ransley wrote:
On Jul 4, 7:44 am, "HeyBub" wrote:
In upgrading an outside faucet, I twisted the pipe holding the faucet into a
shattered mess! WTF?

The 1/2" galvanized pipe exits the plumbing supply through a brick wall and
the pipe exit was packed in with brick mortar.

So I chiseled out about six bricks to get to the junction of the output
pipe. Damn! The 10" galvanized iron pipe was in excellent shape except where
it passed through the mortar. Even in the area that was covered with mortar,
the pipe's interior was in good shape. The corrosion was taking place from
the outside inward.

It seems as if the mortar was eating the pipe. Bother!

About 200 cursewords later, I had the 10" access pipe replaced and turned
the water back on. (It ain't easy getting a pipe wrench inside a wall.).

I noticed a teeny bit of moisture at another, nearby, faucet access pipe!

I carefully chiseled out the mortar surrounding THIS pipe and it started
spewing like a beer can in the sun; same thing as the previous pipe. This
pipe, as it passed through the mortar, was nothing but a thin layer of rust.
Another 200-curseword job!

Anyway, the new pipes are now covered with a 1/4"-thick plastic tunnel as
they pass through the brick veneer.

What I learned:
1. Mortar attacks galvanized pipes.
2. Pipes imbedded in mortar should be checked every 30 years and replaced if
necessary.

Maybe bad galvanising or something else? Around here are 75-120+ year
old homes, everyone has outdoor spigots mortared in that dont fall
apart, mine are about 80 yrs.

75-120 years ago, mortar was different. But I suspect there is some
other uncontrolled variable at play here. Where I mostly grew up
(Indiana), and where I have spent the last 29 years (SW MI), I have
never seen this occur, and hose bibs, sillcocks, whatever the heck the
proper name is, are routinely mudded in place by the bricklayer as he
does those courses. Of course, most of them in my era were not
galvanized pipe, or even copper. That actual bronze fitting is almost
like a fire plug, and extends well into the wall. This is even more true
now that everyone fits freeze-proof fittings, which are even longer.

I found the OP's post a tad confusing- he had to open the wall the get
to the elbow/tee and the feed pipe? Is the spigot high on the wall or
something? Almost without exception, I have only seen them placed
through the band joist, right above the sill plate, so you COULD get to
them easily later. I admit (now that I am on wrong side of 50), that
having it up high would be Real Nice sometimes, just like for outlets,
but I hardly ever see them like that. I suppose best way to do that
would be with an external riser, with a drain valve down low+ an
internal cutoff valve in basement, so you could drain them for winter.
(Water pipes in an outside wall were always to be avoided, they told me
way back when...) I suppose that if you could spot your outside spigots
so they backed up to dead spaces/utility closets, or someplace you could
provide an access plate within the heated envelope, you could place them
as high as you want.

Thinking about it, I guess down south of the snow line or in slab
country, not much of the above applies. Hell, in Louisiana, they oftem
put the water heaters in a lean-to off the back porch.

--
aem sends...