1" Poly House Main to 3/4" Copper (Seeking Suggestions)

[lkellogg]

Hi All,

I'm looking for your suggestions on how to refresh this setup, which is where 1" black poly (connected to meter pit outside) comes in through the basement block foundation, and joins with 3/4" copper.

I noticed some rust/condensation on part of the backside of the cleanout body...and figure it probably wouldn't hurt to be prepared to have supplies on hand to replace this someday soon.

-How is the 3/4" copper joined to the 1" poly? Are those usually barb fittings of some sort? I assume that's what that bottom square copper piece is?

-From what I can see, the way to replace would be to cut the 3/4" copper just above the flared portion of the top thread coupler...and then spin off the cleanout body, and keep the barbed copper "square" inside the 1" poly. Then use a 3/4" copper female to 3/4" copper sweat, connect female the square barb, and sweat on 3/4"?

-Is a cleanout even needed on incoming freshwater (rural water, not well).

-Would you recommend replacing the rusty hose clamps on the 1" black poly where it clamps onto the copper barb? Or should I just leave them alone since they aren't leaking?

I'm open to any other suggestions you might have.

 

[cdherman]

Good pictures. Is that "cleanout" as you call it brass or galvanized steel? The cleanout was probably installed more as a drain -- ever try to sweat copper with water in the lines?

Put a magnet on the "cleanout". If its brass, I would do NOTHING. Those old clamps are indeed rusted, but that black PCV pipe is so stiff by now, you could probably remove the clamps and it still would not leak! The original installer triple clamped it -- means its got an extended barb (long). Well done.

But if the installer put a galvanized fitting in there, it introduces dielectric current issues and it will continue to rust away. Most people would leave it till it fails (it probably won't leak, but it could start releasing rust particulates into your water, mess with aerators on your faucets, orifices in your water softener if you have one........

Do the magnet -- post back. More experienced plumbers than I might give you a better answer as to whether a steel fitting in an otherwise copper brass system is as bad as I state......

 

[Sponsor]

 

[wwhitney]

Good pictures. Is that "cleanout" as you call it brass or galvanized steel?

It's galvanized, the rust marks on the threads of the plug are the give away. It should have been brass.

For the OP, what's going on above your picture? I'm not sure if it's worth proactively replacing that tee. If you want to replace it, I'd suggest finding a convenient place to cut the copper pipe where will be easily fixable (e.g. with a copper repair coupling, or a sharkbite repair coupling if you don't solder), and then unscrewing the copper female adapter from the galvanized tee, and replacing that tee with brass. Or you could replace it with a ball valve with a drain on the house side.

As for the rusty hose clamps, those are worth replacing, if only because the double clamp is installed wrong. One of the points of a double clamp is that a single clamp doesn't compress as well under the screw body. So the screw bodies of double clamps should be offset around the circumference of the pipe.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Sarg]

Looks a bit like my father's did decades ago.
I sprayed it with FluidFilm after a gentle clean up.