Heavy Duty double sink 1-1/2 inch waste pipe connector that will last???

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Don2222

Don2222

Minister of Fire
Feb 1, 2010
9,117
Salem NH
Hello
I have always tried to use better materials but still it rots, leaks and breaks!
If the pipe was made of schedule 40 PVC it would last forever but it is not!
The inexpensive plastic connector pipe really does not last. The so called heavy duty 22 Guage plated brass lasts longer but that is the one I had and it just failed! It rotted on the inside under the elbow and developed a leak! I tried to tape it with flex seal temporarily but when trying to smooth down the tape I heard it Kringle and it just disintegrated!
That did give me an idea!
I purchased a new plated brass pipe at ACE hardware because Home Depot does not seem to have them anymore. Their web site said $39.99 but our NH store had one left for $23.99. Then I went to Rite Aid for the Clear Flex Seal Tape for $15.09 which seams to be about the cheapest. Back in my workshop the metal chop saw and angle grinder I cut the pipe to the same length as the old one, then taped it up good with the flex seal and slipped it in.
Do you think the flex seal may possible stretch the life a little bit when the brass starts deteriorating?

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Interesting setup. If you think sch40 PVC is the answer (and it likely is) - then why not just build the pipe out of PVC? I think they make fittings for everything you need there. My main thought with the flex seal is that it is on the outside, so once it comes time to need it, the damage is already done. Maybe it would give you just a bit more time to see the leak, but doesn't seem to be an absolute fix. Maybe if you had the spray and shot some on the inside of the pipe?

Main reason I popped in is to say 'Holy cow, is that sweated copper sewer pipe on the main drain ?!?!' I think I've seen that in one other house. But definitely something to behold!

Good luck with the fix!
 
Corey said:
Main reason I popped in is to say 'Holy cow, is that sweated copper sewer pipe on the main drain ?!?!' I think I've seen that in one other house.
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We have an upstairs half bath that was added later on, it has sweated copper drains too, including main line...was shocked when I first seen it. The former owner had a hardware store, so maybe that had something to do with it..
 
Corey said:
Interesting setup. If you think sch40 PVC is the answer (and it likely is) - then why not just build the pipe out of PVC? I think they make fittings for everything you need there. My main thought with the flex seal is that it is on the outside, so once it comes time to need it, the damage is already done. Maybe it would give you just a bit more time to see the leak, but doesn't seem to be an absolute fix. Maybe if you had the spray and shot some on the inside of the pipe?

Main reason I popped in is to say 'Holy cow, is that sweated copper sewer pipe on the main drain ?!?!' I think I've seen that in one other house. But definitely something to behold!

Good luck with the fix!
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Hello - This house was built in 1962 and yes all the plumbing was copper pipe! Over the years I have been replacing it with PEX and PVC for the drains, but some sweated copper still remains! LOL
Yes, I have though of doing it with PVC but really can not spend a week with spare time to do this because the kitchen sink being down would not go over well with the family! LOL
So the flex tape just might make it better.
 
Hello
Since Phil Swift could make a boat with chicken wire and flex paste, even if the pipe rots then flex paste may still hold up?
 
Here are a few pics of where the old pipe clogged and failed!

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Hello
This looks like a better way to do it. So maybe when I retire and have more time. :)
 
It looks like all the parts for this sink were purchased at Home Depot.
The right way to do it, is with a PVC or ABS trap kit using the good quality parts.
Thanks so much guys for all your help!
 
part of the problem is two different metals in a sometimes acidic enviroment which sets up an electrical current causing corrosion. Flowing water is also abrasive. just to add some icing to the mix Drano and the like. So even the heavy wall copper pipe from the early 60's has life of about 40-50 years ( which is better than the steel) Thin wall copper that they switched to maybe 25 years. Replaced a lot a heavy copper in previous home all sweated together ( acidic flux in some cases not wiped clean- what fun- add to that replacement heavy copper has to be special ordered and they really do not make conversion fittings to Thin wall or plastic. So I would end up replacing complete runs with plastic- pex wasn't allowed at that time. Was a time when plastic wasn't allowed on the pressure lines either although the drain lines could be. Varied by area.
 
My under sink plumbing is made from schedule 40 PVC. I used a rubber coupling to attach it to the 1946 era cast iron plumbing.
 
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bigealta said:
It's called a "fernco"
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That was the word in my head, but I wasn’t sure if it was actually the right word for the application. Sometimes the wrong word will sneak in there and hilarity can ensue.
 
