I am in Texas and we got hit with several arctic storms this week which is causing havoc in the State. Plumbers do not even answer their phone. I had to shut water off to the house because of a pipe leak in the wall. I need advice on how to cut the plywood around the pipe (see photos) without causing more damage. I have a pipe leak under the kitchen sink in the wall. The leak is very bad and flooded the kitchen so we had to turn water off to the house.
The leak is in the left pipe which is the hot water around the coupling in the middle of the photo, see red circle on photo. There is a T going behind the plywood into the wall, I am assuming it's going upstairs. Behind the plywood is the exterior brick.
The leak is on the inside of the T. I went to Home Depot and was lucky to find a SharkBite fitting. I am not sure though how to cut the copper pipe, it is only 1/2" from the plywood and cannot insert a 1/2" pipe cutter in there ( which is the smallest 2" wide cutter). It looks I need to cut out the plywood to be able to cut the pipe but not sure how to proceed or what tool to use that can allow me to work in this tight kitchen sink space and not cause damage to the pipe. I drilled a hole in the plywood after taking the photos to use a reciprocating saw but couldn't proceed to lack of space around the pipe. As you can see in the photo the electric box is very close to the pipe too.
Your suggestions and input is very much appreciated.
Being against the plywood as it is, I would leave the plywood alone and just use a multitool to cut the copper pipe. Cheap at Harbor Freight. Use a bimetal blade. You will then need to clean the cut edge up with some emery cloth until its smooth or it might ruin the sharkbite.
Unscrew that clamp and I bet you can pull it out toward you some. The bottom part of the pipe below your red circle looks to be malleable copper pipe. Use a green scotchbrite pad or some emery cloth to clean all the copper up and make it shine before you put any fittings back together. The oxidation needs to be removed and the pipe ends must be clean.
If you have to cut out the sheathing be very careful and don't let the blade poke through and cut the copper on the other side. I would cut the sides and bottom then try to snap the top off (i don't recommend cutting the top, but you have to do what you have to do).
I did unscrew the clamp, but since it has another line going into the wall at the T (assuming going upstairs) it's not nudging. The leak is right behind the coupler (see new photo below for a close up). The leak seems to be coming from deteriorated welding in the back of the T. Would a plumber just reinforce the welding or put on new fittings? My problem is I might have to cut out the plywood to have access. I am trying to get hold of a local plumber but they seem to be backed up and I just get voicemail. Do you think I should cut the plywood as I am thinking about buying a rotary saw?
As I said, I would use an oscillating saw, which is what the multitool is. When copper freezes, it usually splits. So, no, I doubt it would just be a simple solder it back up solution. Maybe you can pinpoint where it leaks, but all I see behind that tee is a blob of pipe wrap.
OT: There should be no wall insulation between the pipe and the inside wall. Replace the pink batts to run completely behind the pipe,
Where there is small clearance behind the pipe, sheet styrofoam is a good material to put behind the pipe. Then put the batt insulation back but leave a two inch gap following the pipe namely you should be able to see the entire pipe running in the stud bay. Finally put back the drywall or other inside wall paneling.
In climates where pipe condensation is a problem, I can cautiously suggest cylindrical pipe insulation. But do not put a half round of that material around the pipe facing "in" where the side of the pipe facing "out" is bare against the exterior wall or sheathing within the stud bay
With the insulation and the pipe wrap i would think that is an outside wall. Is it possible the tee actually goes to an outside hose bib? If so remove the hose bib and then you should be able to pull the pipe a little outward so you can replace the tee more easily.
I'm a big proponent of SharkBite fittings, especially for quick fixes like this. But I'm concerned that you're attaching to soft copper which has been bent. This compresses the pipe out of round, which is fine for soldering, but can cause problems with push-fit fittings.
No need to not use it as a quick fix if it doesn't leak, but I would probably plan on a permanent solder connection before too long.
Thanks all for the input, still can not get hold of any plumbers. I was able to use a small hack saw and cut the T from the back to get the pipe away from the plywood. Then I used a pipe cutter to get clean cuts and was able to connect the SharkBite fitting.
Once I got water back to the house I found out that the pipe in the wall runs upstairs to a sink in the game room. If I new that I would have dripped the faucet in the game room, but since it is not facing an outside wall I assumed it was safe but it should have been dripping. My kitchen faucet is a single handle and it can only drip cold or hot, to get both you have to open it all the way and I was dripping cold.
I have no clue how this passed inspection as the pipe is going into the plywood and up between the wood and the outside brick instead of splitting a sideway T to keep the pipes inside the plywood!
Now I wait for plumbers to become available as I can not get hold of anybody, at least we have water. If you are a plumber and want to make some money come on over to Texas.
I'm going to be adding a drain for a freestanding tub about 3' from an existing shower drain, parallel to the wall where it connects to the sanitary drain. I won't be extending the 2" ABS from the shower drain as the joists run opposite direction. So, I figure I'll run a new 2" drain from tub to the sanitary line in the wall.
I'm still wrapping my head around the varying venting requirements, etc. Any insight on that? I figure I'll have to have the new 2" line vented (I think?), but can I join that new venting to an existing vent in the attic before it heads out the roof? Any good references out there to read up on/watch? Every Ptrap needs a vent right? Thanks!
I am adding a water line for my new humidifier, and my plan is to tap the 3/4" hot from the water heater. I've been practicing my joints, and I feel comfortable enough to do it. I'm having a bit of trouble in that I expected more flex with the 3/4" line. I cut out a section about 3/4" to accommodate the tee. I'm able to move the pipe about an additional 1/4" comfortably. I'm not quite sure how much space I would need to insert the tee but I know I don't have enough space at the moment. I checked in the ceiling and this pipe goes to a 90 elbow. I'm not sure what is considered too much pressure, and if I can safely force it a bit more. My last resort plan is to use a Sharkbite slip joint fitting and get a plumber in to make a permanent connection. I'd like to avoid that if possible, but it's an option. Also, I am about 8" from the drywall. Is this a safe distance or should I get one of the fireproof mats to put back there? I've enclosed a picture so you can see.
By the way, I haven't cleaned or deburred anything yet. I will definitely do that before soldering.[img]https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_2525_04e0e6446e5deac518f5f4855dd9e94bf428ed16.jpg[/img]
02-19-21, 05:47 PM
