Measure a 45 Offset | Advanced Plumbing

Dive deep into the essentials of plumbing with Measure a 45 Offset | Advanced Plumbing. This tutorial focuses on the crucial skill of measuring 45-degree offsets in plumbing, a fundamental technique every plumber should master. Whether you're a professional plumber or a DIY enthusiast, this video offers detailed instructions and expert tips on achieving precise pipe measurements and fittings. Enhance your plumbing skills and ensure accuracy in every project with this in-depth plumbing tutorial. Ideal for both experienced plumbers and those new to the trade, this video is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to perfect their plumbing practices with precision and professionalism.

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Thanks for watching! I'm Roger Wakefield, The Expert Plumber, and welcome to my channel. On this channel, it's ALL about plumbing. We play games, we experiment, and we have FUN here, talking and learning about all things plumbing!
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[YoursUntruly]

Love this man. It’s nice to see older guys try to get young guys involved in plumbing. It’s a great trade if you really take pride in your work because it really feels like art a lot of the time.

[courtneyelkins]

GREAT JOB!! As a union journeymen plumber in chicago who didnt take the whole 5 yrs to get state license i was taught the first 6 months of apprenticeship the formulas for all offsets. My instructor use to call ppl that eyeballed measurements clowns and would roast them. For the ppl that say you'd be fired for doing math obviously dont know how to do math because while your eyeballing fitting to fitting ive figured out every cut piece just by pulling measurements. But each their own i understand some may not be mathematically inclined but keep up the great videos mr. Wakefield im sure your helping alot of ppl

[erichelton]

As a former Geometry teacher and current tutor, thank you for using geometric ratios. Here's a cheater: 1-1-sqrt2 for 45-45-90 and 1-2-sqrt3 for 30-90-60. Good stuff. My son is in Plumbing Technology at Thaddeus Stevens College in PA and said they frequently watch your content. Keep on teaching!

[lalocruz]

I'm a plumber in NC and I have never seen this method i will try it it next time i come across a 45° vent situation. I love your videos Mr.Wakefield.

[smokeyhigh]

as a Plumbing contractor of 23 years, I just use the old school method, "eyeball it" I'm good enough at my profession to do that! have never used the formula since I took the plumbing test! great video non the less! All apprentices need to know how to do the math too! 😁👍

[freepilot]

For all that's curious. He used 1.41 because that's the secant of theta 45 If you have a different angle that needs to be made, use your calculator and type in that degree of angle you want then the (sec) button. The number you see you then multiply by your, "center to center" measurement.

[OneManParade]

More practical videos like this please.

[snowgorilla]

Great vid, teaches how it works AND why it works, a MUST for a tradesman even though it may be eyeballed most of the time.

[pishposhjosh]

Awesome, plumber here and I forgot how to do a 45 offset using 1.41. I’ll probably end up using it now to make those 45s crisp and less room for error. I’m used to eyeballing now but always trying to improve

[onion]

I'm an electrician and got more out of this compared to other vids for emt 😂 Got what I wanted here, thanks! You're a great teacher.

[smokeyhigh]

For an experienced plumbing contractor like myself, all you need is a tape measure and a good eye, no math required! Done it enough times over the last 35 years 👍

[PoorWays]

Never got taught this, loved it! Stovepiping with the "magic eye" gives instantaneous measurements though, the foreman I trained under was like this. Crazy fast with dwv, his eye was so well trained he'd set up pipes or fittings without a torpedo and ask us to check it later. Always level or on mark. Would only see him pull a 2' foot level to set grade in ground. I'm not as good so thanks alot for showing us this video. Really appreciate the knowledge and insight, still hooked on stove piping but will start memorizing the percentage of 1/16ths and see if the noggin can keep pace.

[PaulGSmith-hhrw]

Okay, I can certainly apply the Pythagorean Theorem to calculate the length of the center to center offset for both. Let’s back up and refigure the two 45 degree ells first. We have to visualize a right triangle in the stud bay to visualize it. Go to 8:30 in the video and then superimpose the horizontal tape measure visually and you will see a triangle. That is a 45-45-90 right triangle and can even be drawn in the stud bay with pencil to make it easier to explain.

