Plumbers need your help

mathew stouffer · 07-30-2009, 06:42 PM

Ok this guy removed a pump for a well system. Here is what is left. Are these unions acceptable. I laugh when I say a funnel duct taped to this to catch water from the leaky union.

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**Scott Patterson** · 07-30-2009, 07:31 PM

That looks like part of a rear end to a 69 VW Micro Bus!

mathew stouffer · 07-30-2009, 07:40 PM

LOL. I wish i had a picture of the funnel the guy set up to catch water leaking from the line. It was then directed to the flowers. LOl

**Raymond Wand** · 07-30-2009, 07:45 PM

Looks like a dogs breakfast!

mathew stouffer · 07-30-2009, 08:00 PM

Ok, but what about all the crazy connections. Galv to copper, Galv to PVC and whatever the hell else is there.

**Ron Hasil** · 07-30-2009, 10:06 PM

Unions look fine, but the one nipple from the brass check valve to the union needs to be replaced. Personaly i would tear it all out and get rid of the dead end tees. and pipe it all in copper to the plastic. They make real nice sweat by sweat unions.

**brian schmitt** · 07-31-2009, 08:40 AM

dead ends etc were probably used to accomodate the pressure guage and switch, softener tanks etc. may want them there for future use?

**Ron Hasil** · 07-31-2009, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by brian schmitt

dead ends etc were probably used to accomodate the pressure guage and switch, softener tanks etc. may want them there for future use?

Future leaks maybe. If there is no legit use for them get rid of them. They are a breading ground for for bad things. Many times I took a plug out of a tee and seen a slime that was growing in the unused branch. Like I said Repipe it all with copper to the plastic. Right at the plastic I put a threaded valve, like they got now, a brass nipple then the threaded check valve then another brass nipple, with an IPS X sweat union preferably brass by copper, no need for a dielectric since we are dealing with all brass fittings and copper pipe. The finish off with the copper hookup.

If the well pump is gone and he is on city water you can get rid of the check valve. But since there is a check valve, is there an expansion tank on the water heater?

**Jerry Peck** · 07-31-2009, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by mathew stouffer

Ok, but what about all the crazy connections. Galv to copper, Galv to PVC and whatever the hell else is there.

Starting at the PVC:
- looks like an PVC adapter and not a PVC-Brass transition was used to the brass water shut off valve
- brass valve to galvanized tee is okay
- there should not be any dead ends
- galvanized tee to brass check valve is okay
- brass check valve to galvanized union is okay (well, except for the leaking stuff)
- galvanized to copper looks to be through a dielectric fitting, cannot tell for sure from the angle of the photo

**Bob Harper** · 07-31-2009, 11:04 AM

There appears to be pipe dope on the face of that ground union. How is all this supported?

Looks the same way houses are built--modified over time by various and dubious means.

**Randy Aldering** · 07-31-2009, 02:05 PM

How about a hand-operated shut off? Unless there is a Crescent wrench stored nearby, of course.

mathew stouffer · 07-31-2009, 02:20 PM

I found ou the guy buying the place is a plumber of 20 years. We had a good laugh.

Randy Cooper · 07-31-2009, 03:06 PM

They allow PVC in Utah? Not in California. A dielectric union is required between dissimilar metals here; between the copper and galvanized piping.

Joshua Hardesty · 08-01-2009, 07:37 PM

If you look closely enough at the Copper -> Galv. connection, it looks like it's sweated into a brass piece. I'd take a closer look at that fitting, though. I've seen a lot of unions that look like that, but never one that just screws onto a nipple like that. Like it's missing half of the union. (But just because I've never seen it...)

Also if that pump plans on staying out for a long time, I'd yank out anything unnecessary. Galvanized never looks pretty after a few years.