Help my identify this union coupling

[njbillt]

I bought a Toro irrigation backflow preventer with 2 unions built in so it can be removed for the winter. I want to be able to seal the outdoor parts off for the winter, but cannot find a compatible union. (I realize I'll only be using half of the union) 1" sched 40 PVC is too small and 1 1/4" is too big. And they don't look the same either. Hard to explain but where the O ring is in relation to the collar that tightens it is the opposite. I attached a picture and an illustration of a CPVC Schedule 80 FKM Union that has the O ring on the same half as the Toro, and both are gray if that helps. They are expensive and I'll have to order them, so I'm looking for some reassurance that it's what I need. BTW I did email Toro irrigation customer service .... no reply. Thanks for any help.

PS I also need this to winterize because without it, I have no way to blow out the lines and I don't want to put that on the diaphragm in the backflow preventer.

 

[James Henry]

Not sure what your doing. you won't match that union, unthread the other union half off of the pipe and install a regular union or a cap, what ever your planning for.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[njbillt]

Not sure what your doing. you won't match that union, unthread the other union half off of the pipe and install a regular union or a cap, what ever your planning for.

 

[njbillt]

So you think Toro went to the trouble to design their own union? Seems like a lot of trouble but I guess its possible.

 

[James Henry]

So you think Toro went to the trouble to design their own union? Seems like a lot of trouble but I guess its possible.

Companies intentionally design their products so you cant replace parts or repair them with other name brand parts. as a rule you never mix union halves, if one side is damaged you throw the whole union away. It's an unwritten rule among plumbers.

 

[njbillt]

Companies intentionally design their products so you cant replace parts or repair them with other name brand parts. as a rule you never mix union halves, if one side is damaged you throw the whole union away. It's an unwritten rule among plumbers.

well it's not damaged it's brand new and while I could take your suggestion about taking that part of the union off, it kinda defeats the purpose of having a union there.

 

[James Henry]

Yea, your right.

 

[wwhitney]

well it's not damaged it's brand new and while I could take your suggestion about taking that part of the union off, it kinda defeats the purpose of having a union there.

But you can replace it with a union for which you can buy a duplicate, so that you can thread a plug into one side of the duplicate, and then easily swap the Toro part with the plug.

You could also buy another of the Toro part and just steal its union, assuming you can turn that into a plug (not paying close attention to the details on the Toro part).

Cheers, Wayne

 

[Chucky_ott]

What's the OD of that part sticking up? Maybe you can just slip one of those orange PVC caps on top of it.

Or use a fernco coupling with a plug.

I was going to suggest to just put a cork or rubber stopper in the hole, but water that will get into the grooves will freeze and could crack the pipe.

 

[njbillt]

But you can replace it with a union for which you can buy a duplicate, so that you can thread a plug into one side of the duplicate, and then easily swap the Toro part with the plug.

You could also buy another of the Toro part and just steal its union, assuming you can turn that into a plug (not paying close attention to the details on the Toro part).

Cheers, Wayne

I can't. The part I need is molded into the backflow preventer.

 

[njbillt]

What's the OD of that part sticking up? Maybe you can just slip one of those orange PVC caps on top of it.

Or use a fernco coupling with a plug.

I was going to suggest to just put a cork or rubber stopper in the hole, but water that will get into the grooves will freeze and could crack the pipe.

 

[njbillt]

Just under 2 1/2". The plug is a good idea but I want to be able to pressurize it to winterize. I'm sure the compressor would blow any plug right off. I'm not worried about water getting in. I remove half of the unions when I winterize my pool and all I do is put a plastic baggie over it secured with a zip tie and it's fine when I open in the spring. Mostly this is a tool to blow the line out

 

[Chucky_ott]

Maybe use another union inline with the pipe and the backflow preventer.

Silly to have two unions side by side but at least you'll achieve what you want.

 

[njbillt]

Maybe use another union inline with the pipe and the backflow preventer.

Silly to have two unions side by side but at least you'll achieve what you want.

Thanks for the suggestion. If I have to cut the pipe, I'll just put a ball valve there with a tee below it so I can attach the blow out port. The thing is I have 2 of these backflow preventers, one for iron filtered zones and one for raw well water zones where it won't stain sidewalks and the house, so I'd have to do that twice. If I had half a union that would connect I could just do one and move it to do the other line.

 

[hj]

They make the union so you could could replace the BFP with another one of THEIRS, not to make it easy for you to do other things.

 

[njbillt]

They make the union so you could could replace the BFP with another one of THEIRS, not to make it easy for you to do other things.

Somebody already suggested that but understand the part I want to replace is molded onto the backflow preventer.

 

[wwhitney]

Not very familiar with backflow preventers and blowing out lines. Can you get a third one and effectively convert it in the plug you want? I.e. I'm inferring that blowing out the lines with the backflow preventer on there may damage the the backflow preventer innards, but if it will contain your air pressure, you can use one as a very expensive plug.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[njbillt]

Not very familiar with backflow preventers and blowing out lines. Can you get a third one and effectively convert it in the plug you want? I.e. I'm inferring that blowing out the lines with the backflow preventer on there may damage the the backflow preventer innards, but if it will contain your air pressure, you can use one as a very expensive plug.

Cheers, Wayne

I think they're also called anti-siphon valves. Purpose is to prevent water already out in the irrigation lines from being brought back into the potable water system. They were expensive something like $90 and really I could blow the lines out with them in place but I've done that with the brass Zurn valves these replaced, and that has damaged the diaphragms. BTW blowing the lines out with compressed air is so the lines don't crack. I wanted these with unions so I could put them away for the winter because I had a lot of brass valves crack on me. I just didn't think it would be so hard to find the other half of the union. I have put in another call to Toro. I appreciate all the input here.