My first try with copper pipe

[rjprice]

Appreciate any feedback on my first copper pipe job.

I am putting a hose reel on my lean-to. Connecting the reel to the pipe with 3/8 barbed fittings. I wanted to but a shut off on the reel because its a leaker. 3/8 hose with 3/8 ends and 3/8 I/M fittings. Last pic is the drain.

 

[The Cobbler]

it looks like you did a great job.looks like you used proper heat and have nice flow to the solder . remember to wipe off the joints to get rid of flux

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Looks good for a first try, for that matter it looks like you are an old hand at it.

 

[The Cobbler]

Just an FYI, you can buy "street or fitting" elbows. one end slips into a fitting. saves cutting a short pc of pipe

 

[matt_i]

You will know very fast about your quality of solder joint when you turn on the water

Getting it all drained dry again when you have a pinhole is the incentive to perfect your technique so you don't have to go back. Especially when working in dark basements with buckets lol.

Good job not roasting the paint off the steel column

 

[rjprice]

Just an FYI, you can buy "street or fitting" elbows. one end slips into a fitting. saves cutting a short pc of pipe

Had to google but now I get it. Great idea!

 

[johninct]

Good Job!!! You did it correct with the top of the pipe too (Up then down).

 

[ford33]

That's a great job for a first try or 100th try.

 

[CJ7VFR]

You will know very fast about your quality of solder joint when you turn on the water...

He set this up for his air hose, not a water hose. But once he pressurizes the system he will know if there is an air leak.

Jim

 

[MattT]

Just an FYI, you can buy "street or fitting" elbows. one end slips into a fitting. saves cutting a short pc of pipe

Street 45*s would've worked well for those ball valve offsets. Better flow & probably look a little better too. Not that there's anything wrong with the OPs design, or workmanship. Looks good for a first attempt

 

[sberry]

2 things. Street fittings cost more than simple elbow and couplings. Second, reduce numbers, you don't got to use every fitting they ever invent, straight is good. The finish is nice, you do good but simplify.

 

[pdubss]

Looks good!

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[ard]

Looks good, but I would have kept the pipe 'protected' in the space of the I beam- not have it out in the air for something to hit it. If you needed a few mm for the valve, space the mounts out with a polyethylene block or whatever.... just me.

 

[jwith68]

Nice job on the copper, looks good!

 

[Rickster55]

Wow! No comments for using copper for an airline?

 

[engineer2]

No comments for using copper for an airline?

Works great: easy to assemble/modify, no rust, lasts forever.

 

[MFolks]

Thought about getting one of these for the occasional copper pipe work;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005E0M3M4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[rburke65]

Clean the joints, flux, heat the coupling...not the pipe, and let the solder flow, n wipe.

 

[GreyOwl]

Are you going to extend the drain away from the anchor bolts for the column? Other than that it looks great.

 

[johnnyradiant]

To simplify the drain you could have come down with the pipe and put a street 22.5° and then the ball valve. It would have kicked the discharge out away from the base of the post and kicked out the valve body away from the post as well keeping everything in tight.

Looks good and I'm not sure how many suppliers you would have had to visit to find a street 22.5°. I don't think my local branches would have had any.

 

[sberry]

See how m much juice comes down it. I get so little down that don't even have drains on them except for the filter.

 

[machsnell]

Nice work especially for first time! Just when I think I can solder I get sloppy and have to sand down solder inside a fitting to redo.

Also- you can tell a plumber didnt do it because there arent holes in the I beams for the pipes....haha.

sorry plumbers too many years hearing carpenters butch about holes cut in floor joists for sanitary and water lines.

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[HotrodHR]

Plumbed my shop with copper for my airlines used sharkbite fittings instead of soldering. Looks good and works... cost more than soldering though.

 

[johnnyradiant]

If designers and framers would sweat the details before placing stuff in the way then the plumbers wouldn't have to make as many ugly anything but square or round holes. It's a 2-way street.

Copper and sharkbites costs way more than PVC and glue.

 

[Wingrider72]

Nice work, especially for first time. I'm a commercial plumber by trade and we have apprentices with several years of training that can't solder that well. I'm interested to know what the fasteners are that you used to secure the two-hole straps to the columns.

 

[rjprice]

Nice work, especially for first time. I'm a commercial plumber by trade and we have apprentices with several years of training that can't solder that well. I'm interested to know what the fasteners are that you used to secure the two-hole straps to the columns.

I used 3/4" self drilling screws. However, the center of the I-beam was too thick for the screws to drill through so I marked each hole and pre-drilled with a drill bit. I used rubber hose to insulate the copper from the steel and used conduit straps to secure to the beam.