a Plumbing question

you run 3/4 to the first fixture then run 1/2 in. of the 3/4 mains first fixture would be the shower

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Danaus29

You might "rethink" this part of your posting:

"But still it can't come through any faster if the opening for the sink or tub is smaller."

Think garden-hose nozzle...........firehose, etc.


Bruce

So..like this...I would run 3/4 from water heater ( trunk line) to the shower in bathroom #1...then branch 1/2 from the 3/4 on the shower to the sink and toilet?.. then do I run 3/4 from there to bath #2 shower and so on?

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Christanie Farm...living life as it was intended

you dont have to do that you can run 1/2 in. to bath room 2

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Thank you all. for your help..it is much clearer now and i kind of have a plan but will finalize it tonight and then we will be working on it this weekend...sooo wish us luck...thanks again.

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Christanie Farm...living life as it was intended

Oh ok. Thank you, that helps alot.

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Christanie Farm...living life as it was intended

Also running some new supply lines from the pressure tank, so i thought i'd ask away!

Can i reuse copper piping or is it better to go new?

I'm going to have some nice long sections of 3/4 pipe and i would love to reuse it. House was built in the early 60's and but i'm guessing new pipe was put in when the pressure tank was replaced or maybe when the hot water heater was replaced (during the early 90's).

3/4 copper is currently $22 and i think 1/2 is $14 for 10ft. CPVC is like a couple bucks! I was tempted to use CPVC, easy to work with.

Do not use gate valves. The ones in my current setup don't even turn.

Don't forget Dielectric union when connecting copper to other type of metal.

I would not use copper for water lines. I have a friend who just happened to mention that he was sick and they discovered the cause was copper water lines. He didn't go into detail. Thought I'd throw it out here just to let you know there may be problems that we are only now becoming aware of with copper lines.

I would say it was old lines and they used lead solder. Lead was out lawed a long time ago like back in early 80's or something like that forget date. Before that most plumbers used what was called 50/50 solder. It was 50% lead and 50% tin. I am not real sure just how much damage it could cause as I used it every day for years and years. With me handling it like that every day maybe that is why the wife says I am not all there lol.

I would inspect it first to make sure it looks ok and all. Besides that nothing wrong with re using it for anything you want to. I have taken copper out of 100 year old homes and it looked as good as it was the day it was installed. Now if you have bad water that could be a different story. For example here in Florida any copper under ground and have holes eaten threw it in a number of years. Between the salt in the ground and what is called Electrolysis it can eat holes right threw copper.
But if it looks good use it as nothing at all wrong with that.

Did all the plumbing at "The Place" (our cabin ) in pex.

3/4 inlet size from the pump, installed by the plumber to the shut off valve for the house.
Hot water side-3/4 to the water heater (cold), 3/4 to shower w/ 1/2 taps off for the kitchen sink, , toilet, bathroom sink, washer/dryer service.

Cold water side-3/4 (hot) from water heater to shower w/ 1/2 taps off for kitchen sink bathroom sink, washer/dryer.

I used it as it "can take a hit", from freezing better than copper or cpvc, and is very easy to use.

Cost should not be a factor as you probably want to do it, get it done and not fool with it later.
Do it right the first time is the most cost effective.

OK.

Thanks.

Lead solder was outlawed? whatever in 1987... I'm thinking i might take out any solder pieces when i put everything together, just to be safe no lead. We Brita everything before using, but just to be safe.

While I really am a fan of copper I'm with agmantoo and would also check into using pex tubing. With the price of copper as it is it can't be cheap to use.

I replumbed my entire house with copper and used ¾ inch for trunk lines and ½ inch for branches to each fixture. The larger for each outdoor faucet.

The pex systems I'm familiar with normally has a manifold set up where the incoming water enters. Half of the manifold supplies hot water lines and the remaining half cold water lines.

A set of tubing is run to each fixture that requires hot and cold water, otherwise just the one tube such as for cold. Pretty simple to work with.

As to the manifold, etc. one can flush a toilet anywhere in the house and not take cold water away from someone showering in another part. A shower also won't starve another appliance or shower for hot. I really didn't believe how well the manifold and lines work until I experienced it for myself.

I think the warranty is only for 20 or 25 years, but I have seen a number of water systems of copper fail during that same period. Mostly because of our water makeup. There is a reason we are the salt capitol of the world. Thankfully however the water doesn't taste really salty.

