Various new Kitchen faucet questions

[J Blow]

Greetings, all. I'm installing a kitchen faucet (not my own) that currently has copper connections. I'm a couple hundred miles away but have the attached pictures below. The new faucet isn't fancy and appears to be a cheap, what I would assume standard sized kitchen faucet, with plastic connections. My hope is that I could simply unscrew the connections from the copper and screw them to the new faucet. Is it likely it would work that way or aren't the sizes that standard? I'm thinking about adding shutoffs anyway...anyone know what size (maybe asking a lot by looking at the picture) I would need to simply add then inline?

Thanks, all.

 

[J Blow]

Forgot to ask if anyone can tell the copper pipe size by looking. I do have the pex tools and could splice in a shutoff if adding an inline shutoff doesn't work for whatever reason.

This would all be pretty easy if I was going to be near a hardware store...but I'll be an hour from anything like so it's important I get there with the right equipment before shutting off the water.

Thanks!

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

Coming from the wall you have standard 1/2" copper pipe that is 5/8" OD.
Pick up a standard shutoff that is 1/2" copper to 3/8" compression and tighten it on with two wrenches. There is no need for soldering there.

This also comes in a straight stop.

 

[hj]

You have an "improper" dishwasher connection. Since it does not have an "air gap/break" it can siphon the waste water from the drain back into the dishwasher.

 

[J Blow]

Coming from the wall you have standard 1/2" copper pipe that is 5/8" OD.
Pick up a standard shutoff that is 1/2" copper to 3/8" compression and tighten it on with two wrenches. There is no need for soldering there.

Those were the exact shut-offs I bought for this project but really wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something when I'm an hour from supplies. Thanks for the help!

 

[J Blow]

You have an "improper" dishwasher connection. Since it does not have an "air gap/break" it can siphon the waste water from the drain back into the dishwasher.

Thanks for the reply. I might consider changing something if it were mine and hadn't been that way since the 90s without any problems.

I may point this out to the owners but I suspect it will remain the same.

Thanks, again.

 

[hj]

There have been any problems since the 90s, OR they do not know if there were problems since then? It ONLY takes one time to create a problem, and it is the kind of thing which does NOT ring a bell or blow a whistle when it happens.

 

[J Blow]

There have been any problems since the 90s, OR they do not know if there were problems since then? It ONLY takes one time to create a problem, and it is the kind of thing which does NOT ring a bell or blow a whistle when it happens.

Yes, I understand. I was just predicting a response to changing anything. They have lived there 20 years with that exact setup and there has never been a problem.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[J Blow]

After looking at my valve now I'm wondering if I got the right thing. This doesn't say 1/2" copper to 3/8" compression but rather says 1/2 FIP x 3/8 Compression Angle Valve. I've found that FIP means female iron pipe but have a feeling that isn't necessarily the same as copper? Will this create problems? Seems it should just screw together and be done....but...?

Maybe this would work better...appears to be more suitable for copper?

1/2 in. Chrome-Plated Brass Push-to-Connect x 3/8 in. O.D. Compression Quarter-Turn Straight Stop Valve

Thanks.

 

[J Blow]

I asked two questions above and probably didn't make it clear. I don't have the pictured item but wondered if it would be better...or would what I already have work? I have a shutoff that says 1/2 FIP x 3/8 Compression Angle Valve. I've found that FIP means female iron pipe but have a feeling that isn't necessarily the same as copper? Will this create problems?

 

[Reach4]

FIP refers to the thread type (tapered). It could also be called NPT or FNPT . The material could be copper, brass, plastic. So that would screw onto something that is threaded with a tapered thread. To use that with copper, you would solder a piece on the end of the copper that has the threads.

The push to connect should work fine if the pipe is cut well and is in good shape, but the compression type would also work and be more trusted by more people.

 

[J Blow]

Hmmm....unfortunately now I'm more confused. Above Terry says get a "standard shutoff that is 1/2" copper to 3/8" compression" and mentions soldering isn't required...so I'm thinking this FIP is incorrect. What's throwing me off is the 1/2" copper part...is there a copper specific part that needs to go to copper or can I just use something that doesn't say 'copper' on it?

