Maybe you can use this? - Plumbing Zone

PLUMBER_BILL · 08-11-2010, 09:55 AM

Yesterday I had a job whereas the C.P. Nipple [closet supply to wall] 2nd floor had a leak. I thought it was where the valve was screwed on. I held back on the nipple and turned off the valve. Leak was on the nipple, cracked thread. I put a 8" pipe wrench on the nipple and as I started to turn it felt like I was twisting copper tube. I stopped! Marked the outer edge of the escheution, drilled a few 1/4" holes in the wet-base tile, vintage 1960 era and made a little hole. Confirmed that some dead man before me pulled a fast one [no lug ell], just a 3/8" copper x 3/8 female 90. Back about 1-1/2 inches from the face of the tile. Now lucky me there was a hex on the casting. I took a tub faucet socket, found one that fit the hex, cut it off with a hack saw, slipped it over the hex, held back with a cresant wrench and screwed out the nipple. New nipple tightened in same way, new escheution, valve and riser -- job complete. No tile damaged, customer very -- VERY happy! This is one of those that could have been a nightmare of a repair job ... Just passen on the idea in case it ever comes up.

TheMaster · 08-11-2010, 10:40 AM

I've had some of those nipples break at the threads back up in the wall at the 1/2"x3/8" fip ell. I've used an easyout and a socket extension to remove the remaining threads then screw in a new nipple or solder a 1/2"swt x 3/8" male on a piece of pipe and extend out of the wall with that and use a swt on stop valve.

OldSchool · 08-11-2010, 03:57 PM

Use can always use an inside wrench ... but in Bills case the pipe was not secure

Tommy plumber · 08-11-2010, 08:49 PM

I have a set of internal nipple extractors for those. Saves from having to open the wall and get a basin wrench on brass nipple.

Tommy plumber · 08-11-2010, 08:59 PM

How do you guys remove remaining threads from wing-ell inside wall when the shower arm breaks? I have found that a scratch-awl will work perfect. You insert point of awl between threads of wing-ell and threads of what's left of shw. arm and pry it out.

Hero Plumber · 09-11-2010, 10:14 PM

little hack saw blade, cut till you get through the nipple thread(not the Eared Ell) pry with little screw driver.

smellslike$tome · 09-12-2010, 01:17 AM

Although I'm glad it worked out for you, I'm not about to start cutting up my tools "to make it work". I'm all for ingenuity and thinking outside the box but there is a line not to be crossed. In this case, I would have had to inform the ho that we would have to go inside the wall because whoever originally installed the piping didn't do it properly and why it was not proper. Then I would open the wall, install the blocking, cut the offending fitting out and repipe using a drop eared ell, new nipple and new stop. I would then have handed her a card for either a drywall man or a tile man whichever was necessary. By doing it this way, in 20 years when she or the next ho has to replace the stop again, the handyman, neighbor, brother in law, or inexperienced plumber for that matter, won't twist the thing off inside the wall out of ignorance and flood every floor below.

Btw, great catch with respect to realizing something was not right and investigating rather than just charging ahead

.

pauliplumber · 09-12-2010, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smellslike$tome

Although I'm glad it worked out for you, I'm not about to start cutting up my tools "to make it work". I'm all for ingenuity and thinking outside the box but there is a line not to be crossed. In this case, I would have had to inform the ho that we would have to go inside the wall because whoever originally installed the piping didn't do it properly and why it was not proper. Then I would open the wall, install the blocking, cut the offending fitting out and repipe using a drop eared ell, new nipple and new stop. I would then have handed her a card for either a drywall man or a tile man whichever was necessary. By doing it this way, in 20 years when she or the next ho has to replace the stop again, the handyman, neighbor, brother in law, or inexperienced plumber for that matter, won't twist the thing off inside the wall out of ignorance and flood every floor below.

Btw, great catch with respect to realizing something was not right and investigating rather than just charging ahead

.

I would have found a way to make it work as Bill did. Some of my customers won't even be around in 20 years, besides a solid brass nipple might last triple that or more.

IMO you would be making a project out of something that doesn't have to be.

plbgbiz · 09-12-2010, 09:51 AM

Quick thinking Bill.

Tub socket is a cheap sacrifice for a solid repair.

RealLivePlumber · 09-12-2010, 10:32 AM

If I have to custom modify a tool for a specific job, the customer pays for it, at list, and I replace it on the truck. I then have the new tool , as well as the custom tool.

