Jack Foster
New Member
Good morning. First off I’d like to say that this forum is a wealth of knowledge. I have had quite a few plumbing projects this season, and can usually find great advice from the folks here.
I’m currently gathering all supplies and knowledge for replacing my 13 year old water heater, and have one specific question regarding unsweating a copper joint.
I would like to keep my existing cold water shutoff valve and copper plumbing to the expansion tank if possible, because the original plumber left no spare pipe to cut and sweat on new without opening my wall, which I am not comfortable with. The valve and copper to the expansion tank are in very good condition, so I’d rather leave all that alone if possible. This leads me to my question of unsweating near joints to be left alone: I would like to simply unsweat the existing copper flex cold water supply line by applying heat just to that fitting or a little behind it, prepping the existing pipe stub, and then sweating on a new ¾” MIP nipple for a new copper supply. I just don’t know if it’s possible to do that without compromising the adjacent tee fitting that is only approximately ¾” away. I would of course wrap the tee fitting with a cold wet rag to reduce the heat it would be exposed too, but I don’t know if that would be enough to protect it from the sweating taking place less than an inch away. Is my plan valid at all, or is the adjacent joint bound for failure due to the fitting replacement taking place so close to it?
Thank you all for your help,
I’m currently gathering all supplies and knowledge for replacing my 13 year old water heater, and have one specific question regarding unsweating a copper joint.
I would like to keep my existing cold water shutoff valve and copper plumbing to the expansion tank if possible, because the original plumber left no spare pipe to cut and sweat on new without opening my wall, which I am not comfortable with. The valve and copper to the expansion tank are in very good condition, so I’d rather leave all that alone if possible. This leads me to my question of unsweating near joints to be left alone: I would like to simply unsweat the existing copper flex cold water supply line by applying heat just to that fitting or a little behind it, prepping the existing pipe stub, and then sweating on a new ¾” MIP nipple for a new copper supply. I just don’t know if it’s possible to do that without compromising the adjacent tee fitting that is only approximately ¾” away. I would of course wrap the tee fitting with a cold wet rag to reduce the heat it would be exposed too, but I don’t know if that would be enough to protect it from the sweating taking place less than an inch away. Is my plan valid at all, or is the adjacent joint bound for failure due to the fitting replacement taking place so close to it?
Thank you all for your help,