We know the length of the tape measure side is 12”. We will call that side A and by definition the other leg of the triangle (which is mostly covered by 2” vertical PVC on the right that is about to be cut off) must also be 12”. There’s our A and B sides and the center to center length of the diagonal pipe (plus a bit of fitting on either end) is C, our hypotenuse.

Apply the Theorem. A squared plus B squared equals C squared. 144” + 144” = 288”. C squared equals 288, so find the square root of 288 for the length of the diagonal, which is 16.97”. That is closer to 17 by a hair, but we could call it 16 31/32” to split the difference and be very close. Subtract off the 1 1/2” from both sides for the fitting and that pipe is cut a smidge shorter than 14”. Same result different paths.

Go back to that same imaginary triangle to get our difference in height. That leg of the triangle is 12”. Add 1 1/2” fitting allowance on both sides to get an extra 3” and there is your 15” vertical difference. Figuring that part is tremendously easy now.

To solve the problem of a two 22 1/2 degree fittings making the offset go back to 8:30 on the video. That 45 degree angle between the two pipes that form the bottom of the triangle is now bisected. What that does is the pipe travels half as far to the left in that 12” vertical, so the vertical leg must be doubled to bring the diagonal all the way over 12”. This makes it an inconsequential 22 1/2 - 67 1/2 - 90 degree right triangle, but what is important is understanding A still = 12” and now B = 24”. Square those both and add them together for 720 = C squared. The square root of 720 is 26.8328”. A 16th of an inch equals.0625 so we are just a hair over 26 13/16” total. With 11/16” fitting allowance for the 22 1/2 degree ell on both sides, I am thinking that piece of 2in PVC needs to be cut a hair over 25 5/8”.

Anyway that’s my Euclidean Geometry offset math because remembering the Pythagorean Theorem is easier than memorizing trigonometry coefficients. Admittedly we weren’t allowed to use calculators on the exam so that means squaring the multiple choice answers and comparing them to the C squared calculation on scratch paper if you aren’t good at pulling square roots out of your hat.

The 1/6 bends are even easier to figure because a 30-60-90 right triangle is also called a 3-4-5 right triangle and it makes figuring out lengths a matter of ratios and that can be done in your head without thinking about square roots.

And for the bored silly folks I lost with that one, two words: exploding piñata

[Moonmaster]

Solid video, reminds me of the journeyman i was taught under, plumbing since he was 13 as his uncles were both plumbers, guy use to be spot on with eyeballing measurements made it look easy lol

[bornfree]

Math based off center to center. 22° set x 2.6 = travel, 30° set x 2= travel, 60° set x 1.15 = travel. These numbers will get you closer than your eyeball. All your multipliers for every degree are on the trigonometry. Want to really have fun get into the minutes of the degree. Good video Rodger 👍

[gabriellencarnacion]

Roger just wanted to say thanks. Also 5 year commercial plumber. I started out with a guy that did no math but I can tell you that 9/10 times he got his cut without math. And he would always get compliments from everyone because he’s been doing it for long he could eye ball

[jameskitzmann]

I am old school and was taught math early on as well as marking locations and dropping a plumb line and snapping chalk lines. Then adding fittings and drilling hangers. To be a good plumber you need to spend about 4 years in all types of plumbing and then pick which one to stick with or do like we did and just do all of it

[smokeyhigh]

an oscillating tool works great for cutting 1-1/2" pipe in tight spaces, I use mine all the time! if they made longer blades it would work on Bigger sizes of PVC pipe!

[glennmanchester]

Coming from a combined local of plumbers and pipe fitters a lot of times the pipes that we were dealing with were much much bigger and also many feet in the air and welded pipe so of course in that situation you have to do the layout with plum bobs on the floor figure out the piece needed and then take it up and weld it in place the tolerance is critical and there's no room for mistakes on a welded six or eight inch chilled water pipe or a ten inch cast iron roof leader perhaps this is a easy way to teach the guys how to do it but the real reason to learn is that

[Dookie_burner]

If you do this on a construction site, it will be your last day. Boss" wheres johnny?" Foreman" he spent 2.5 hours to run a 2" vent x 3' long