Sorry for all the questions but I don't want to screw this up as it's not mine. Seems so easy...maybe it is.

 

[Reach4]

What comes out of the wall appears to be 1/2 inch copper pipe (which is 5/8 OD).

The end of your new valve needs to connect to that, and a valve with a compression attachment is a good way. See the second picture of reply #3 of https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/compression-stop-valve-problem.32629/ to show how they go on the pipe. The little brass thing is usually called a ferrule but it is called an olive by many especially in Europe.

In the first picture on https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/replacing-shut-off-valve-copper-pipe-too-short.54596/ you can see a compression valve on copper on the left and on the right a valve with FIP/FNPT on a brass nipple.

 

[J Blow]

That seems way more complicated than I thought. Doesn't the copper line simply break in two by using a wrench to unscrew what looks like compression fittings? I thought unscrewing that would leave a 3/8" male connector but it sounds like Terry is saying it would be 1/2". Installing a 1/2" by 3/8" valve there would allow me to simply hook up the 3/8" lines coming from the faucet.

I wasn't intent on hacking off the copper but this thought started when I wasn't sure what screwing iron into copper was ok, based on Terry specifically saying I needed a copper 1/2".

Maybe I'm not understanding a lot about this but I really thought I could just unscrew those nuts and slip this in (below) and that would be it. I started wondering about connecting this to copper, though.

Thanks for your help.

 

[J Blow]

Here's a closer picture of what I'm talking about...wouldn't it be as simple as disconnecting right here and then reconnecting the connections from the new faucet (except I'm adding in a shutoff)?

 

[Reach4]

That seems way more complicated than I thought.

I now understand you are looking to unscrew B while holding C. Then you would like to put valves at the B location and connect the new flex lines from the new faucet to those new valves. You were hoping to not cut the copper.

I don't know about that.

 

[CountryBumkin]

I'm not a plumber. So maybe I'm wrong.
What this looks like to me, is 1/2" copper pipe with a 3/8" compression fitting soldered to it.

PS. How do you rotate a photo that is posted?

If that is correct, this fitting would work.

If you were to install this fitting onto the existing 1/2" copper pipe, using the existing soldered on 3/8" fitting, then you would need a flexible hose to go from the shutoff valve to the new faucet. It is very difficult to do anything "rigid" as you have it now when replacing parts.

The other method, would be to cut the 1/2" copper much lower (near wall) then add a shutoff valve like the one above, but it would be a 3/8" Female compression x 1/2" compression fitting.

** The same item Terry had is in his reply #3 (with his fitting being a 90 degree, and the one above being straight).

 

[J Blow]

I'm not a plumber. So maybe I'm wrong.
What this looks like to me, is 1/2" copper pipe with a 3/8" compression fitting soldered to it.

PS. How do you rotate a photo that is posted?
View attachment 36718

If that is correct, this fitting would work.
View attachment 36719
If you were to install this fitting onto the existing 1/2" copper pipe, using the existing soldered on 3/8" fitting, then you would need a flexible hose to go from the shutoff valve to the new faucet. It is very difficult to do anything "rigid" as you have it now when replacing parts.

The other method, would be to cut the 1/2" copper much lower (near wall) then add a shutoff valve like the one above, but it would be a 3/8" Female compression x 1/2" compression fitting.

** The same item Terry had is in his reply #3 (with his fitting being a 90 degree, and the one above being straight).

A close up is 2 pictures above...what you are saying here is my original thought....and I actually did buy 3/8 x 3/8 valves from the start but then got a 1/2 after looking the picture and not recalling what I saw. Here's the exact item I possess.

 

[J Blow]

By the way, the new faucet has plastic hose coming from it...they probably aren't pex (maybe they are) but are something I'm sure I'll be able to bend around to make work. They have the 3/8 connectors but I do have pex tools if the length or something else needs to be adjusted.