# Brass water lines



## jk1169 (Jun 29, 2009)

We are doing work in a 100yr old house that had a fire in the basement. And alot of the water lines are brass. I know if the room where the fire was all the piping needs to be changed out. But, is it necessary to change out all of it? Does brass break down like galvanized? 
Yeah, I know its great scape, but I dont like putting people thru the ringer.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

jk1169 said:


> We are doing work in a 100yr old house that had a fire in the basement. And alot of the water lines are brass. I know if the room where the fire was all the piping needs to be changed out. But, is it necessary to change out all of it? Does brass break down like galvanized?
> Yeah, I know its great scape, but I dont like putting people thru the ringer.


Doing a job proper is not putting anyone through a ringer. Also if it is due to fire damage their insurance will cover the costs.


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Do-It-Right

Replace ALL of it


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## jk1169 (Jun 29, 2009)

*thanks...*

I know to "do it right". I guess the question is, is there any problem with 100yr brass pipe not effected by the fire?


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

In my experience brass is the longest lasting water piping. I regularly see it 100+ years old still working fine. I rarely see it leaking. 

I would leave it unless their insurance is going to pay for it, especially if you need to open walls or ceilings to get it all out and/or re-pipe.

Also I don't see much galvinized piping, but from what I have seen it's crap compared to brass. We have good water and it still seems to start rusting from the inside out after about 30-40 years.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

jk1169 said:


> I know to "do it right". I guess the question is, is there any problem with 100yr brass pipe not effected by the fire?


No.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I agree. Sch. 40 red brass pipe seems to last forever. I've only done 1 leak on it and it was due to installation error. Even with said error, it lasted a century. I say that unless it's been damaged, leave it alone. It will prolly outlast what ever you would replace it with.



pauliplumber said:


> In my experience brass is the longest lasting water piping. I regularly see it 100+ years old still working fine. I rarely see it leaking.
> 
> I would leave it unless their insurance is going to pay for it, especially if you need to open walls or ceilings to get it all out and/or re-pipe.
> 
> Also I don't see much galvinized piping, but from what I have seen it's crap compared to brass. We have good water and it still seems to start rusting from the inside out after about 30-40 years.


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## jk1169 (Jun 29, 2009)

*Thanks*

Thanks...Thats the info I was looking for.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

I would like to see some pics...


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Airgap said:


> I would like to see some pics...


Me too. I haven't run into brass water piping, I am sure it is a thing of beauty.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

slickrick said:


> Me too. I haven't run into brass water piping, I am sure it is a thing of beauty.


Me either, 6" nipple is about the longest brass pipe I've seen...


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

I'd probably kill the entire family if I installed brass water lines here in California. You do know that it's unsafe, right? :laughing: 








Paul


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

They used 3/8" in exterior walls here in this cold climate area, sometimes as long as 5' long.

Seen some runs as long as 10', no reason other than they was using up pipe. 

All brass up until this flexible water line **** came into the equation...was safeguarded as quality and no failures.

Kiss that goodbye, those days are over with.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

rocksteady said:


> I'd probably kill the entire family if I installed brass water lines here in California. You do know that it's unsafe, right? :laughing:


It only causes cancer west of Nevada. :laughing:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

pauliplumber said:


> In my experience brass is the longest lasting water piping. I regularly see it 100+ years old still working fine. I rarely see it leaking.
> 
> I would leave it unless their insurance is going to pay for it, especially if you need to open walls or ceilings to get it all out and/or re-pipe.
> 
> Also I don't see much galvinized piping, but from what I have seen it's crap compared to brass. We have good water and it still seems to start rusting from the inside out after about 30-40 years.


The condition of brass pipe around here is a coin toss...

One home on the block will have brass pipes in great condition where you could unscrew and joint and put it back together again...

Another will have every joint so badly corroded that you'll be lucky to get out of the house without doing a whole hose repipe.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

plbgbiz said:


> It only causes cancer west of Nevada. :laughing:


I hear it's pretty bad in Vermont too.  Must be something in the water. 




