Bathroom disaster


  #1  
Old 02-19-06, 09:08 AM
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Bathroom disaster

My house is over 25 years old and the bath tub tile wall near the faucet just caved in. I took down all the walls around the tub because they used standard drywall and I notice other areas were weak. I also noticed the pipes for the tub and shower had minor leaks. So here are my questions:
1. I've never sweated pipes before...is this easy to do and is a standard blue bottle ok or should I buy the more expensive yellow bottle.
2. I've decided on a solid wall enclosure. What should I look for in a brand?
3. The tub is ok, but I don't mind replacing it. Is it hard to remove from the plumbing? Since the drywall is down I have plenty of removal space.
4. Should I buy a complete kit that has the tub and the walls that lock in place?

Thanks for any advice you may offer.
 
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Old 02-20-06, 07:21 AM
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Bath Disaster

Hello! My opinions, for what they are worth!

Sweating Copper: Practice safety first! Spray the interior walls where you will be working with some water before heating the pipes. Keep a pail of water or a fire extinguisher close by. Do a "fire watch" after the work is completed. Keep the flame close to the joint you are working on ! Don't allow the flame to wander. Keep your solder in the other hand with some length unrolled and ready to touch the joint.
Buy the Mapp Gas (yellow bottle). It's Flame is much hotter than propane. Do a search on google for proper technique, and practice on a bench with some pipe and fittings. Notice the capillary action of the solder on a properly prepared joint. The solder should always flow into the joint. Some common problems with this are : Water standing in the joint to be soldered, and an improperly cleaned/fluxed joint. Water soaks up the heat needed to heat the copper properly. You will notice on your practice pieces that it takes no time at all to heat copper and flow the solder. Should this not happen at the actual work, suspect either water in the pipe, dirty copper, or sometimes, bad flux. In my climate (hot), sometimes the flux turns to syrup, and needs to be mixed again, to work properly. To relieve water in a joint (assuming the house water is Off !), disconnect the supply at the toilet angle stop, and allow the water to flow out of the pipes from here (toilet supply being usually the lowest point in the system).
Tub removal : If the tub is in good condition, I would not replace it. If it is fiberglass construction, it can be professionally refinished, should need be. This is not cheap, but it's a good way to go.
Tub surrounds: Buy the best that you can afford. Follow the installation instructions to the "T", particularly in regards to alignment and adhesive.
Hope this helps !
John
 
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Old 02-20-06, 07:43 AM
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Repair Dummy, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
Sweating copper is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Spend a couple extra dollars and get a few extra fittings and pipe and practice. This way, you know what to expect while you are in a wall. The old tub may be a problem to remove as far as getting it out the door. If it is steel or cast iron you may have to cut or break it up to completely remove from the area. Getting a new one in may pose the same problem. I have included a link to help you know the procedures for sweating copper. Should be able to just click on the link if it is blue colored. Good luck and reply back with any other questions or problems by using the reply button at the bottom of this post.

http://www.doityourself.com/info/h2handlecopper.htm
 
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Old 02-20-06, 08:15 PM
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Thanks 4 the info. I'm gonna try some practice sweating this weekend.
 
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Old 02-21-06, 08:07 AM
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Some basic propane torches will not burn Mapp correctly.

You can now get some gel spray which minimizes fire danger on nearby flammable materials. Even the box stores carry it.

TIP: Draw a pail of water as your emergency supply. If something goes awry, it will do so while you have all the water turned OFF!

I also propose that with less than $10 of material and an hours time out in the garage, you will definietly learn the "feel" of a good solder joint. Well worth the effort. While some plumbers might rebuff the suggestion than one can learn to solder in an hour, we are not suggesting that. We are not talking 2" pipes, or difficult locations, or developing perfect technique AND speed which will allow a profitable enterprise. This is a wide open job, 1/2" pipe, and he has all day if necessary to do this and do it over if necessary. But with the small amount of practice suggested, this project is doable for a competent homeowner.
 
  #6  
Old 02-23-06, 03:42 AM
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I am a wood butcher, and not a plumber, so I was wondering why my self igniting head wouldn't ignite Mapp. I even used a open flame, and still no flame from the head. Didn't know there was a difference. Always learning.
 
 

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