Old Galvanized Pipe

3546 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Mark B, Sep 12, 2003

Planter

Discussion Starter · Aug 9, 2003

I have a friend who has an inch and a half service on his secondary. The company valve is a bronze gate valve. The system is 40-50 years old. We are doing an update. The gate valve is in pretty good shape, but leaks out the stem a bit. I cut open the service line to see if it was too corroded to work and the inside is in great shape.

There is the company gate valve, a short galvanized nipple, an old wye strainer, another short nipple and a union. Everything is very rusted. I tried to open the union, but it wouldn't budge. From there to the pump is 1.5 inch galvanized.

I want to cut the line out a few feet downstream from the gate valve, remove the union, strainer and the nipple into the gate valve. Then I'll install an new ball valve for the property owner, a filter, and PVC pipe to a compression coupling onto the existing galvanized line. Of course, I'll use PVC into the bronze gate valve.

I'm concerned that I won't be able to get the nipple between the strainer and gate valve out. Any suggestions?

I hate galvanized pipe!

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Arnold

· #2 · Aug 11, 2003

Use some heat on it if you can, tap it alot with a hammer, and use a nipple extractor. I have been lucky with a sharp chisel and slowly chisel the nipple out but be careful not to damage the threads if all fails buy new parts.

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greenworldh20

· #3 · Aug 13, 2003

i agree with arnold...use a hammer and don't mess up the threads...that is what i do...time consuming but quicker than getting new parts.

brian

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NC_Irrigator

· #4 · Aug 19, 2003

stay away from those pvc compression couplings. they tend to not hold up, and develop leaks. you need to rethread the galvanized pipe, and use a female pvc adapter with teflon tape, most rental stores rent ridgid pony threaders which will do the job in 10 seconds

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Grassmechanic

· #5 · Aug 20, 2003

Originally posted by koster_irrigation
stay away from those pvc compression couplings. they tend to not hold up, and develop leaks. you need to rethread the galvanized pipe, and use a female pvc adapter with teflon tape, most rental stores rent ridgid pony threaders which will do the job in 10 seconds

PVC compression couplings are OK to use, if properly installed. I've used them for almost 20 yrs. on high pressure (125+ psi) schedule 80 golf course lines with no problems whatsoever.

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NC_Irrigator

· #6 · Aug 20, 2003

^ i agree with them if your mending pvc to pvc, but were talking about pvc to galvanized- which can corrode. those rubber bushings dont like that

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Grassmechanic

· #7 · Aug 20, 2003

OK, I had to go back and re-read. PVC to Galv. You're right. It's been a long day.....

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Arnold

· #8 · Aug 21, 2003

They make a galv compression fitting that is made of galv with rubber seals and they work great on clean galv pipe. I have used alot of them on 100psi galv lines with no problems. These have been on 1 1/4 - 2 inch lines. There are some galv comp fittings with white plastic seals and they are junk go with the rubber seals only.

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Planter

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 21, 2003

Thanks for all the help. I am using galvanized compression fittings to link from the new PVC to the old galvanized. We have not cut out the old strainer or gotten into the bronze gate valve yet, we'll wait until the water company shuts off for the year and then crack it open to make the final connections. Hope I can get the old galvanized out of the gate valve.

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Birken Vogt

· #10 · Sep 11, 2003

In my experience when working with galvanized pipe you just need to apply tremendous force. When plumbers put the stuff together they crank it really tight, in order to prevent leaks...so when you go to take it apart many years down the road it will be even tougher. This is why I have pipe wrenches that are several feet long. I have smashed many an old galvanized pipe with the pinch action of a pipe wrench taking it apart after many years like this....but you do have to consider what happens if it breaks, but it is not very often that it will break. The stuff is strong.

Birken

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Mark B

· #11 · Sep 12, 2003

Get a 24" pipe wrench and a LONG pipe and use it as cheater bar

. You should be able to put alot of force on that galv pipe. If that does not work cut the nipple fluch with the face of the fitting and then get yourself a hacksaw blade and start cutting that piece left in the fitting out. When you start cutting DON't cut the threads to deep but you can cut them a liitle bit and still be ok. All you need to do is make 2 cuts and make them about 1/2" apart then get yourself a small punch and chishel (sp) and start tapping it out do the piece that you cut first after you get that done then you should be able to tap the rest out. I hope this helps I was a pipefitter & plumber before this irritation stuff.

I don't remember who said it but I always tried to bury all the threads into a fitting.

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