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  #1   Report Post  
frankg
 
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Default coupling copper and cpvc

I have to join 1/2 inch copper to 1/2 inch cpvc and the
'clerk/salesperson' at Home Depot sold me on using the Push N Turn
couplings. Well I've now used up 3 of them (they're non reusable
items)and I still have a leak on the cpvc side ! The copper side seems
fine. It's become a waste of money and time. Is this 'do-able'and am I
missing a trick?

  #2   Report Post  
Doug Miller
 
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In article .com, "frankg" wrote:
I have to join 1/2 inch copper to 1/2 inch cpvc and the
'clerk/salesperson' at Home Depot sold me on using the Push N Turn
couplings. Well I've now used up 3 of them (they're non reusable
items)and I still have a leak on the cpvc side ! The copper side seems
fine. It's become a waste of money and time. Is this 'do-able'and am I
missing a trick?


Get a CPVC female thread adapter - make sure you get the kind that has a
neoprene gasket at the seat of the fitting - and a copper male thread adapter.
Sweat-solder the copper adapter on to the copper pipe, wait for it to cool,
coat the threads with pipe dope, and screw the plastic adapter onto it.
Finally, solvent-weld the plastic pipe into the adapter. No leaks!

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
  #3   Report Post  
Donald Gares
 
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frankg wrote:

I have to join 1/2 inch copper to 1/2 inch cpvc and the
'clerk/salesperson' at Home Depot sold me on using the Push N Turn
couplings. Well I've now used up 3 of them (they're non reusable
items)and I still have a leak on the cpvc side ! The copper side seems
fine. It's become a waste of money and time. Is this 'do-able'and am I
missing a trick?


I have no idea about the "Push N Turn" couplings but just yesterday I
successfully connected two lines of 1/2" copper to 1/2" cpvc using
compression fittings that I picked up at the local hardware store. Just
hand tighten them at first and if you have a leak then "wrench" them a
bit, but don't go overboard.

Don





  #4   Report Post  
Brian
 
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Default

Home Depot sold me on using the Push N Turn
couplings.

Does your local code even allowes thoses?

If they don't leak now, they will leak later.
Solution is cheap & easy. Get male & female / copper CPVC
adapters sweat or glue each side. Problem solved forever.
( and guess what, they cheaper )

P.S. HomeDepot will try to sell you new presoldered copper
adapters. They will leak when used by newbies. Avoid them.

  #5   Report Post  
frankg
 
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I have to join 1/2 inch copper to 1/2 inch cpvc and the
'clerk/salesperson' at Home Depot sold me on using the Push N Turn
couplings. Well I've now used up 3 of them (they're non reusable
items)and I still have a leak on the cpvc side ! The copper side seems
fine. It's become a waste of money and time. Is this 'do-able'and am I
missing a trick?


You folks said - "Get a CPVC female thread adapter - make sure you get the
kind that has a
neoprene gasket at the seat of the fitting - and a copper male thread
adapter.
Sweat-solder the copper adapter on to the copper pipe, wait for it to cool,
coat the threads with pipe dope, and screw the plastic adapter onto it.
Finally, solvent-weld the plastic pipe into the adapter."

and also,

" Get male & female / copper CPVC
adapters sweat or glue each side"

Do you maybe have a link to what these look like so I can recognize them in
the store ?I did a google search but didnt find anything




  #6   Report Post  
Wayne Whitney
 
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On 2005-05-23, Doug Miller wrote:

Get a CPVC female thread adapter - make sure you get the kind that has a
neoprene gasket at the seat of the fitting - and a copper male thread adapter.


I have read that it is customary to use a male plastic thread adapter
and a female copper thread adapter. The idea is that since copper is
stronger than plastic, if you use a female plastic part, inserting the
male copper part may stretch the female plastic part, causing a future
leak. (Plumbing a House, by Peter Hemp, Chapter 4 "Joining Plastic
Pipe to Metal Pipe")

To the OP, for a picture of a female copper thread adapter, see
http://images.orgill.com/200x200/6563142.JPG
For a picture of a male CPVC thread adapter, see
http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/p...7_front200.jpg

Cheers, Wayne

  #7   Report Post  
Doug Miller
 
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In article , "frankg" wrote:

You folks said - "Get a CPVC female thread adapter - make sure you get the
kind that has a
neoprene gasket at the seat of the fitting - and a copper male thread
adapter.
Sweat-solder the copper adapter on to the copper pipe, wait for it to cool,
coat the threads with pipe dope, and screw the plastic adapter onto it.
Finally, solvent-weld the plastic pipe into the adapter."