I don't think I would remove what is there if it were mine, only complete the system with both ½ and ¾ copper.

Insulate. Also consider fail safe shut offs to the washing machine, dishwasher, etc. Also drain pans beneath appliances so that any water loss will go to a sump or other drain.

A little extra spent now will give much peace of mind at night and while away.

I used pex in replacing the plumbing in my old house-and I mean OLD house with no insulation/etc. The old copper had burst in several places due to freezing and age. Now I can leave the house without heat when I'm gone (I heat with wood) out of town, and even though it's frozen up when I get home again (because it's below freezing inside) after I fire up the stove and warm things up it always works fine. No leaks in 5 years! It swells up instead of bursting like copper when it freezes. As someone mentioned previously, PEX has changed it's fittings in the last few years-they are now much better than they used to be. One other advantage, besides being able to flex it or snake it through walls, is that because the fittings are held together with crimp rings, if the crimp was done right the fitting will still swivel on the pipe. This means that if you have to replace your water heater, or other fixtures, you don't have to cut the pipe and reconnect it. The threaded fitting will swivel in the pex tubing as you unscrew it, replace the WH, then retighten it. I have installed several PEX systems in houses that I've redone for other people. I would definitely recommend that you use 3/4 main trunk line, and go from that to 1/2 for each fitting lead. They make T's with 3/4, 3/4, 1/2 so it's easy to do. Around here if you purchase the pipe and fittings from a store, they'll loan you the crimper tool to do the job with for a few days or so(I bought one because I use it so much, but they're like $90). It goes very quickly, becuase you use a knife to cut it and just crimp it together. I have done whole houses in one day, so that the folks won't have to go without water overnight. I would also use cutoffs at every fixture (sinks and toilets are common, but tubs and showers and washers need them too). I've never seen the manifold mentioned before, but I'm assuming it's a pressure sensitive guard, similar to what is now required in all shower and tub faucets, to prevent water scalding. My two cents, use pex. CPVC is much more difficult to install (doesn't flex as much, cuts have to be clean, good glue joints, etc.), does not allow joints to swivel, so any adjustments later have to be cut apart/glue together. It also will burst if frozen (although supposedly it is not as likely to as copper).

I haven't read the other posts but here is my $0.02. I would definitely spend the additional money (should be less than $3-400) to run the 3/4", especially if you are a ways off the road. Even so, if you ARE a ways off the road, run a 1", 1 1/4", or 1 1/2" up to the house, the neck down to 3/4" at the entrance to the house. That will reduce the pressure loss by ALOT. The reason is that the 3/4" has less pressure drop than the 1/2". Since I read your other post about hot water heaters, you have quite a bit of equipment in your house needing water so pressure will be key. Using the 3/4" will be the difference in good pressured running water in the shower when someone else flushes the toilet or turns on the water outside.

While I'm on my soap box...if you plan on putting in a water softener, make sure you run the things that you don't need soft water for (toilets, hose bibs outside, and the like) on a different circuit than the soft water. Makes the resin beds you buy last a little longer and cheaper to operate.

I built my house 8 years ago, nail for nail, board by board, and learned from my father-in-law's mistakes. Feel free to PM me any time for my $0.02. I'm also kinda up on Louisiana codes. If I don't know, I have two builder friends that I could ask too.

Junkmanme, like I said, plumbing isn't my thing. I did ask dh though and he said 3/4" line and 1/2" trunks from it. But still, if your fixtures have a 1/2" id do you get any more water gpm by using 3/4" id feed? Would the psi be higher? Physics 101 stuff I'm sure but I didn't take physics.

Actually dh said he would run 1" id stainless, the plumbing would last longer than the house!!! And probably cost more too.

Thanks for all the help...one more question..when looking at the CPVC I notice that the 3/4" has a 1/2" ID...so my question is when you use 3/4 CPVC as your trunk line...do you continue with 3/4 for your branch lines to fixtures since it does have a 1/2 ID or do you reduce down to a 1/2 CPVC which then you would have a smaller ID than 1/2. Again, thanks for your help...I hope to start this this weekend... Been living without indoor plumbing for a year while under construction which hasn't been that big a deal, but now I am to the point where we can't go any further with drywall or anything until I finish the plumbing.

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Christanie Farm...living life as it was intended