Open up the wall?

08-11-2010, 09:55 AM	#1
PLUMBER_BILL The Old (antique) Master Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: ALLENTOWN, PA Posts: 930 My Photos	Maybe you can use this? Yesterday I had a job whereas the C.P. Nipple [closet supply to wall] 2nd floor had a leak. I thought it was where the valve was screwed on. I held back on the nipple and turned off the valve. Leak was on the nipple, cracked thread. I put a 8" pipe wrench on the nipple and as I started to turn it felt like I was twisting copper tube. I stopped! Marked the outer edge of the escheution, drilled a few 1/4" holes in the wet-base tile, vintage 1960 era and made a little hole. Confirmed that some dead man before me pulled a fast one [no lug ell], just a 3/8" copper x 3/8 female 90. Back about 1-1/2 inches from the face of the tile. Now lucky me there was a hex on the casting. I took a tub faucet socket, found one that fit the hex, cut it off with a hack saw, slipped it over the hex, held back with a cresant wrench and screwed out the nipple. New nipple tightened in same way, new escheution, valve and riser -- job complete. No tile damaged, customer very -- VERY happy! This is one of those that could have been a nightmare of a repair job ... Just passen on the idea in case it ever comes up. __________________ Bill Parr LMP www.parrsplumbing.com click on ... A little of this and a little of that Last edited by PLUMBER_BILL; 08-11-2010 at 10:01 AM.. Reason: added "2nd floor"

08-11-2010, 08:49 PM	#4
Tommy plumber Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 4,145 My Photos	I have a set of internal nipple extractors for those. Saves from having to open the wall and get a basin wrench on brass nipple. __________________ Hire a licensed master plumber.

08-11-2010, 08:59 PM	#5
Tommy plumber Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: South Florida Posts: 4,145 My Photos	What About Shower Arm? How do you guys remove remaining threads from wing-ell inside wall when the shower arm breaks? I have found that a scratch-awl will work perfect. You insert point of awl between threads of wing-ell and threads of what's left of shw. arm and pry it out. __________________ Hire a licensed master plumber.

09-11-2010, 10:14 PM	#6
Hero Plumber Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 24 My Photos	little hack saw blade, cut till you get through the nipple thread(not the Eared Ell) pry with little screw driver. __________________ -Joel ======================================== Joel Brown Guardian Plumbing LLC

09-12-2010, 09:51 AM	#9
plbgbiz Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Oklahoma City Posts: 3,626 My Photos	Quick thinking Bill. Tub socket is a cheap sacrifice for a solid repair. __________________ John Johnson Water Works Plumbing, Inc. - Oklahoma City, OK Water Works on the Web Water Works on Facebook

08-11-2010, 10:40 AM	#2
TheMaster Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 6,437 My Photos	I've had some of those nipples break at the threads back up in the wall at the 1/2"x3/8" fip ell. I've used an easyout and a socket extension to remove the remaining threads then screw in a new nipple or solder a 1/2"swt x 3/8" male on a piece of pipe and extend out of the wall with that and use a swt on stop valve.

09-12-2010, 01:17 AM	#7
smellslike$tome residential service Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 1,811 My Photos	Although I'm glad it worked out for you, I'm not about to start cutting up my tools "to make it work". I'm all for ingenuity and thinking outside the box but there is a line not to be crossed. In this case, I would have had to inform the ho that we would have to go inside the wall because whoever originally installed the piping didn't do it properly and why it was not proper. Then I would open the wall, install the blocking, cut the offending fitting out and repipe using a drop eared ell, new nipple and new stop. I would then have handed her a card for either a drywall man or a tile man whichever was necessary. By doing it this way, in 20 years when she or the next ho has to replace the stop again, the handyman, neighbor, brother in law, or inexperienced plumber for that matter, won't twist the thing off inside the wall out of ignorance and flood every floor below. Btw, great catch with respect to realizing something was not right and investigating rather than just charging ahead .

09-12-2010, 10:32 AM	#10
RealLivePlumber Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 2,429 My Photos	If I have to custom modify a tool for a specific job, the customer pays for it, at list, and I replace it on the truck. I then have the new tool , as well as the custom tool. Open up the wall? __________________ RealLivePlumber You can make it happen, you can watch it happen, or you can wonder wtf happened. Phil Harris 2009

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