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Slow leak at joint (picture)

BQ1001
BQ1001 Member Posts: 1
Slow drip (every 2-3 min). Should I have the whole thing cut out and replaced.

Left pipe is main, Rt to single outside spigot, middle to house.

Any advice appreciated.

Comments

  • jonny88
    jonny88 Member Posts: 1,139
    drip

    easiest fix would be to cut left and right side.heat of bull of tee where drip is clean and reassemble with new clean fittings,good luck.remember to drain water first...
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    LEAK

    CALL A LIC. PLUMBER.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,553
    edited November 2013
    Comment

    removed
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    LEAK

    So chris, you would prefer i walk a do-it-yourselfer through a repair procedure cutting out & condemning existing pipe & fittings & replacing with new & possibly  burning down his house using a torch.  no thanx. some jobs should be done by a pro. thats the way it is. i  have always given solid advice when its appropriate but i also am aware of liability issues. are you ?  at one time this was strictly a forum for professionals , that has evolved,  for better or worse. which are you,  a tradesman or a handyman ?  bob nyc lic. plbr. 
  • Bob is tolally

    Bob is totally correct about calling a licensed plumber to do the job properly... there are many on this forums I won't even help due to the risks involved.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,553
    edited November 2013
    Comment

    removed
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • Rich_49
    Rich_49 Member Posts: 2,766
    Chris

    Advice was asked for and advice was given (sound advice at that) . What would possess you to make an adversarial comment about another's opinion ? Best off just giving your advice and calling it a day . Unless of course the advice given endangered the OP or his property .  Just my .02 . By the way OP , call a licensed plumber !
    You didn't get what you didn't pay for and it will never be what you thought it would .
    Langans Plumbing & Heating LLC
    732-751-1560
    Serving most of New Jersey, Eastern Pa .
    Consultation, Design & Installation anywhere
    Rich McGrath 732-581-3833
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,553
    edited November 2013
    Perhaps

    you're right Rich.



    I was just surprised to see such a post on this forum. Maybe I need to venture out of the steam area more often.



    Bob, please accept my apologies.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    COPPER REPAIR

    Chris, apology accepted. that was a simple i hour repair job. start to finish. shut water ,drain,cut out, repipe , solder,restore water service,test. submit invoice, go to next job.   alternate scenario for a amatuer that has not mastered pipefitting & soldering. all day torturous  job, water still off, call plumber to cut out mistakes & do job over. to each his own. if you gotta ask how to attack a little simple job like that , yeah, you should probably leave it to an expert.....if you value your property ,that is . case closed. sometimes a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. i respect my craft very seriously.
  • Talldutch
    Talldutch Member Posts: 4
    slow leak

    I would advise a licensed plumber for this    the ability to solder in tight quarters is something that is learned   an older home can go up in smoke very easily and embers can last for hours before they ignite
  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    Leaks:

    Whomever installed those fittings in the first place was a hackaroo. If they had held the pipe riser or squeezed the tube, it wouldn't have moved. If the joints had been wiped with a rag, the installer would have known that the fitting either wasn't soldered properly of it moved. More likely, it wasn't completely heated enough for a proper solder job.

    The Hackaroo probably heated the joints from the "tee" and then did the St. 90 last. Using a rag would have shown that the last fitting to be soldered, the bottom of the Street Ell wouldn't be hot.  Or, if it moves. A leak. When you pull it apart, if the end of the tube isn't completely soldered, it wasn't hot enough. If it is completely soldered but part of the solder is a dull grey, it moved.

    So many "plumbers" today use a Bernzomatic Blow Torch that burns the wall 12" away. A Air/Acetylene "Prestolite" type with a #3 tip always gets the fitting just right and you can reach behind it with the tip of the flame. I always am extra careful when I use my Blow Torch because it is so hard to feel when the back side of the fittings that you can't reach.

    And pasting both the pipe and fittings goes a long way. It almost looks like it leaked and someone red" the pipe to stop the leak.



    Seen that before. There's the right way. And the "other" way.
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    LEAK

    Sailorman, in the time it took for you to explain the ins & outs of sweating joints, i could have repiped the whole house. plumbing should actually done by plumbers . its not a hobby .the p[lumber protects the health of the nation. this a fact.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,553
    edited November 2013
    Depends

    A licensed plumber almost killed me and my family after telling me our boiler was properly serviced and venting properly. Luckily we have multiple CO detectors and when they all go off you know its not a false alarm.



    Since then I have done all of my own work, with the appropriate permits and inspections by the town of course. I also own my own manometer now as well.



    icesailor is a good man and often gives good advise and personally I always welcome his opinion.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • your licensed plumber

    Wasn't a boiler man to begins with...
  • bill_105
    bill_105 Member Posts: 429
    The way I see it is...

    With a thread that's 7 weeks old and the original guy hasn't been heard from, it's fixed:) But the drama continues.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,553
    Oh yes

    He most certainly was. He is a licensed plumbing and heating contractor.

    In fact he claimed he specialized in steam heat and oil burner service.



    I'm done with this thread, as Bill said its dead and the drama should end as well.



    I wish all the best and happy holidays.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Licensed or not

    is a discussion worth having here IF we all agree to follow Rule #1.



    Perhaps a new thread might be in order?
  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    Piping:

    I've been a Licensed Massachusetts Journeyman Plumber since 1976 and a Licensed Massachusetts Master Plumber since 1974. I've soldered more than one pipe before.

    What I wrote obviously wasn't for an experienced piper like you. It's for someone that might like a pointer or two.

    My old Boss had a thing about Street fittings. They cost more than an ell. Only use a Street Ell when there was no other way. Plan your piping around not using them. Later I figured out (through experience) that there was another reason. It was easy to overheat and/or under heat a Street fitting and get a leak where that one is leaking.

    Be careful making empirical statements about how fast you can pipe something. You might find out that you can't do something as fast as you think.
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226
    Elbows

    There's no tee in that picture, for what it's worth.
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,553
    tee?

    Looked like a 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/2 tee with a 3/4" street ell into it to me.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • billtwocase
    billtwocase Member Posts: 2,385
    Chris is right

    Tee with either a street 90, or a very short piece of pipe and a 90
  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    Tee's

    We're all right that it is a tee.

    Closer look might show it to be a 1" X 1" X 3/4" tee though. 1/2: has a much higher neck down.

    If it's a 1" soldered tee though, it takes a little more finesse for the rookies to solder them properly.



    A rag to wipe the grapes and snots off the soldered fitting will go a long way to tell you if you got it hot enough and looks right spiffy when done.
  • bill_105
    bill_105 Member Posts: 429
    The way I see it is this...

    I think we all should fly into this guys town, be picked up, and go over and fix it. All expense paid :) Of course RFB!
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,559
    Umm...

    This guy is a "one post wonder" from 2 1/2 months ago

    This problem was solved months ago with some sharkbites and a scrap piece of garden hose.

    Maybe you guys should debate something more productive.

    How about cheerios vs corn flakes?

    Carl
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
This discussion has been closed.