Do you maybe have a link to what these look like so I can recognize them in
the store ?I did a google search but didnt find anything


Copper male-thread adapter looks like this:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...=11282-137-604

I can't find a picture on-line of a CPVC female-thread adapter... but if you
go into the store, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
  #8   Report Post  
Doug Miller
 
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In article , Wayne Whitney wrote:
On 2005-05-23, Doug Miller wrote:

Get a CPVC female thread adapter - make sure you get the kind that has a
neoprene gasket at the seat of the fitting - and a copper male thread

adapter.

I have read that it is customary to use a male plastic thread adapter
and a female copper thread adapter. The idea is that since copper is
stronger than plastic, if you use a female plastic part, inserting the
male copper part may stretch the female plastic part, causing a future
leak. (Plumbing a House, by Peter Hemp, Chapter 4 "Joining Plastic
Pipe to Metal Pipe")


Yes, I've read that, too - but I have *experienced* that male plastic to
female metal joints almost _always_ leak, and male metal to female plastic
with neoprene gasket _never_ do.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?
  #9   Report Post  
HerHusband
 
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I have to join 1/2 inch copper to 1/2 inch cpvc and the
'clerk/salesperson' at Home Depot sold me on using the Push N Turn
couplings. Well I've now used up 3 of them (they're non reusable
items)and I still have a leak on the cpvc side!


I don't know what a Push and Turn coupling is, but as the other posters
have said, the best solution is to use the appropriate male/female
adapters.

DO NOT use the CPVC "female" adapters that have the threads cut into the
plastic. I don't think they are allowed by code anyway. I've tried them in
the past and when the metal "male" adapter is threaded into the CPVC
"female" adapter, it cracks the female adapter. Happens almost every time,
no matter how careful you try to be.

You could use a MALE CPVC adapter threaded into a copper FEMALE adapter.
I've done this a few times and have made many connections that work fine.
However, the expansion rates of the two materials is apparently quite
different and over time the connection can start leaking. I haven't
experienced that personally, but I can see how it might happen.

The best solution is to use a "CPVC Transition Union" specially made for
the connection. They have a brass fitting on one end, a CPVC fitting on the
other, a neoprene gasket in-between, and a threaded piece that holds the
two halves together. These come in several configurations, with male or
female fittings on the metal end, or even brass drop-ear elbows. I've used
a LOT of these fittings. They're easy to install, and I haven't had a
single leak from any of them.

Here are couple of examples of the transition unions: (watch the word wrap)

http://www.cornerhardware.com/item_2.../2-Transition-
Union/item.html

http://doitbest.com/shop/product.asp...660L8VNFSRSD6F
09&dept%5Fid=1592&sku=465275

These fittings are usually located with the CPVC fittings in the home
centers. The only real negative is the price. They cost a few dollars each.
But, they're worth it.

Anthony
  #10   Report Post  
Doug Miller
 
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In article , HerHusband wrote:

DO NOT use the CPVC "female" adapters that have the threads cut into the
plastic. I don't think they are allowed by code anyway. I've tried them in
the past and when the metal "male" adapter is threaded into the CPVC
"female" adapter, it cracks the female adapter. Happens almost every time,
no matter how careful you try to be.


You must be doing something wrong - that's *never* happened to me, and they
never leak, either.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?


  #11   Report Post  
stretch
 
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Use cpvc and copper threaded adapters as per previous posts. DO NOT
use pipe dope on ANY plastic threads. Many pipe dopes will soften
plastic, causing a leak and possible catastrophic failure. Use several
wraps of teflon tape instead. The ONLY pipe dope I have seen that does
not soften plastic fittings is Gasola. If you get it on your clothes,
it will not wash off. Also, when you solvent weld the pvc fitting,
make sure you use PVC cleaner (also called primer) on the CPVC pipe and
fitting per the directions on the cans of glue and cleaner. If you
don't, the plastic joint may fail in a couple of years.

