipe and the black are for cast iron or ductile. The tabs you’re talking about are removed for IPS pvc pipe. Star, JM Eagle, and Ebaa are the brands I’m familiar with in the Midwest.
@@danielquanbeck4405 that’s interesting 🤔… you know one head scratcher that I’ve come up with over the years I’ve been around distribution. Why on earth have they not come up with a better way to seal off the sleeve of the resilient gate valves down at the operating nut and the valve box can itself? Half the time you go to use the gate valves they are either: 1. Buried with mud sludge from when the rain pours into the valve box and down the sleeve which causes premature corrosion to the external nut and bonnet. 2. When installed they installed it so crooked that the sleeve is slanted and you can’t even get the valve key to turn down in the sleeve. It’s be nice to see like a sealed chamber around the gate valve and a water proof lid to keep dirt and debris out. I did see a 4” gate valve that had like a 1” circular base around the base of the operating nut with a 1” lip, that the sleeve could sit in. It wasn’t water tight but it was a cool idea to keep any dirt out from the ground shifting etc. but ironically it was for 4” IPS. I feel like if they simply would better protect the actual valve and nut better and not let it be so easily buried and in contact with debris water etc, it would corrode less. Or at minimum would be readily useful instead of having to vac truck the sleeve when you need it. I mean I suppose the valves typically last 25+ years before they become an issue. But I feel like at the same time, they should last longer than that; but it’s a corrosion issue. And that’s just the external cathodic corrosion. The water quality issue is becoming a problem too. The mineral content is so high in our water district. Internally things are failing way earlier than they should.
@@mrDmastr19 they make a rubber insert for the bottom of the valve box. It does an “ok” job at sealing and keeping stuff out as well as keeping it straight while you backfill it. I think that the seal are a pain to put in. It would be nice if someone came up with a better way.
I work for local water company. We always get the new guys with the mj fittings. We tell them they broke the blue bolts when the snap off and that they have to take it all apart again lol
Copper is king. Even superior to Pro Press. You can leave a piece of copper pipe and fittings under the elements for years and all you need is some sandpaper to clean the ends and solder them together and you end up with a best joint possible. You can't say that for any other pipe or fittings. They all deteriorate under the elements.
As a plumber in washington, I havent ran into many copper solder leaks. During our ice freeze a couple months ago, thats when they started to break and pipes started to burst
Same here usually it’s the pipe itself that cracks in the middle but the solder joint are typically fine. But a lot of older homes in Oregon are still plumbed with grey poly pipe
Just wanted to say THANK YOU Roger I can say where I work due to social media policy but I work at a Home Improvement Store and started out as a Plumbing Associate found your channel when I started there and you have helped me learn tons of stuff that I have be able to pass on to customers and other associates. I would watch you on my lunch break to solve any questions I didnt have answers to. As here I am over 2 years later potentially wanting to do a Career in the trades instead of my plans to eventually go back to school for Computer Science haven't decided yet but the stuff I learned from you and as a plumbing associate has helped me and those around me already and is gonna be valuable the rest of my life even if I dont make it a career its invaluable! PS From Cali we have ABS and PVC usually to differentiate between brown water and clean water idk we dont have much CPVC here if any so we just have ABS, PVC, and PEX. Along with copper galv iron black steel etc.
For some reason whoever the plumber was at my family home (built in 94) used flare connections for all the supply lines and it's been a giant pain to deal with because everybody else seems to use compression. The toilet supply lines are 1/2" flare and only a few Home Depots carry them in stock and it's only the 12" variety so they have to get all twisted up which means once you take them off 3 years later to replace a part, you have to replace the hose again or it'll leak due to the rubber parts cracking when you move it. Originally they had solid copper supply lines but I couldn't use them with the new style fill valves. The dishwasher installer also refused to do the installation because his supply hose wouldn't fit our valve. I guess the solid copper WAS nicer and they put more work into it than just getting a hose but I wish it was the standard 3/8" compression. Is there a 1/2" flare to 3/8" compression adapter I can use? I really don't want to replace the supply valve if I don't have to - not sure if it's a FIP, soldered in, or compression.
ABS is far more shock resistant. It's also got better plastic deformation rather than cracking like PVC
In places with soft substrate, earthquakes, etc ABS will stand up to shifting much much better than PVC.
I've also seen ABS used for the same reason in pressure systems. It won't fragment and shatter. It's more of a plastic tearout if it ruptured.
we got so many old houses up here in Canada that use black polyethylene pipe along with barb insert fitting from deep in the well pump straight to appliances
Thank you for this information!!!!
You bet!
They like using the ABS black stuff on RVs, I parted out 3 and they all had it, it seems to me it's more flexible than PVC, I used some of it when I ran out of PVC on the waste line of my bus to RV conversion, it bonded fine and didn't leak.
