Ask a Plumber.

Yeah, you have read it right. I'll talk with the water company and see if they will "get it"...Thanks, and yeah it is goofy, and the shut off doesn't work.

So I'll be replacing the shut off and piping and wanted to take care of this reducer at the same time.

I would like to find 3/4" parts myself, but not sure where to look?

 

If the nipple just threads into the union on the end of the meter then you can find those parts at any hardware store, If not, you may have to track down a plumbing parts place, also, irrigation/farm supply houses may carry those parts, usually places that sell those meters have the unions that go with them. I would also recommend replacing the old gate valve with a brass ball valve like a LASCO or something similar, they have a stainless steel ball inside them which will not rust or corrode shut like the old gate valves will.

 

The coupling has a gasket, and you are right I should be able to find them locally. I'll ask the water guy when he comes to shut off my service and see if he has any.

I picked up a 3/4" Nibco full port valve (see photo). Is this a decent brand? I'll need to buy a lot more as I start replacing all my lines. I'm a big fan of shut off valves.....

Thanks again

 

Nibcos are great! You can never have enough shut off valves!
You're welcome, glad I could help, don't forget pipe dope and teflon tape, the method i use is two wraps with the tape, inline with the thread direction (meaning as you tighten the fitting it stretches the tape, not bunches it up), and enough dope to fill the threads before I install. If you have to back off the threads a lot, take it off and redo the tape and dope and re install. Some plumbers just use dope, some just use tape, I picked up this method from water district plumbers that thread fittings that will be buried in the street. You will know it's tight enough when you can't really turn it by hand (without a fulcrum), but it turns with two pipe wrenches, don't crank it all the way in (to the end of the threads), should be about halfway in to get a good seal> Too far and you can split the fittings.

 

Cool, so first put on the Teflon tape, than the pipe dope?

Here's an apparently loaded question I've researched quite a bit.

Dialectic unions? I've heard a lot of bad things about them, and many say when joining dissimiliar metals such as my case of galvanized to copper to use brass in between the two....They say that brass is much more inert and will slow the corrosion. As you see from my photo I'm going from galvanized to brass. Then planning to plumb the house in all copper, I know many like pex, but I really actually like to solder/braze

 

Might have to flip that valve handle around so it doesn't hit the wall trying to close it

 

I'm an irrigation guy (20 years), maybe a certed plumber can answer here, but the short answer I would go with is, yes you are supposed to have one BUT, if the galvi coming from the brass meter is not corroding and it's been that way for a long time, then you are probably ok with not using one.


Yes, tape first, then dope, use the dope brush on the threads in the direction that keeps the tape tight or it will bunch it up and you will have to start over.

 

Will do! There doesn't seem to be a flow direction with these valves, is there a standard way to install them? For example would it be better to pull the handle downwards to shut it off and up to open it?

I've been thinking of swapping out the 90 degree elbow for two 45 degree ones to minimize the pressure drop. And then do that on all adjoining tubing...How anal is that..... ???

 

Too anal, not worth the extra work, and there is no right way per se, to set the ball valve, not until you pipe much higher pressures

 

I've scheduled to have my water service turned off on Monday, hopefully it will go smooth.

A couple other questions. Is there a reason the piping exits the meter and then goes up and back over the meter? I'm thinking maybe to provide a bit of flexibility if things don't line up perfectly? Is this necessary?

I work quite a bit with flow meters for my day job, and as a general rule you are supposed to have a minimum straight run length into and out of the meter so the flow is as smooth as possible for accurate flow measurements. Is this something I should add? I'm thinking so as the data sheet for the meter in question shows this.

Thanks

 

I spoke with a fellow at the water maintenance division. He was very helpful and gave me a pair of 3/4" couplings! He also pulled the work order from when my water line was installed..... May 25th 1924.......wow...Might be a chance the installers were veterans from WW1..Weird to think about

But for now I hope to get the old interior pipe/shutoff off without breaking the pipe. I'm all ears on ways to do this that would minimize the chances I'll snap it off.....The water guy suggested pb blaster and possibly lots of heat if needed.

Thanks

 

Just call the guy who installed it to come fix it. lol

No but a couple pipe wrenches on those pipes should work just fine. Back everything up tho. So shut off the water, release the pressure in the pipes (open a faucet hosebib w/e), put your pipe wrench on the fitting your gonna loosen but put another pipe wrench on the pipe (opposite way) before what your loosening so it doesn't twist or break. Galvanized pipe is pretty tuff tho.

 

Lol you could just put in a tee before the meter as a bypass and reconnect past the meter. Every so often use the metered water then shut a valve off before the meter so it bypasses around it for FREE WATER BABY!!! Lol just a thought.

 

Well, it's not too big of an issue with meters i would think as far as how much straight pipe. IMO, if you hired me to do that job I would rip everything out and mount that meter vertically with the Nibco ahead of it. Measure what the length of the meter, it's fittings (minus nipples), and the ball valve. Those fittings are a type of thread union, meaning there is a ring that slides up and threads onto the ends of the meter. IDK why this guy mounted it this way, it looks like there may be enough room to do everything vertically. Unthread and remove the meter first, then go after the fittings on top of the gate valve, if they don't want to move, then be prepared to cut them off, but first, BEFORE you pass the point of no return, MAKE DARN SURE THAT FITTING BELOW THE GATE WILL THREAD OFF FIRST. Put one wrench in the opposite direction of the other wrench and pull with equal force on both, you break that sucker and next step is hammering out part of that wall.

 

Is that fitting, the elbow at the very bottom, is that brass or galvi?

 

Thanks I really, really like the idea of mounting the meter vertically. I spoke with someone at the water company about the orientation and he thought mounting it horizontally was required. The data sheet indicates it can be mounted in any position. I'll attach it here in case I'm misunderstanding. I have a friend who is an independent housing inspector that mentioned he doesn't recall seeing a meter vertically. But he also pointed out "who reads the instructions anyway"......

I've got a nice SDS hammer-drill for the wall.....lol

I really appreciate the suggestions/comments

 

It is galvanized also, in fact all my plumbing is for the time being.

 

The galvanized line coming through the wall is not level, it is pitched up slightly. The first 90 degree elbow off the main is pitched towards the wall about 1/2" for every 8". So I would need to straighten this out first. How can I do that? I think I remember seeing couplings with slight bends from straight?

 

I've never bent 3/4" copper before. Seems a little big for a spring bender?
Maybe cap it off and fill it with sand, then bend it by hand to a perfect vertical?

I could put this short bent piece of copper before the first shut off or after, I'm thinking after would be better.

I could solder a npt fitting to the 3/4" copper, tighten it into the shut off valve, bend it vertical, cut it off and sweat on another npt fitting and I'd be good to go?

I'll be using 3/4" copper for my trunk line in the future as I replace my galvanized.

 

I'd be really concerned about putting too much stress on the bottom fittings by trying to bend stuff. Maybe if you wanted to, sweat the fittings on the bench and bend the pipe in a bench vise first and then thread it on. Older galvi my look good on the outside but inside it's just particles of rust holding hands, you won't know until you put a wrench on it.

Ya know, the more I think about your project, the more I think you should use a dialectic union now. The reason is the ground and copper creates an electrical current that if it has galvi will make it rust 'quickly'. You may want to ask the water guy that question.

the next point of concern is getting that bottom elbow off, there looks to be room to get wrenches on everything above it off, but there doesn't appear to be room behind the elbow (going into the wall), to counter wrench. Galvi that has been on for years rarely comes off nice and easy. You may want to get everything off above it, thread on a union and go with that.