Stretch

  #12   Report Post  
HerHusband
 
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DO NOT use the CPVC "female" adapters that have the threads cut into
the plastic. I don't think they are allowed by code anyway. I've tried
them in the past and when the metal "male" adapter is threaded into
the CPVC "female" adapter, it cracks the female adapter. Happens
almost every time, no matter how careful you try to be.


You must be doing something wrong - that's *never* happened to me, and
they never leak, either.


I "have" made many successful connections with female threaded CPVC
adapters, but I've also had enough failures that I know not to use them.

The PROPER way to make these transitions is with a TRANSITION UNION. They
are strong, ensure leak free connections, and accomodate the different
thermal expansion rates of the dissimilar materials.

Anthony

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HerHusband
 
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make sure you use PVC cleaner (also called primer) on the CPVC pipe and
fitting per the directions on the cans of glue and cleaner.


Make sure you use CPVC glue too, NOT regular PVC glue.

Anthony
  #14   Report Post  
frankg
 
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The only thing I could find that resembles the 'transition union' or
'adaptors' described here in this thread, is a unit made of two coponents -
it has copper on one side that has to have the 1/2 inch copper pipe soldered
into it, and this copper has a male thread on it's other side. This male
thread is joined to the second component - a brass (I think it's brass)
Female thread ring that is similar to the end of a hosepipe, which has a
washer and the cpvc piece within. The cpvc must be glued to the 1/2 inch
cpvc pipe..
Hope I've described it clearly enough - this is the only configuration I
found - no elbows etc.
Sounds like the right thing ?

"HerHusband" wrote in message
...
make sure you use PVC cleaner (also called primer) on the CPVC pipe and
fitting per the directions on the cans of glue and cleaner.


Make sure you use CPVC glue too, NOT regular PVC glue.

Anthony



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HerHusband
 
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Frank,

The only thing I could find that resembles the 'transition union' or
'adaptors' described here in this thread, is a unit made of two
components - it has copper on one side that has to have the 1/2 inch
copper pipe soldered into it, and this copper has a male thread on
it's other side. This male thread is joined to the second component -
a brass (I think it's brass) Female thread ring that is similar to the
end of a hosepipe, which has a washer and the cpvc piece within. The
cpvc must be glued to the 1/2 inch cpvc pipe.


That sounds like the proper fitting. The coupling ring does indeed look a
lot like the end of a garden hose (though types with plastic rings are also
available). Ironically, I haven't seen the type with sweated copper
fittings around here, but I know they exist. All of the ones I have seen
have threaded brass ends on the copper side.

Remember to disassemble the transition union and solder the copper piece on
first. Otherwise, you'll melt the CPVC side and/or the gasket.

Also make sure you slide the coupling ring over the pipe on the proper end
before soldering/gluing the fitting in place. You don't want to discover
you left out the ring or put it on the wrong side after you've assembled
everything... And don't forget the gasket when you put it all together.

Anthony


  #16   Report Post  
Edwin Pawlowski
 
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"frankg" wrote in message
.. .
The only thing I could find that resembles the 'transition union' or
'adaptors' described here in this thread, is a unit made of two
coponents -
it has copper on one side that has to have the 1/2 inch copper pipe
soldered
into it, and this copper has a male thread on it's other side.


My local Aubuchon Hardware store carries compression fitting that go from
copper to CPVC/PEX/PVC. They are a gray colored plastic. I don't have the
manufacturer's name as I tossed the package after I installed them I think
this sis the one http://www.pexconnection.com/categories.php?catID=3.


  #17   Report Post  
stretch
 
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Anthony caught stretch's error:
"make sure you use PVC cleaner (also called primer) on the CPVC pipe
and
fitting per the directions on the cans of glue and cleaner."



Make sure you use CPVC glue too, NOT regular PVC glue.

Anthony



Sorry, I meant CPVC primer, although most primers(cleaners) work for
both PVC and CPVC.

Stretch

  #18   Report Post  
frankg
 
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thanks everyone - the 'transition union' worked out great



"frankg" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have to join 1/2 inch copper to 1/2 inch cpvc and the
'clerk/salesperson' at Home Depot sold me on using the Push N Turn
couplings. Well I've now used up 3 of them (they're non reusable
items)and I still have a leak on the cpvc side ! The copper side seems
fine. It's become a waste of money and time. Is this 'do-able'and am I
missing a trick?



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