Great video Roger this is really good info for an apprentice
You just blew my mind with how to put in those neoprene gaskets I have cursed so may of these 4:28
Surprised the mega lug got a spot over Victaulic. Vic is very popular here in Pittsburgh Pa
Compression fittings are very common here in ireland. In college we have to learn their reference numbers. And there alot of them.
Dear Roger,
I’m not sure if you remember and we messaged a while back, I took your advice and now I’m a student at a trade and a helper on the weekends ! How can I thank you ?
Really surprised you didn't talk about vic pipe
@1:08 is that flare fitting like a JIC/-AN fitting or just a brake flare kinda fitting? I've got tools to make both and all kinds of flares, double, bubble, single, ect.
Here In East texas most trailer houses are abs and some houses built in the 70s and 80s had abs under the slab we get alot of verity of pipe lol.
6:42 typical plumbers both residential and commercial won’t build up a lot of experience using those MJ fittings. They are typically used on distribution piping 4”-12” the same fittings will be used for both ductile pipe as well as c900 pvc pipe. As they have the same OD. Over 12” then it’s a different story for c905 pvc etc.
But they are fairly easy to use. They bolt together to form the seal and the blue bolts on the sides are called “break away” bolts. You tighten them down until the heads breaks off to ensure they have the proper torque equally on all sides. Tightening those break away bolts causes the clamps to compress against the pipe. It’s a built in pipe restraint, to prevent water hammer and an absolute MUST for big size lines. Otherwise if you’re just using a joining coupling it will blow off. Unless you have a thrust block poured. But most utility installers will use restraints and thrust blocks after the system is pressure tested with restraints.
Ductile pipe uses black MJ fittings , the red ones are used on plastic pipe (DR 18 and such). I think it has to do with the torque it takes to break the Frankenstein bolts.
@@danielquanbeck4405 Mega Lug specifications allow use for both ductile and c900. But on the breakaway bolts it calls for the removal of the extra tab for the ductile vs pvc but I’ve seen a lot of installers leave the tabs and I’ve seen some installers not even tighten the bolts till they break and the restraint held up fine. Wouldn’t advise that, but just saying.
@@mrDmastr19 maybe I’ve been using a different brand or product line of the same brand. But the brands I’ve used specify that the red/coral colored restraints are for plastic pipe and the black are for cast iron or ductile. The tabs you’re talking about are removed for IPS pvc pipe. Star, JM Eagle, and Ebaa are the brands I’m familiar with in the Midwest.
@@danielquanbeck4405 that’s interesting 🤔… you know one head scratcher that I’ve come up with over the years I’ve been around distribution. Why on earth have they not come up with a better way to seal off the sleeve of the resilient gate valves down at the operating nut and the valve box can itself? Half the time you go to use the gate valves they are either:
1. Buried with mud sludge from when the rain pours into the valve box and down the sleeve which causes premature corrosion to the external nut and bonnet.
2. When installed they installed it so crooked that the sleeve is slanted and you can’t even get the valve key to turn down in the sleeve.
It’s be nice to see like a sealed chamber around the gate valve and a water proof lid to keep dirt and debris out.
I did see a 4” gate valve that had like a 1” circular base around the base of the operating nut with a 1” lip, that the sleeve could sit in. It wasn’t water tight but it was a cool idea to keep any dirt out from the ground shifting etc. but ironically it was for 4” IPS.
I feel like if they simply would better protect the actual valve and nut better and not let it be so easily buried and in contact with debris water etc, it would corrode less. Or at minimum would be readily useful instead of having to vac truck the sleeve when you need it. I mean I suppose the valves typically last 25+ years before they become an issue. But I feel like at the same time, they should last longer than that; but it’s a corrosion issue. And that’s just the external cathodic corrosion. The water quality issue is becoming a problem too. The mineral content is so high in our water district. Internally things are failing way earlier than they should.
@@mrDmastr19 they make a rubber insert for the bottom of the valve box. It does an “ok” job at sealing and keeping stuff out as well as keeping it straight while you backfill it. I think that the seal are a pain to put in. It would be nice if someone came up with a better way.
great video. you forget HDPE pipes fittings, ceptor and compressions fittings
Took all of 15 seconds to get the first Ad. Was a bit of a relief when I had to wait 5 whole minutes for the next one
Is fitting another word for joints?
I work for local water company. We always get the new guys with the mj fittings. We tell them they broke the blue bolts when the snap off and that they have to take it all apart again lol
Cool
ABS all over here in Arizona
Copper is king. Even superior to Pro Press. You can leave a piece of copper pipe and fittings under the elements for years and all you need is some sandpaper to clean the ends and solder them together and you end up with a best joint possible. You can't say that for any other pipe or fittings. They all deteriorate under the elements.
Those under sink fittings are probably made from polypropylene, not PVC. Similar, but not the same.
No victolic?
Wait you have problems with copper and still replace and use it?
Depending on the situation, yes
Old dude talks a big game like he knows how to use any of this stuff out in the feild.
I do...I've used all of these at some point...have you?
Yeah I have as well. TXMPL here…not just some pencil pusher
that's great!