# &*#&euro;ing electricians



## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

3" water main at a car wash we are doing. Apparently they didn't stop when they felt something ...


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

All better


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

So you're saying you really appreciate his efforts and bought him lunch? :whistling2:


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

Looks like good money to me. 

On the bright side your water line was well grounded.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

HSI said:


> Looks like good money to me.
> 
> On the bright side your water line was well grounded.


*That was my thought ! :thumbup:

When in L. A. I used to get a a lot of those kind of calls from cable TV installers always good money :thumbsup: 
*


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## gardon (Apr 24, 2013)

That looks like a brazed joint, is it?


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

The one he cut out was.....


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

ILPlumber said:


> The one he cut out was.....


Ding!

Couldn't get the coupling against the building to heat up enough for the solder to suck in.


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## BigDave (Mar 24, 2012)

Don't they make sharkbites that big? :laughing:


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

If your code says that you can soft solder underground, I wouldn't.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

LEAD INGOT said:


> If your code says that you can soft solder underground, I wouldn't.


Minerals in the ground will deteriorate the solder joint it will fail In about five to ten years.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

wyrickmech said:


> Minerals in the ground will deteriorate the solder joint it will fail In about five to ten years.


Yeap..same here.. which is why we blacktaped our joints .. just like blacktaped the well pump wires.


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

Ground here is fine here, it is under a sidewalk and not under the building. If I knew there was an issue with soil down here I would have figured out a way to braze it again.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Attached Thumbnails




*I *use a squirt bottle right after soldering to squirt water on the copper; that'll clean the flux off and give it a nice shiny appearance.

That's a nice little repair.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Tommy plumber said:


> Attached Thumbnailshttp://www.plumbingzone.com/attachm...46-euro-ing-electricians-image-2923562548.jpg
> 
> I use a squirt bottle right after soldering to squirt water on the copper; that'll clean the flux off and give it a nice shiny appearance.
> 
> That's a nice little repair.


I do the same but I put a little dawn dish soap in it to.


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## bct p&h (Jan 19, 2013)

504Plumber said:


> Ground here is fine here, it is under a sidewalk and not under the building. If I knew there was an issue with soil down here I would have figured out a way to braze it again.


If you were having trouble getting to the buried side of that coupling to braze it you could have put just the coupling on without the short pipe on it and heated it from the inside. 
Not to sound like a dick but from that picture you could have done it correctly. I know there are times where you can cheat and get away with it but on a pipe that will be under concrete and under street pressure cheating isn't a great idea.


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

bct p&h said:


> If you were having trouble getting to the buried side of that coupling to braze it you could have put just the coupling on without the short pipe on it and heated it from the inside.
> Not to sound like a dick but from that picture you could have done it correctly. I know there are times where you can cheat and get away with it but on a pipe that will be under concrete and under street pressure cheating isn't a great idea.


Problem is, I didn't cheat. We aren't required to braze unless it is under the slab of a building. I had already tried brazing it before but the coupling didn't take at all against the building, rather than risking another 100+ in material I decided to get it done.

Pics were just after I finished soldering, I don't spray until copper has cooled down enough. Ditto on the soap, I use the same squirt bottle we use to spray gas lines.


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## bct p&h (Jan 19, 2013)

504Plumber said:


> Problem is, I didn't cheat. We aren't required to braze unless it is under the slab of a building. I had already tried brazing it before but the coupling didn't take at all against the building, rather than risking another 100+ in material I decided to get it done.
> 
> Pics were just after I finished soldering, I don't spray until copper has cooled down enough. Ditto on the soap, I use the same squirt bottle we use to spray gas lines.


My mistake, around here anything after the meter underground must be brazed or flared.
Personally, I wouldn't solder an underground water pipe but that's just me.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

bct p&h said:


> My mistake, around here anything after the meter underground must be brazed or flared.
> Personally, I wouldn't solder an underground water pipe but that's just me.


I have dug up waterlines that were soft soldered ,around here it deteriorates the joint and when you least expect it pow water everywhere. That isn't the most wonderful feeling in January when the temp is 20 or so.


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

wyrickmech said:


> I have dug up waterlines that were soft soldered ,around here it deteriorates the joint and when you least expect it pow water everywhere. That isn't the most wonderful feeling in January when the temp is 20 or so.


I would think if it ate at the joints it would eat the pipe too..

Think it has a little more to do with the flux/amount used? I can only think of 2 houses where the copper had a rough time in the ground. One of them was next to a garage the man fixes cars out of, I think he was dumping oil out the side door.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

504Plumber said:


> I would think if it ate at the joints it would eat the pipe too..
> 
> Think it has a little more to do with the flux/amount used? I can only think of 2 houses where the copper had a rough time in the ground. One of them was next to a garage the man fixes cars out of, I think he was dumping oil out the side door.


Nope has nothing to do with flux it is the ground. Low zinc is what I have been told there is areas here where brass fittings will break like glass after a year or two. Copper is a natural element with no other additives that is why it is not effected. The solder has zinc in it when it is in contact with low zinc ground it will try to balance itself.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Do you not insulate the copper when buried ?? Code here is braze under the buildings too. But under a side walk I'd still braze it if at all possible 

Sometimes you do what you have to do tho!!!


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

There's plumbers in my area that will take the leftover sections of copper pipe of 60' rolls, put them all together with couplings, solder, not brazed. 

Swear I wish cell phones had cameras on them back in the late 80's.

Back then you took pics, had to pay walgreens to develop them, unless you bought a polaroid camera....


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> Do you not insulate the copper when buried ?? Code here is braze under the buildings too. But under a side walk I'd still braze it if at all possible
> 
> Sometimes you do what you have to do tho!!!


No, tex metal.. insulsation is for cold weather..


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

We insulate copper that's buried to protect it


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## gardon (Apr 24, 2013)

LEAD INGOT said:


> If your code says that you can soft solder underground, I wouldn't.


Its been at least 20 years since i have ran copper under ground for a service


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