How To Beat An Addiction To Plumbing/Pipefitting

Description

Pipe fitting is the occupation of installing or repairing piping or tubing systems that convey liquid, gas, and occasionally solid materials. This work involves selecting and preparing pipe or tubing, joining it together by various means, and the location and repair of leaks.

Pipe fitting work is done in many different trades: Plumbing, HVAC, manufacturing, fire prevention, and many others. Pipe fitters (sometimes called simply "fitters") are represented in the USA by the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada.

Fitters work with a variety of pipe and tubing materials including several types of plastic, copper, steel, iron, aluminium, clay, and lead.

Steel pipe

Steel pipe (or black iron pipe) was once the most popular choice for supply of water and flammable gases, but fell from favor as water pipe in the mid 20th century due to its tendency to rust. Steel pipe is still used in many homes and businesses to convey natural gas or propane, and is a popular choice in fire sprinkler systems due to its high heat resistance.

Steel pipe is joined using thread connections, where tapered threads (See National Pipe Thread) are cut into the tubing section end, sealant is applied in the form of thread compound or PTFE tape (similar to teflon tape) and it is then threaded into a corresponding threaded fitting using a pipe wrench.

Usages vary from country to country as different nations have different standards to install pipe.

In Canada, in respect to natural gas (NG) and propane (LP gas), black iron pipe (BIP) is used to connect an appliance to the supply, it must however be marked (either painted yellow or yellow banding attached at certain intervals) and certain restrictions apply to which nominal pipe size (NPS) can be put through walls and buildings. With propane in particular BIP can be run from an exterior tank (or cylinder) provided it is well protected from the elements and an anode-type of protection is in place for when the pipe is to be installed underground.

Copper tubing

Copper tubing is most often used for supply of hot and cold water, and as refrigerant line in HVAC systems. There are two basic types of copper tubing, soft copper and rigid copper. Copper tubing is joined using flare connection, compression connection, or sweat (solder). Copper offers a high level of resistance to corrosion, but is becoming very costly.

Soft copper

Soft (or ductile) copper tubing can be bent easily to travel around obstacles in the path of the tubing. It can be joined by any of the three methods, and it is the only type of copper tubing suitable for flare connections. Soft copper is the most popular choice for refrigerant lines in split-system air conditioners and heat pumps.

Flare connections

Flare connections require that the end of a tubing section be spread outward in a bell shape using a flare tool. A flare nut then compresses this bell-shaped end onto a male fitting. Flare connections are the most labor intensive of the three options, but are quite reliable over the course of many years.

Rigid copper

Rigid copper is a popular choice for water lines. It is joined using a sweat, compression or crimped/pressed connection. Rigid copper cannot be bent and must use elbow fittings to go around corners or avoid obstacles.

Sweat connections

Sweat fitting. These are smooth, and easily slip onto the end of a tubing section. The joint is then heated using a torch, and solder is melted into the connection. When the solder cools, it forms a very strong bond which can last for decades. Sweat connected rigid copper is the most popular choice for water supply lines in modern buildings. In situations where many connections must be made at once, (such as plumbing of a new building) sweat offers much quicker joinery than compression or flare.

Compression connections

Compression fittings use a soft metal ring (the

Tags (3)

• piping,
• repairing,
• tubing

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Wikipedia - Pipe fitting

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