All About Copper Pipe | This Old House

This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains the various parts commonly used in a home plumbing system.

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All About Copper Pipe | This Old House

[georgehatz]

many times the rhetorical questions from a second person comes off a tab annoying lol, but this guy did a great job clarifying what the first gentleman was saying. thank you both!

[AStanton]

Rich should of showed a slip joint fitting. That could come in handy for repair work where you are swapping something out. I just discovered them by watching another plumber on YT. You can also take the convectional joint fitting and file down the inside stops --in a pinch.

[roostertheCat]

I was resistant to transitioning from copper to pex for many years. However, when I purchased a rental property that had been completely outfitted with Pex A tubing waterlines, I changed my sentiment. No soldering of joints; no oxidation of the pipes leading to leaks that need to be repaired; and much more flexibility in the tubing leading to less joints. Plus, after I transitioned two of my other properties to Pex A, I was able to offset the cost of materials and net a profit from taking the scrap copper to the metal yard!

[worldview]

1:08, what's confusing is the type of temperatures for the type "M" pipe? Baseboard heating, or hot water feed line temperature, (which is less than the baseboard temps). Because why would they make half inch if it's just for a heating pipe?

[hmsmedia]

Do the fittings come rated as L or M??? Does it matter??

[joestallings]

Where does the name "street" elbow come from. I've always wondered...

[oscaraaronmendoza]

There is a transition of Soft copper whit thick copper ? It works

[narutosasuke]

Can I use type K Copper inside the house if I want to? Will it last longer since it’s thicker?

[ofiasdfnosdf]

I'm remodeling a 40-year old bathroom and discovered a set of what looks like foam tubing-insulated 1/4" pipes next to a set of 3/4" copper pipes. Why would they have installed both?

[tealpaintbrush]

I have to sooner or later replace the underground water line connecting from outside my house to the city's water meter line. Should I go with Type K or L?

[whez]

3/4 coupling is a little wider than a 3/4 pipe, right?

[tomatexelon]

Are fittings L or M? Do home inspectors check if I have L pipe (Thicker) on M fittings (Thinner)? - Or are fittings all L ?

[davetysdal]

There is more. Type K is even thicker. DWV copper. Even medical gas copper. ACR for refrigeration...

[jamesfeth]

Can you braze copper for use in an underground water line

[ryans]

I was cleaning my baseboard heating and the cleaning spray I was using turned the copper pipe red I was worried I was doing damage so I stopped using the sprays. Cleaned the pipe and it didn’t feel like the chemicals ate through the pipe but it went from brown looking to red. I should have known better.

[asharma]

Never send Kevin to the supply house LOL

[skipwavedx]

And that coil of soft copper? you said nothing.

[rogerdale]

1/2 inch is actually 5/8ths inch o.d.(outside dimension), and 3/4 measures 7/8ths inch o.d.

[cuylarHD]

Any reason why someone wouldn’t use a conduit bender rather than a 45° or 90° bend?

[oldtwinsna]

Only came to read comments by "experts" slamming Richard that he knows nothing about copper.