Post by jcplumb on Oct 8, 2016 21:32:39 GMT
Got a call on Tuesday about a slow drip coming from a hot water pipe on a gravity system, from their description I cunningly deduced it was coming from a horizontal run under the floor near the hot water tank, the infamous horizontal pipe that gathers the crap from the header tank and slowly corrodes from the inside. I asked if they knew if their pipes were imperial or metric and they said definately imperial as they had work done before and the plumbers needed adapters for the old pipe.
So I was busy up until Friday and didn't want to miss out on some easy bucks so agreed to come out this afternoon. Before setting off I checked if I had any 3/4-22m couplings and I had 1 so merrily skipped off to toolstation and got another one. (pretty much out of all 22mm stuff so planned a trip to the local indy merchants on Monday for a restock)
Gets there, cuts a floorboard out where I think the leak is and boom, got it on the first board I lifted! Today is a good day!
It's definately a corroded pinhole so water off, drain down and cut a foot or so out of the pipe, took a bit of persuading to get the water out of the pipe enough to solder. Cleaned up my old 3/4-22mm, fluxed up popped it on my shiny length of 22mm and wouldn't you know, the old pipe is also 22mm so it won't go on.
Here commenceth the days 2nd trip to toolstation, as I had no 22mm couplers.
Only bought the 2 I needed cos I get a decent deal at the local merchants.
Returns triumphantly from my trip with the couplers and notice the pipe has pissed the towel through that I left under it, so there was still some water in that pipe, all good because it's not there now
Solders on my first coupling and I must say it was one of those joints you're proud of and secretly want to take a photo of, no snots, clean as a whistle.
Starts soldering the second coupling and it's not getting hot enough for the solder to run, my torch has been a bit iffy lately so turned it up a bit and soldiered on, a good minute into this joint and the solder runs in but then it's just blobbing. Well a bad looking joint is often fine and there's only one way to find out if it's worked, stop tap open, back upstairs and it's pissing out.
Back down, stoptap off and then I'm wishing I'd got more than just 2 couplers.
Here commenceth the days 3rd trip to bleeding Toolstation.
I go with solder ring this time for a belt and braces job!
Gets back, cuts more pipe out only this time I go mental with the blue roll. I make many a blue snake and let them drink all the water up for at least 2 feet along the pipe, once my snakes were coming back dry I confidently start to solder up again, first one wasn't as good as last time, it was still a pretty damn good joint but I didn't feel the urge to take a photo of it.
2nd joint won't get hot again! I didn't even bother turning the water back on I just got my slice out and cut out again. I have some speedfit in one of my toolboxes, pretty sure there's a couple of 22mm couplers, gets out and expectantly opens up the box and hey presto! Only one of the fuckers!!!
Here commenceth the days 4th trip to bastard arseholing Toolstation.
Come back with the couplers, popped them on and sees that there's no way the floor boards are going back down without squishing the twats. Hammer and chisel out, battered my hand with the hammer doing the first notch, at this point I'm losing the will to breathe.
Anyway, 20 minutes later, the water's back on, the floorboards are back down and I'm driving home. I've been out a total of 5 hours by this time.
Don't you just love those nice little jobs?
So I was busy up until Friday and didn't want to miss out on some easy bucks so agreed to come out this afternoon. Before setting off I checked if I had any 3/4-22m couplings and I had 1 so merrily skipped off to toolstation and got another one. (pretty much out of all 22mm stuff so planned a trip to the local indy merchants on Monday for a restock)
Gets there, cuts a floorboard out where I think the leak is and boom, got it on the first board I lifted! Today is a good day!
It's definately a corroded pinhole so water off, drain down and cut a foot or so out of the pipe, took a bit of persuading to get the water out of the pipe enough to solder. Cleaned up my old 3/4-22mm, fluxed up popped it on my shiny length of 22mm and wouldn't you know, the old pipe is also 22mm so it won't go on.
Here commenceth the days 2nd trip to toolstation, as I had no 22mm couplers.
Only bought the 2 I needed cos I get a decent deal at the local merchants.
Returns triumphantly from my trip with the couplers and notice the pipe has pissed the towel through that I left under it, so there was still some water in that pipe, all good because it's not there now
Solders on my first coupling and I must say it was one of those joints you're proud of and secretly want to take a photo of, no snots, clean as a whistle.
Starts soldering the second coupling and it's not getting hot enough for the solder to run, my torch has been a bit iffy lately so turned it up a bit and soldiered on, a good minute into this joint and the solder runs in but then it's just blobbing. Well a bad looking joint is often fine and there's only one way to find out if it's worked, stop tap open, back upstairs and it's pissing out.
Back down, stoptap off and then I'm wishing I'd got more than just 2 couplers.
Here commenceth the days 3rd trip to bleeding Toolstation.
I go with solder ring this time for a belt and braces job!
Gets back, cuts more pipe out only this time I go mental with the blue roll. I make many a blue snake and let them drink all the water up for at least 2 feet along the pipe, once my snakes were coming back dry I confidently start to solder up again, first one wasn't as good as last time, it was still a pretty damn good joint but I didn't feel the urge to take a photo of it.
2nd joint won't get hot again! I didn't even bother turning the water back on I just got my slice out and cut out again. I have some speedfit in one of my toolboxes, pretty sure there's a couple of 22mm couplers, gets out and expectantly opens up the box and hey presto! Only one of the fuckers!!!
Here commenceth the days 4th trip to bastard arseholing Toolstation.
Come back with the couplers, popped them on and sees that there's no way the floor boards are going back down without squishing the twats. Hammer and chisel out, battered my hand with the hammer doing the first notch, at this point I'm losing the will to breathe.
Anyway, 20 minutes later, the water's back on, the floorboards are back down and I'm driving home. I've been out a total of 5 hours by this time.
Don't you just love those nice little jobs?
