1/2 " Brass Nipple - Slip or Sharkbite?

[LCF]

I've got an annoying issue I need to fix without tearing a newly finished wall open.

I am replacing my tub water valve and installing an exact replacement. The problem is that the existing valve is connected to a threaded 4 foot long 1/2" brass nipple all the way up to the shower head.

I am going to cut the existing tub valve away from the brass nipple, but I don't want to tear open the wall to replace all the brass going up to the shower.

I need an adapter that will thread into the new tub valve, and slip on to the outside of the soon to be cut brass nipple.

I don't typically use sharkbite, but there must be something that will allow me to do this? Are there still things like Moody couplings that work on lines under pressure, or do they make a sharkbite fitting that will fit on the outside of this brass nipple? This is for my 300 year old home in a location with no zoning, and I am looking to do this as easily as possible without tearing open the wall. Any solutions? Thanks! Photo attached.

 

[John Gayewski]

You can't replace it with copper and threaded adapter? Or pex?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LCF]

You can't replace it with copper and threaded adapter? Or pex?

I will be cutting the threads off of the brass when I remove the existing tub valve. I can't rethread the brass because there is no clearance inside the wall cavity for me to do it.

 

[John Gayewski]

Sharkbite makes a pvc x cts adapter. Pvc should be the same outside diameter as a sched 40 brass pipe.

Your could try that. I've not tried it.

 

[LCF]

Sharkbite makes a pvc x cts adapter. Pvc should be the same outside diameter as a sched 40 brass pipe.

Your could try that. I've not tried it.

Interesting! I wonder if it would be reliable over brass pipe. I can't find anything online about it but will keep looking as this might be a viable option. Thanks John

If anyone else has any ideas I would appreciate it.

 

[LCF]

I called Sharkbite and they said that the PVC to CTS would not work on brass. Technically, they said it's not been "tested" on brass and wasn't designed for that, but I am not sure I want to take the risk.

 

[wwhitney]

At the top end of the 4' brass pipe there must be a threaded elbow. If that elbow is well secured, then in theory after cutting
the brass pipe just above the shower valve you could unthread the pipe from that elbow, and then screw in a new length of copper pipe with a male adapter on the end. That would be sufficiently fraught that I would want to do it unless I was willing to open up the wall as the fall back option.

Your access is from the backside of the shower through normal drywall? In that case if your current access hole needs fixing, a general philosophy is that patching 5 square feet of drywall is not particularly harder than patching 1 square foot of drywall.

Edit: a maybe not too crazy idea is to cut the brass shower valve body at the bottom of the hub that is receiving the brass pipe, and then you could unscrew the remnant hub from the brass pipe, leaving the brass pipe intact. That doesn't help you reinstall the shower valve, though.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[LCF]

arder than patching 1 square foot of drywall.

At the top end of the 4' brass pipe there must be a threaded elbow. If that elbow is well secured, then in theory after cutting
the brass pipe just above the shower valve you could unthread the pipe from that elbow, and then screw in a new length of copper pipe with a male adapter on the end. That would be sufficiently fraught that I would want to do it unless I was willing to open up the wall as the fall back option.

Your access is from the backside of the shower through normal drywall? In that case if your current access hole needs fixing, a general philosophy is that patching 5 square feet of drywall is not particularly harder than patching 1 square foot of drywall.

Edit: a maybe not too crazy idea is to cut the brass shower valve body at the bottom of the hub that is receiving the brass pipe, and then you could unscrew the remnant hub from the brass pipe, leaving the brass pipe intact. That doesn't help you reinstall the shower valve, though.

Cheers, Wayne

Thank you! These are considerations I had but won't work unfortunately. I can't install a new length of copper into the shower elbow because the pipe would be too long for me to get the leverage I need to get it into the wall cavity due to the floor.

If it were just drywall I would go for it, but there is some wood and diamond lathe in there (nightmare).

If I cut the shower valve body, then I have no way to thread the new one on to the nipple.

 

[wwhitney]

Thank you! These are considerations I had but won't work unfortunately. I can't install a new length of copper into the shower elbow because the pipe would be too long for me to get the leverage I need to get it into the wall cavity due to the floor.

Since you say there is some drywall, the question is whether you could extend your access hole high enough within the drywall portion to allow you the access to install a new length of copper pipe.

