How to get connected?

wflather

Oh Plumbing and Heating Gods,

I will be building two wall mounted hydronic towel warmer from standard copper ¾” return bends and straight pipe. This will be run in series with and before the shower. I plan on having the whole assembly powder coated. This seems to be the most cost-effective way to get one of these (parts for both total less than $200) and since this is clearly an experiment saving some money in exchange for labor makes sense.

My dilemma is how to terminate these to connect to the in-wall plumbing. The staff at the local plumbing supply were not very imaginative (huh, you wanna what?) and after much prodding (tough when I can picture what I want but don’t know what to call it) presented me with a “copper bimetal pipe thread union”. This is the standard affair with a copper sweat fitting that captures a cast brass nut, this nut threads onto a cast brass end that in turn would thread onto a copper sweat to thread converter.

This sort of fitting is what I had in mind, but is not very attractive. I have not been very successful at finding a chromed union, but I have found a SS version.

My questions:
1. If I have the brass fittings powder coated with the rest of the assembly, will this finish hold up to a wrench when being finally connected to the wall stubs or is it likely to get noticeably scratched and marred?

2. Why can’t I find chromed brass fittings? Seems to me that I have seen just these sort of fittings used for radiator connections. Do they have a different name? If they exist, would they be suitable for this application where this unit will be connected to the DHW and household water pressure?

3. I found a source for SS unions (www.plumbingsupply.com), while more expensive, the cost is not over budget. Would SS, being a harder material, make getting a watertight connection difficult? Don’t need to make another problem here.

4. Is there another way to do this that I am not aware of?

Thanks,

Bill

hot_rod

Chrome unions

should be available. Restaurant Supply places would be another place to look. Strap wrenches work best for mar free tightening, Also a rag wrapped around a dull chanelocks.

Concerning powder coating, my experience shows the temperatures needed to melt the powder are REAL close to the solder melt point! I wouldn't go as far as silfos as it soften's the tube and fittings too much. Look at JW Harris for a solder with a higher melt point.

Here is a copper coat rack I built. Luckly the powder coater was keeping an eye on tempertures as some of my solder joints started to soften and run while bakeing! The coater was able to quickly adjust the oven.

hot rod

billygoat22

you could try and find if they make chrome unions for bathroom urinals, assuming they come large enough. All that stuff is chrome plated.I assume the hot water is going through the towel warmer before it goes to the shower, only heats when showering, pretty neat. You could use old credit card to wrap around the union to protect it while tightening. If you have a friend into tools, there is also a double acting pliers with flat jaws, it is used on aircraft fittings and in custom auto shops for aluminum hose connectors so the anodized finish won't be scratched.

kevin_5

Knipex brand \"plier wrench\"

Is THE tool to use for not marring your pretty fittings. (It's not a strap wrench, fittings must have flat edges)
They are like all fine, German made things though, If you're only going to use them once, and or you're not a tool afficionado, use the "wrap it" trick the guys mentioned in above post. (I like the credit card idea...why not use a few of your ACTIVE cards for that :-)

I have even used vise grips with a layer or two of cardboard wrapped around it. Just watch that you don't cut through the cardboard. The good thing about vise grips is that you can set the tension you want and carefully torque without slipping. (Did you know that Vise-Grips were invented and made in Nebraska)

By the way guys, if you ever buy a Knipex brand "cobra" adjustable pliers, you will throw away your channellocks.

The grip is FAR superior,(To demonstrate grip, the factory has a test: you can grip a horizontal pipe with them and STAND on the top handle and let go of the wrench with your hands, it will support you the way a pipe wrench would without slipping- REALLY!) the adjustable joint won't slip, and they are designed to eliminate hand and finger pinching in the handles. A 16" is about $60, and well worth it. Try 'em! Kevin

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billygoat22

I've got three pair. I prefer the type with the push button adjustment, the slip joint type can lose thier setting while you have your hands full. I've seen them at Snap-On, Sears and NAPA

wflather

Hijack

Hey, Stop hijacking my thread! You guys are supposed to be finding me a union or alternate!

Robw@CCI

Chrome platers

Check your yellow pages for a local "chrome plater." Take him a couple of plain brass unions. We have had stuff plated with nickel numerous times. Check under "auto bumpers" also. Just a note of caution: make sure they don't put too much on the threads. Send them with some old nipples threaded into the threaded ends.

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

You might want to try

connection fittings made by Ballofix. The ones I've seen come in 1/2" and 3/4"; straight and 90* unions.

Their link is: http://www.broen.com/ukhjemmeside/catalogues/ballofix/Startside.htm

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[Deleted User]

We get our chrome plated unions at...

Denver Brass and Copper.


http://www.dbcirrigation.com/

ME

wflather

Broen

Their products look nice. Do you have a US supplier you can recommend?

wflather

Thanks for

the link, I'll give them a call.

wflather

Brazing?

Would you try brazing this together? Could I do it with MAPP? I've never brazed, but it sounds similar to soldering and certainly would solve the powder coat oven problem.

Excluding that, what would you consider a "high temperature" solder? I guess I will also have to find out what typical powder-coat baking temperatures are.

Douglas Hicks

Chrome fittings

Chrome fittings are available from any fire suppression company who is installing fire suppression systems in resturant exhaust hoods.

Jamie_6

Alan

That is nice baseboard! Who makes it?

Thanks, Jamie

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

Supplier

I buy Ballofix from my local suppllier: Power Boiler Sales in Berkeley, CA (510)548-9200.

The radiators are made by Panel Radiators.

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