# 90 year old threaded brass pipe leak



## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I just did this slab leak repair on a house built in 1921. The house has never had a leak inside before. It has had several leaks on the galvanized lines in the yard but never inside. The actual house piping is done in sch. 40 threaded yellow brass pipe and fittings (I did find some nipples that were galvo however). The brass pipe finally leaked under the slab and I had to go thru a stem wall to get to it. The leak was on the threaded part right where it threaded into a tee. It was a 1" brass cold line. I ended up making the repair in 1" cpvc for cost reasons. I cut the line on the right side and threaded it. No dressers.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

more pics


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

mo pics


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Also, the stem wall was 2, 8" blocks thick. A total of 16". Lots of fun :no:


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

uh oh. Built in 1921. Could have lead in the paint. tisk tisk tisk.


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## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

what's the blue thread sealer? 
I always use tape and rector seal, never any problems just wondering about the blue stuff


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## 3/4 MIP (Dec 1, 2009)

Nice looking, professional job. Looked like a tough place to work in.

3/4


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

leak lock



plumbpro said:


> what's the blue thread sealer?
> I always use tape and rector seal, never any problems just wondering about the blue stuff


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## fhrace (Sep 7, 2009)

i like the way you used the drop eared 90


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## ranman (Jan 24, 2010)

fine job! tight spot


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## Palama (Apr 8, 2010)

I've only seen sch. 40 threaded brass under slab on one other job in the last 32 years, and that was for a radiant floor heating system, in a home from the same era. Nice work.


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## kentdmo (Dec 15, 2008)

the brass still looks in great shape. I ran into a house in Santa Barbara CA. the whole house was plumbed in brass was built in the 20's


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

kentdmo said:


> the brass still looks in great shape. I ran into a house in Santa Barbara CA. the whole house was plumbed in brass was built in the 20's


*Protech good job, but ... the other line shown. Is that another bad line or a piece of what you changed? If it's another line did you change that out also ???*


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

That is the hot line. It was not replaced because of cost. The homeowner did not want to spend 1 cent that she didn't have to to stop the leak. In fact, after I turned that water on, the meter was still showing a leak of .08 gpm somewhere after I fixed the big leak (.5gpm). I asked her if she wanted that one located and fixed to. She said "No, I'm going to wait an see if it gets worse or not".  I couldn't talk her out of it either. Oh well, she was happy with my service and I left her a fridge magnet. I'll be back soon. 


The thing that blows me away is, this was a very nice house and it was obvious that they were very wealthy and yet she was being cheap to the extent of being foolish.



PLUMBER_BILL said:


> *Protech good job, but ... the other line shown. Is that another bad line or a piece of what you changed? If it's another line did you change that out also ???*


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Cant never could....way to stick with it and have the nuts to work on it Protech,nice work.


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