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Replacing galvanized water pipe under house on piers
Posted on 5/21/15 at 12:27 pm
Posted on 5/21/15 at 12:27 pm
I am in BR and would like to replace one of the galvanized pipes under my house. They are the original pipes from 1941 I assume and water pressure is low in one of the longer lines. What material is best for replacing exposed water lines like this? PVC? PEX? Thanks
6
Posted on 5/21/15 at 12:32 pm to swampdawg
Sch. 40 PVC is best cost effective and reliable, but copper would be the best option, but costly
Posted on 5/21/15 at 12:52 pm to swampdawg
Pex just keep it out of direct sunlight.. if you go the plastic route use Cpvc, it is rated for hot water.. either way insulate the lines..
Posted on 5/21/15 at 5:34 pm to swampdawg
I'm in the PVC camp.
Pipe, fittings, glue/primer. That's it. Prime the joint for a better seal than just using the blue stuff.
Pex has not been trouble free despite what people say. Some fittings have failed, rodent damage is a real possibility. Also, the crimping tool for 3/4 and up is not cheap. If you use the Uponor expanding rings those tools are even more costly.
Funny how material/labor costs have gone down sharply with the use of pex but plumbing pricing has not followed.
Pipe, fittings, glue/primer. That's it. Prime the joint for a better seal than just using the blue stuff.
Pex has not been trouble free despite what people say. Some fittings have failed, rodent damage is a real possibility. Also, the crimping tool for 3/4 and up is not cheap. If you use the Uponor expanding rings those tools are even more costly.
Funny how material/labor costs have gone down sharply with the use of pex but plumbing pricing has not followed.
Posted on 5/21/15 at 5:37 pm to swampdawg
PEX is much less likely to burst in a freeze, a real problem for Pier and stilt houses. You don't really need to insulate the PEX but you do need to wrap all the fittings with foam because they will burst.
The special tools are pretty cheap.
The special tools are pretty cheap.
Posted on 5/22/15 at 6:53 am to swampdawg
i'm in the pex camp. the first time i used it, my brother and i replaced all of the water lines in my rental (kitchen, 2 baths, laundry room and two outdoor faucets) in about 2 hours. no open flame like sweating copper and no glue drying time like pvc.
your bigger problem will be getting the old line out. after 74 years, the galvanized pipe will not simply unscrew from the fitting. the weakest point is apparently right at the fitting, and the pipe will twist off, always on the wrong side of the fitting.
i had a water main rust through on my 1945 capital heights house, and coburn supply suggested a fix for me that has worked well. cut the bad pipe off 6 inches from each end. use a compression fitting and a 6" nipple to restore threads to each end, then screw on a transition piece for whatever new material you use (pex, pvc, etc.)
each end would have a combination of this
compression fitting
galvanized nipple
transition from iron pipe to pex
attached by compression fitting to the remaining 6" of the cut-off pipe. your connection on each end would then be old pipe-compression fitting-iron pipe nipple-transition from iron pipe to new material.
you can make up both of the connections on the workbench, then all you have to do under the house is cut the pipe, attach the connections to the cut-off pipe and run the new material. while you're under there, you can T off the new material and add a new run for an outdoor faucet.
your bigger problem will be getting the old line out. after 74 years, the galvanized pipe will not simply unscrew from the fitting. the weakest point is apparently right at the fitting, and the pipe will twist off, always on the wrong side of the fitting.
i had a water main rust through on my 1945 capital heights house, and coburn supply suggested a fix for me that has worked well. cut the bad pipe off 6 inches from each end. use a compression fitting and a 6" nipple to restore threads to each end, then screw on a transition piece for whatever new material you use (pex, pvc, etc.)
each end would have a combination of this
compression fitting
galvanized nipple
transition from iron pipe to pex
attached by compression fitting to the remaining 6" of the cut-off pipe. your connection on each end would then be old pipe-compression fitting-iron pipe nipple-transition from iron pipe to new material.
you can make up both of the connections on the workbench, then all you have to do under the house is cut the pipe, attach the connections to the cut-off pipe and run the new material. while you're under there, you can T off the new material and add a new run for an outdoor faucet.
Posted on 5/22/15 at 7:35 am to swampdawg
Cpvc for ease and Cooper is the best but pricey. PEX will require more specialty tools and rodents seem to gravitate to it and cause damage.
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