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Default Dumb question about copper piping

Type M and Type L have the same outside diameter, just the wall thickness
changes. I have never seen a valve or fitting with a smaller diameter unless
it is intended for pipe other than standard nominal 1/2 copper tubing.

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote in message
...
With the first freeze of the year last night, I crawled under the house to
shut off the water to the back deck and blow out the line with some
compressed air. Imagine my disgust when I discovered the plumber had
installed the quarter turn valve with the access port to the inside of the
house rather than outboard of the other seat/stem type valve. In other
words, introducing compressed air to the valve would blow the water inside
the house up until that point rather than the water from that point
outside.

So what to do? I cut the line with a tubing cutter and was going to
solder in another ported quarter turn valve... only this time to the
outside of the water line shutoff. When I tried to fit the valve on the
now open piping, no amount of stuffing and grunting would get the job
done. A visit to the local borg revealed plenty of 1/2" fittings, only
they would fit the thinner M type piping. I assume I've got L tubing which
is just a little thicker.

Where do I get valves that would fit? Or should I find some sort of
reducer (seems like more work than I want to do)? And why don't the borgs
sell valves that fit the tubing they sell? They've got both kinds of
tubing but just the smaller diameter valves. The immediate problem is
solved: I blew out the line under the deck after I cut it under the
house. But I won't have more water out there until I repair this.

Gents?



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com