Cutting into plaster and wood lathe is obviously harder than cutting into drywall, but needn't be messier. Plaster and metal lathe would definitely be messier unless you could get an angle grinder or the like with really good dust collection.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Jeff H Young]

I was screwing around at home and found that 1/2 inch copper slips very nicely inside a brass nipple I have I dont know if this is normal but the nipple I have is like perfect for using as a male adaper for copper.
From what I see it dosent look like 300 year old DRYWALL lol
ok why cant you wack that brass and cut 6 inches off it grip it with a pipe wrench and rethread the end of the pipe then fit it up with a mip, fip, adapers , and a short piece of copper or pex what ever it is you like

 

[LCF]

I was screwing around at home and found that 1/2 inch copper slips very nicely inside a brass nipple I have I dont know if this is normal but the nipple I have is like perfect for using as a male adaper for copper.
From what I see it dosent look like 300 year old DRYWALL lol
ok why cant you wack that brass and cut 6 inches off it grip it with a pipe wrench and rethread the end of the pipe then fit it up with a mip, fip, adapers , and a short piece of copper or pex what ever it is you like

I absolutely will sweat something on to the brass if I have to. I'd rather a copper to brass adapter that fits on the outside of the brass if possible but I can also try putting a piece of copper pipe inside to see if it will do the trick.

 

[Fitter30]

Being that its .840"od looked at compression, Swageloc and compression sleeve nothing is brass or stainless. Think your going tearing out some wall.

 

[wwhitney]

There are brass compression couplings for IPS pipes, e.g.

JONES STEPHENS 3/4 in. CTS or 1/2 in. IPS Bronze Coated Brass Compression Coupling (3 in. Length) for Pipe Repair C14206 - The Home Depot

Decorate your bathroom space by choosing this JONES STEPHENS CTS or IPS Bronze Coated Brass Compression Coupling for Pipe Repair.

www.homedepot.com

Would nice if you could get such a thing with a 1/2" MIP end and 1/2" IPS compression on the other, not sure if that exists.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Depending on how much room you have on the backside where you're accessing the valve.. What about cutting the brass and using a hand threader to cut new threads up higher? Brass pipe is super soft and easy to thread.

 

[Fitter30]

There are brass compression couplings for IPS pipes, e.g.

JONES STEPHENS 3/4 in. CTS or 1/2 in. IPS Bronze Coated Brass Compression Coupling (3 in. Length) for Pipe Repair C14206 - The Home Depot

Decorate your bathroom space by choosing this JONES STEPHENS CTS or IPS Bronze Coated Brass Compression Coupling for Pipe Repair.

www.homedepot.com

Would nice if you could get such a thing with a 1/2" MIP end and 1/2" IPS compression on the other, not sure if that exists.

Cheers, Wayne

Couldn't one find a brass or ss.

 

[Jeff H Young]

I called Sharkbite and they said that the PVC to CTS would not work on brass. Technically, they said it's not been "tested" on brass and wasn't designed for that, but I am not sure I want to take the risk.

pvc ones are designed for the fingers to bite into plastic not metal ( might be the why its not aprooved) . but there may be another brand for brass or steel pipe im not aware of

 

[sawant019]

you can use copper nipple

 

[LCF]

There are brass compression couplings for IPS pipes, e.g.

JONES STEPHENS 3/4 in. CTS or 1/2 in. IPS Bronze Coated Brass Compression Coupling (3 in. Length) for Pipe Repair C14206 - The Home Depot

Decorate your bathroom space by choosing this JONES STEPHENS CTS or IPS Bronze Coated Brass Compression Coupling for Pipe Repair.

www.homedepot.com

Would nice if you could get such a thing with a 1/2" MIP end and 1/2" IPS compression on the other, not sure if that exists.

Cheers, Wayne

Hmm. I wonder if something like this would work for me? I could cut the brass pipe and slide one of these over it. And then I can use a piece of copper with male 1/2 adapter for the new shower valve and solve the problem? Do you think this piece would work in my application?

 

[LCF]

Depending on how much room you have on the backside where you're accessing the valve.. What about cutting the brass and using a hand threader to cut new threads up higher? Brass pipe is super soft and easy to thread.

I would consider doing that. I don't have much space to cut though. What tool do you mean by hand threader? I've only ever seen the ones with the lever on it and they're rather large. I don't know if I could fit it in where it needs to go.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

I've done 1" steel pipe in the wall before.. it busted the seam on the pipe, but that was because it was 100yrs old and rusty.

Home Depot rents the tool. I bet if you called them, they would give you exact measurements of its radius.

Harbor freight sells their threader for about $60