Can anyone help me identify what pipe this is?

bs1026

I have been doing HVAC for about 7 years and have a vast knowledge of boilers and piping spending 6 of those years in older Philadelphia homes and it's suburbs. I am even the only boiler installer for my company at this time while we train the other leads up on their knowledge. A close family friend explained to me they have a leak and I said I would come take a look at it thinking it could be an easy fix. I ran into 2 problems 1 never have seen the type of brass fitting being used it seems to combine the principles of a compression fitting with a furnace of you look closely you will see you can tighten the fitting onto the pipe it hugs , 2 I cannot identify what the highly rusted pipe is I originally though it was black iron in poor condition but further down the line you can see I took a picture of a solder elbow , has anyone seen this before , I was simply stopping by on my way home and did not have any sandpaper or scratch cloth to remove the rust to help but I will tell you the rusted pipe did stick to a magnet unlike the copper , any help is greatly appreciated , also the best way to replaced said coupling would help whether it be solder joints or propress or what ever is suggested thank you 

bs1026

Here are the last two pictures of said solder joints sorry they did not post 

STEVEusaPA

Congratulations on your vast knowledge after only 7 years.
The fitting looks like a standard compression fitting. Used on bigger pipes almost everywhere outside North America.
Is the pipe with the compression fitting the same pipe with the soldered elbow?

EBEBRATT-Ed

Measure the diameter. If it's copper it would be 5/8, 7/8, 1 1/8, 1 3/8, 1 5/8 or 2 1/8

If it measures the same od as black pipe it could be brass pipe but it doesn't look like it

or it's black pipe which it looks like with a silver soldered elbow

reggi

They must be very thin walled as it looks like a  hose clamp repair kit joining each piece... clamps and all... unless they're grounding clamps?

Larry Weingarten

Hi, You might be able to get by, simply by removing the compression nuts, cleaning things up a bit, wrapping with teflon and replacing the nuts. If the pipe is actually steel with a brass connector, carrying fresh water, there is galvanic corrosion going on. The leak may be caused by rusting of the steel. If it's standard sch 40 steel pipe, I'd consider installing a union or coupling with reverse threads. The soldered 90 may have been someone getting creative with acid flux.

Yours, Larry

ps. Does a magnet stick to that 90?

Gordo

It looks like a pipe product called sometimes called "Bundy" pipe.
It *was* copper coated thin steel.
It thereby could be soldered with copper or brass fittings... once or maybe twice.
It was used in the US for heating pipe, usually radiant.
Horrible stuff to repair.
Compression fittings are your friend.

Mad Dog_2

We called that "Tube-alloy" on Long Island. It was used extensively in the 1950s on residential heating.  Dan talks about the Long Island Heating Menorah.  It was a brass manifold with multiple ports that were home runs to hot water convectors. There are still many of these installed and working in towns like Franklin Square and Wantagh, Seaford. It was somewhat bendable, came in like a 1/2* OD and much to my amazement the first time my father in law showed me it,  this steel-looking allow could be soft soldered!   That first picture you posted is some kind of dresser coupling for copper to Tube-alloy.  Ma Dog. 

Mad Dog_2

I agree about soldering it Gordo but found that if you cleaned the hell out of it, got it really shiny, with clean flux and silver-bearing soft soldered like Silva'Brite or Taramet Sterling and didn't overcook it, you were golden mad Dog 

ChrisJ

That coupler looks like a pack joint or similar.  Often used underground but can be used inside.


The original ones used lead packing but they use rubber now.

https://youtu.be/o434Q41khg0

Heres a pack joint picture.

bs1026

The Compression coupling is on the same pipe as the soldered elbow , sounds like most of you have seen this type of pipe before and the best course of action is to either replace with a new compression fitting or clean the rusted pipe very well and solder with low heat , one of you mentioned sterling solder I believe that's what I carry it comes in a purple and yellow box correct? 

bs1026

Chris J it looks exactly like that without the female threads 

ChrisJ

bs1026 said:

Chris J it looks exactly like that without the female threads 

Those aren't female threads they're grooves to grip the pipe when you tighten the clamp. You need to watch the video I posted.

ChrisJ

Here's the one I installed on my new water service though it's threaded male on one side and pack joint on the other.