Redwood said:


> One home on the block will have brass pies in great condition...


 
Mmmmmm... pie.:chef:







Paul


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Does it de-alloy and the threads just crumble?



Redwood said:


> The condition of brass pipe around here is a coin toss...
> 
> One home on the block will have brass pies in great condition where you could unscrew and joint and put it back together again...
> 
> Another will have every joint so badly corroded that you'll be lucky to get out of the house without doing a whole hose repipe.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Protech said:


> Does it de-alloy and the threads just crumble?


PT,

We had a project where the 1" brass pipes feeding the upstairs from the basement needed replaced. They were fill of mineral build up like we have all seen in galv pipe. Also, corrosion had started to eat through the walls of the pipe.

House was built in 1914.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

We actually replaced one piece in the basement. I forget now where we got the pipe. Threading it is a bit different. No oil.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Only once or twice I have run into brass pipe. It was 1/2" under a house's crawl space. House was like 1920's. As I'm cleaning pipe with sand cloth to cut it, I notice it's a yellowish color, not copper. I am thinking my eyes are deceiving me until I get it really clean, then I can see it was brass. It was in great shape by the way, I was repairing a leak at a joint made w/ lead solder. 

Ever notice by the way, those old 80 yr. old brass fittings had holes drilled in the sides? What's that for? To see when joint was full? Maybe some old timers can enlighten me.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Ever notice by the way, those old 80 yr. old brass fittings had holes drilled in the sides? What's that for? To see when joint was full? Maybe some old timers can enlighten me.


 
I'm almost certain Bill Parr had mentioned that a while back. Even if he didn't, I'm thinking he's one of the "old timers" that might know.







Paul


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Was the internal buildup white powdery stuff?

If so, that would be dezincafication.



plbgbiz said:


> PT,
> 
> We had a project where the 1" brass pipes feeding the upstairs from the basement needed replaced. They were fill of mineral build up like we have all seen in galv pipe. Also, corrosion had started to eat through the walls of the pipe.
> 
> House was built in 1914.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

We are talking about sch. 40 threaded brass here (I think). I've never seen CTS brass pipe. I've seen sand cast or forged CTS brass fittings that would be soldered onto copper pipe though.



Tommy plumber said:


> Only once or twice I have run into brass pipe. It was 1/2" under a house's crawl space. House was like 1920's. As I'm cleaning pipe with sand cloth to cut it, I notice it's a yellowish color, not copper. I am thinking my eyes are deceiving me until I get it really clean, then I can see it was brass. It was in great shape by the way, I was repairing a leak at a joint made w/ lead solder.
> 
> Ever notice by the way, those old 80 yr. old brass fittings had holes drilled in the sides? What's that for? To see when joint was full? Maybe some old timers can enlighten me.


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

I don't know for sure but I think the hole is to feed the solder into the joint.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Somewhere I have pictures of the risers in the Carbide and Carbon building in Chicago from when we renovated it into the the Hard Rock Hotel, it has four inch brass risers with 1 and ¾ inch brass branches. We reused all the risers and tied back into the branches when we could, since the pipe was in the same condition it was in in the early 1900s when it was installed.

I'll try and find the pics.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Piperat said:


> I don't know for sure but I think the hole is to feed the solder into the joint.


You got it. They didn't know about the capillary action caused by heating the joints lets the solder suck in between the pipe and fitting. They thought you had to feed it thru that little hole.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

I was told something completely different on that hole:


The hole, when the solder flowed out of it would be the proof that capillary action had been fulfilled.

Adding the solder to the hole wouldn't follow customary practice of moving the solder around the outer edge for full coverage.


Give us the final answer Jeff!


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> I was told something completely different on that hole:
> 
> 
> The hole, when the solder flowed out of it would be the proof that capillary action had been fulfilled.
> ...


That's what the rep from the CDA, Copper Development Agency, told me. I actually had some of those fittings, I traded them to the rep for some trinkets.


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