For several weeks I had been working on putting in new water lines. The main impetus for this project
was the plan of installing a new bathroom on the first floor. The location was going to need new water
lines run to it. Another factor was an extremely low hot water flow in the existing bathroom. Apparently the
hot water line was really clogged up, making it difficult to adjust the water temperature at the bathtub
faucets, especially in cold weather. This gave the project a higher priority and so I set out to replace the
water lines, starting with the hot water line from the water heater.
| A view of the "old" water lines. A mixture of 1/2-inch copper and galvanized pipe.
Also the only shower currently in the house. |
The tools for the job. I already had most of the tools that I needed, just needed a
new tank of propane and more solder and flux. |
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After determining the location of the new lines the next challenge was figuring out how to support the pipe.
I was going to install 3/4 inch diameter copper pipe, which is relatively sturdy. Even so, its a good idea to
have support for the pipes so that they don't sag or rattle around. The joists in the basement are a
non-standard width, and run in two different directions so normal joist hangers weren't feasible. After
some quality browsing time at Lowe's I found the solution. Angle brackets and plastic pipe holders. The
angle bracket is attached to the side of a joist, the base of the pipe holder is bolted to the angle bracket,
and the pipe is fastened to the pipe holder. Voila! A 4-inch angle bracket had plenty of room to support
both hot and cold water lines so I went with that size.
| Support bracket and pipe holders. A temporary piece of wire holds the pipe on the
right in place. The fastener has been installed on left pipe and the slip arms trimmed. |
New water lines. Only the hot water line on the left has been soldered. |
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The next step was to lay out the pipe and fittings and start soldering. I was a little rusty at first but eventually
the soldering became easier and the joints looked better. By the time I was finished I was getting pretty
good. I did suffer a few burns, and there was one time when some molten solder ran inside the sleeve of
my shirt. Ooops! Boy, that stuff is hot. By the middle of January all of the new hot water lines were in place
and soldered, just not connected to anything.
| A junction where the lines separate. To the left will be the new bathroom, to the right
the existing bathroom and washing machine. Check out the width of that wooden beam. Drilling through it
is to be avoided at all costs! |
The new output pipes from the water heater. |
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I waited for a good time to cut into the existing water lines and the opportunity came on January 19th,
Martin Luther King Day. Once I cut into the hot water lines there would be no going back or waiting a day
or two to get a part. I turned off the supply valve to the water heater and found my first problem. The valve
wouldn't completely shut off the water! Uh oh. I opened the drain on the water heater just a bit so that the
water would flow into the floor drain and not into the new lines - pipe with water running in it can't be
soldered. I cut the water lines coming from the water heater and the line that feeds the bathroom and
washing machine then spliced in the new lines. Slowly I turned the drain valve off and the supply valve on
and held my breath. I had made 46 solder joints. Were any of them going to leak?
No leaks! Everything looked good! And the bathroom and washing machine had plenty of hot water now.
Mission Accomplished! The next phase will be to solder the new cold water line and splice that in, but
that task can wait a while.
| The first splice. This feeds the bathroom and washing machine. See the difference
in pipe sizes? Also note the aluminum flashing used to shield the wood from the propane torch. |
The second splice which feeds the kitchen sink. One of the last solder joints, it
really looks clean. |
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