# Pictures



## IrishPlumber (Jul 16, 2009)

I don't really take many pictures of works, here is a few I have found. 

First picture is a geothermal heat pump installation. Things to note would be, capillary solder fittings, trustworthy lever action valves and insulation fixed in place with cable tie. I have only recently started to use cable ties with insulation. I find over time sticky tape wares off, customers knock off the insulation by accident even found kids stripping it off to beat each other with the insulation lengths. I first used the cable tie idea to hold cut 45's in place during a show off installation and since then I have stuck with them. The picture is taking before completion. 

Second picture is a typical light industrial heating installation. This project had already started before I arrived. The problem was the original fitter started the 4" headers first and then hung the boilers later. The boilers couldn't be raised high enough so a lot of changes had to be made. In the picture I started some of the changes. All of the branches were facing up but the boilers were too low to feed the up facing branches. I wanted to pull the whole header down and start again but my boss wasn't too keen on the idea. I had to cut the 4" header in position and flip so the boilers could feed into the header from underneath. Welded 4" back together in position. Also you will see I had to prop up the cantilever brackets with uni strut. As I started to work on distribution pipes etc and fitted the large circulation pump you see in the distance, all the works were far too heavy for the supports. Later I made up some unistrut frame to support the cantilevers. The circulation pumps from the boiler had there heads flipped later. If they were left like you see in the picture, water would spill into the motor while you bleed the pump. Too many more changes to list. 

Third picture is a result of a track driver tracking back and not looking. The same driver bust an underground high pressure gas main on the same site as this accident. I had never seen gas coming out of a high pressure main before, it was like water gushing up from the earth, like a mirage from heat you see in the desert. The whole site and buildings had to be evacuated. After busting the main and later toppling the track I'd say the license was removed from the driver.


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

If he was a good operater he would be able to get that thing back on it's feet.


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## IrishPlumber (Jul 16, 2009)

house plumber said:


> If he was a good operater he would be able to get that thing back on it's feet.


Safety is very strict here on big sites. You can see the safety rep in the high viability vest. If an accident occurs everything must stop withing the area of the accident. The rep will then make an account of what happen etc and a report is sent to whats like a health and safety board. After the investigation a crane was used to lift it back up.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

Those look like pro press fittings, but they look brazed.


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## Bayside500 (May 16, 2009)

house plumber said:


> If he was a good operater he would be able to get that thing back on it's feet.


unless that engine has a dry sump oiling system, it would lock up when running, no oil could be pumped in a wet sump system.

but seriously, i know you re kidding right ?


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## user823 (Feb 3, 2009)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> Those look like pro press fittings, but they look brazed.


I saw that too, I think they are just copper couplings. I did notice the compression valves though.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

i fell in my own ditch once on a small track hoe. Buried half way on its side. The HO came out, and asked if i knew what i was doing. I got it out with some stellar movements with the joysitcks. Fun times. Got one stuck in a creek once too. That one had to be pulled out. Every tree that i hooked with the bucket, came out of the ground.


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## IrishPlumber (Jul 16, 2009)

ironranger said:


> I saw that too, I think they are just copper couplings. I did notice the compression valves though.


The solder fittings are "capillary". A capillary solder fitting has a ring of solder already in the fitting, you'll see the raised area where the solder is located. 

All you do is clean up the pipe face also inside the fitting, add some flux to the pipe face, insert the pipe into the fitting and heat up until the solder becomes hot enough to melt. Capillary action will draw the solder out of the fitting. You don't have to add any additional solder. If your not confident and it looks like the solders not come out enough you can add a slight amount of solder. 

On copper and plastics here up to 1" we mostly use compression and solder fittings. O ring push fit are available but I don't enjoy using them, pipe is not secure and I imagine the rubber O ring will become brittle over time. I hope the become brittle soon as I can get back into work fixing hundreds of thousands of leaks.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

I have some 3/4 adapters like that for some apollo universal ball valves that i have. Havent tried one yet, but the it would be what you call a "capillary" fitting.