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What are you putting down the drain that causes it to rot out so fast? I agree sch40 PVC is probably the most durable solution. I don't think the flex seal will do anything. You can rebuild the whole thing including trap out of sch40 u-bends, 90s, tees and two straight compression couplers to accept the plastic tail pieces. Connect it to the horizontal copper with either a fernco or a soldered brass threaded adapter.

And if you think that copper drain is impressive, my grandpa's house still has all the original soldered copper 3" drain/vent lines from both bathrooms installed in the 50s!
 
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gthomas785 said:
What are you putting down the drain that causes it to rot out so fast? I agree sch40 PVC is probably the most durable solution. I don't think the flex seal will do anything. You can rebuild the whole thing including trap out of sch40 u-bends, 90s, tees and two straight compression couplers to accept the plastic tail pieces. Connect it to the horizontal copper with either a fernco or a soldered brass threaded adapter.

And if you think that copper drain is impressive, my grandpa's house still has all the original soldered copper 3" drain/vent lines from both bathrooms installed in the 50s!
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My 1963 house has all copper drain pipes. Including the 3” stack. Still works great. Thought about polishing the roof vents but then some tweaker would probably steal them.
 
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I’ve seen a dark patina on interior copper, but never copper outside. Maybe it was lacquered or something. I wouldn’t think it was an odd alloy as that might make it unsuitable as plumbing, even on a vent stack. It’d be bad at the recyclers too.
 
Highbeam said:
My 1963 house has all copper drain pipes. Including the 3” stack. Still works great. Thought about polishing the roof vents but then some tweaker would probably steal them.
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I had the copper oil line embedded in the basement concrete floor changed over to the orange coated line to bring it up to code and avoid a potential disaster!!

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Highbeam said:
For some reason, the bare copper oxidized into a very dark brown. I expected the green too. Anybody know why they’re brown?
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It takes many many many years and possibly the help of salt air to get copper to turn green. I have 15-20+ year old copper weathervanes i made from sheet copper flashing and copper plumbing pipes. They are all still brown, no green at all. Some have been on Block Island, RI for 15-20 years right by the ocean and they are still almost completely brown. If sloppy with the flux then that can cause the copper to turn green but to be "statue of liberty green" would take probably 50+ minimum years in a salt air environment, maybe even 75 or 100 years.
 
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Highbeam said:
They taught us in concrete school about the badness of copper in concrete. Disaster indeed!
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Also I had to change the old oil filter because of the disaster we did have because the oil kid did not put the cap back in tight when the filter was changed! Luckily the oil company had good insurance because we had to replace a lot of studs and sheet rock after the spill!
Now we have a nice spin filter like a car and Guage that tells when to change it:)
See

Does anyone have their Oil Tank bare copper line burried in their basement concrete floor?? Oil line

Hello All the split entry houses on this street were built that way, back in the early 60's. Now it is against the law to do that. Some of my neighbors had their boiler men come in and slap in an over head line because it is the easiest solution. Now instead of the oil line being in the...
www.hearth.com www.hearth.com

Also added a nice WOG Ball valve with a yellow handle for easy shutoff!8D068DE2-70C0-4F00-81C7-01EE851EE6D4.png
 
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My insurance co. (usaa) charges me $135 or 150 a year because i have an oil tank. It is free standing and in the basement not in the ground.

I have a gas line right there in the boiler room. But i only use about 100 gallons of oil max a year. Just can't pull the trigger on switching to gas yet.

i sure would like to get rid of the oil tank though. maybe if i run into a used gas boiler.
 
bigealta said:
My insurance co. (usaa) charges me $135 or 150 a year because i have an oil tank. It is free standing and in the basement not in the ground.

I have a gas line right there in the boiler room. But i only use about 100 gallons of oil max a year. Just can't pull the trigger on switching to gas yet.

i sure would like to get rid of the oil tank though. maybe if i run into a used gas boiler.
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I get plenty of heat from our pellet stoves so no need for oil heat.
I also put in an ECO smart on demand DHW panel for hot water so I turned the oil boiler off, unless oil gets cheap again. :)
 
Don2222 said:
I get plenty of heat from our pellet stoves so no need for oil heat.
I also put in an ECO smart on demand DHW panel for hot water so I turned the oil boiler off, unless oil gets cheap again. :)
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Yeah i only use it to protect hot water pipes in uninsulated attic space in small basement walkout addition. I wish we moved that small run of iron pipe under the ceiling and had them exposed rather that leaving them in the small attic space. Bad move by us. But i still do need heat for the whole house when i'm away, which is a few weeks a year in winter.
 
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