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## IrishPlumber (Jul 16, 2009)

ironranger said:


> I saw that too, I think they are just copper couplings. I did notice the compression valves though.


I am getting confused, over here we solder with solder and braze with like a brass filler. Brazing is tough to do. 

Do you call soldering brazing in the USA?


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

IrishPlumber said:


> I am getting confused, over here we solder with solder and braze with like a brass filler. Brazing is tough to do.
> 
> Do you call soldering brazing in the USA?



Some do , some dont. Potato, french fry. same thing.:laughing:


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## IrishPlumber (Jul 16, 2009)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> I have some 3/4 adapters like that for some apollo universal ball valves that i have. Havent tried one yet, but the it would be what you call a "capillary" fitting.


Capillary fittings are not readily available where you are? I soldered fittings similar to those is see in your pictures of solder fittings. We call them Solder end feed. These Capillary's have the exact same seal as yours only they can be soldered up quicker. 

The only time we use end feed fittings is during soldering with a hard solder. I cant spell the word, it sounds like cuprotectic. This type is soldered at much higher temperature and it leaves the pipe highly oxidized. Its the strongest of all solder sealing and more associated with industrial copper pipework. 

My favorite of installations was in a newly build INTEL Chip Fab here in Ireland. I was running 4" copper mains which branch down and feed emergency showers. I used this cuprotectic method to solder on 4" flanges to connect up 4" valves, fittings, bends etc. People used to fight over the copper off cuts, at 4" they were worth a lot money at the scrap merchants. Some formen wouldnt allow it and all the scrap from the whole site would be collected and be brought to a merchant during the christmass holidays. The money from the scrap copper would then be divided equal by pints of Guinness purchased from the money got from the merchant.


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Bayside500 said:


> unless that engine has a dry sump oiling system, it would lock up when running, no oil could be pumped in a wet sump system.
> 
> but seriously, i know you re kidding right ?


Of course I was kidding.


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## IrishPlumber (Jul 16, 2009)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> Some do , some dont. Potato, french fry. same thing.:laughing:


I was getting worried, I thought all you folks did was braze your copper. I am glad to hear brazing is soldering. Have you ever tried brazing? Its easy to do on metal but on copper its extremely hard to control as the braze follows the heat. The stuff runs all over the place on flat copper. Most will bell it out to provide a lip for the braze to rest.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

"hard soldering" is the same as brazing here. Soft soldering is with low melting point alloys here.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

WE have those capillary fittings here to, no seems to use them though.


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## Bayside500 (May 16, 2009)

house plumber said:


> Of course I was kidding.


unless that guy was a natural, <inside joke>

LOL


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Bayside500 said:


> unless that guy was a natural, <inside joke>
> 
> LOL


 
Like up this ramp.


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## IrishPlumber (Jul 16, 2009)

Protech said:


> WE have those capillary fittings here to, no seems to use them though.


Why is this the case? I feel the advantages of a capillary far exceed those of end feed type. I have worked with both even at low melting point. Is it like an old school experienced thing? 

I am old school towards the use of push fit O rings, I feel the O rings take away the experience you have gained so I don't like to use them, also along with the disadvantages associated.

Would this be they reason why capillary isnt popular there?


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## Bayside500 (May 16, 2009)

house plumber said:


> Like up this ramp.


:thumbup:


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Those capillary fittings are only seen at the big box stores in my area, plumbing supply houses don't stock them. I could have used some in 1-1/4" today. I actually had to break some cinder blocks out of a steam tunnel to get and cut out a leaking galv. nipple and replace it with copper. I was leaning in and twisting and reaching in and my back is killing me.


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## TotalPlumber (Sep 30, 2008)

jjbex, I agree.
HD sold the "capillary" fittings for a while. most plumbing pros that I know of kinda looked down their nose at them. Definitely not available in the supply houses.
Never tried them, maybe someday.
Total


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