Copper and Brass

Michael Jones

Michael Jones

New member
Well, I sort of took a hiatus from the studio during June, July, and August.
Anyone that lives in central Texas would understand this.

So, with the cooler weather, I've resumed building these past few weeks.
I have one thing left to do, and I can start sheetrockin'!
I need to run a 3/8" copper line from the bathroom to the mechanical room for the humidifier.
There's a 1/2" line for the sink and toilet already there in the bathroom.
So I can just tee into that, reduce the tee, and run the line.

Problem is: I can't find ANY 3/8" copper fittings.
Everything's 1/2" or more.
I CAN find 3/8" BRASS fittings, but those are like.... compression fittings. :(

I really don't want to put a compression fitting behind a wall; I'd rather 'sweat" the joints in.

So.... can you solder BRASS to COPPER?

(Someone told me to look at an Air-Conditioning shop for 3/8" copper fittings.)
 
you should be able too try playing with a little scrap metal the heat may not be the same it has been a little while since i did that kind of work but should be able to do it
 
Wow ... I would have to think that there would be some kind of Plumbing Supply outlet in your area that would have sweat-fit reducer bushings for 1/2 to 3/8.
I guess if in the worst case you can't find any, you could run 1/2" back to the humidifier and have the compression fitting outside of the sheetrock.
 
OK, this is weird.
I was rummaging around in the garage and I found some 3/8" copper fittings.
It even says 3/8". But it doesn't fit the 3/8" copper tubing I have. Not by a long shot.
The tubing says 3/8" O.D.
Its like.... for refregerators.... or.... Ice makers.
Maybe what I need is 3/8" I.D. tubing?

I'll just take the fittings with me to the store tomorrow.
 
All I can say is thank god that your efforts are back on your studio and not on the political threads ! :D
 
:mad: :D :confused: :rolleyes: You have come across ONE of plumbings little nightmares. Ok, heres the deal Michael. I ran into this big time.

First off, yes you can solder brass to copper. I had to buy brass fittings for some plumbing work I was doing. They soldered right up to the copper.(if I remember last year correctly, but you know old age :rolleyes: )

Ok, two wierd things about copper plumbing stuff I have learned. First, the 1/2" coiled copper isTUBING, an is 1/2" OUTSIDE DIAMETER. Straight lengths of copper PIPE, is 1/2" INSIDE DIAMETER. The fittings are different. Learned this one the hard way :rolleyes: :rolleyes: The guys in the plumbing department at HOME DEPOT had their head up where the sun don't shine. By the time I found out the truth about some things, I was so pissed off I could have .......well, I won't go there. Here is another.

The next size down from 3/8" PIPE.....looks like...well...1/4". And pipe is measured INSIDE DIAMETER... and it is 1/4". BUT THATS NOT WHAT IT IS CALLED :mad: :eek: It's is Called 1/8" pipe. Although it is NOT 1/8" inside diameter. Took me a MONTH to discover the truth about that one... :mad: And NO ONE knows why? Don't cha just love American standards :p

Now, 1/8" TUBING is exactly that. But 1/8" OUTSIDE DIAMETER. Heres a couple of more wierd ones. 3/8" pipe is 3/8" inside diameter, but 3/8" electrical parts for lamps is the exact same thing with the exact same thread, but is called TUBEING. :eek: Fuck, took another month to figure that one out.
The thread for 3/8" electrical "tubing" nuts is called 3/8" national coarse, and for pipe is called 3/8" pipe thread, even though they are identical.

The sweat fittings for copper "rollout" were called something different than the ones for copper pipe, but I can't remember. I don't deal with it that often, but now I know its all FUCKED UP :p BEWARE of PLUMBERS TOO! :D They MUST be crazy. Hope that helps Michael.
fitZ
 
Yes, do not expect good advice from Home Depot most of the time. Actually when HD first got started there was a building downturn and they had lots of unemployed construction workers on staff. But lately they are just retail clerks. Search out a plumbing supply place or an old school hardware shop where they actually understand hardware.

As an example a fuse blew on my microwave. It looked like a typical cylinder fuse about an eighth of an inch in diameter and an inch long, but was opaque and had an unual model designation. Go to Home Depot 1...didn't have them. Go to a bigger Home Depot...had them but were out of stock. Go to the old school hardware shop a little further away Just past the door the old guy asks if he can help me. Fifteen feet away I hold up this little thing and say 'fuse'. He says 'You can find your microwave fuse in ailse 15". Not only did I get help right away but he could tell fifteen feet away that it was a microwave fuse! I should definitly go to that place more often.
 
Mike,copper tubing for plumbing is measured in O.D.,where-as HVAC copper
is measured in I.D.The two are not compatable.(although gifted masters,
such as your humble narrator,can silver solder them together if need be.)
If you cant find the fittings where you are at,you are not looking in the right
place.
If you will P.M. me a list of what you need,I would be more than happy to
pick it up for you and drop it in the mail.
BTW,shouldnt your Plumber/ HVAC tech be doing this for you?The reason
that I ask is because I know from your previous post that this is a per-
mitted job.It would be a real bummer if you did all this yourself,only to be
turned down on your top-out,because you lack the proper credentials.
(dont really know the code rules for your area,but would assume that a
master plumber or a liscensed HVAC tech would have to be present upon
C.O.)
Anywho,good luck!That is going to be one fantastic place when you finish.
 
Michael,

If you can get it to work with compression fittings, and you have them, apply flux to the threads before screwing them together, then sweat them and let the solder wick into the threads. Doable, permanent, enjoy :)

Make sure the solder you use has some silver in it, it wicks better for dissimilar materials but its no problem soldering the two together.

Rick is correct in that certain fittings and hoses are measured in OD and some in ID. I run into that all the time with plumbing turbo and oiling systems in cars. Brass fittings at Home Depot are cheaper than brass fittings from specialty, race car suppliers.
 
actually, even better, you can use a zinc-based soldering rod (www.durafix.com, etc) and a oxy/mapp torch, and use a higher temperature type connection. It will never, EVER break. Works for anything non-ferrous, except for pot metal, which you don't have.
 
Rick hit the nail on the head!
I have 3/8" tubing and 3/8" fittings for 3/8" pipe.
:( :rolleyes:

What I'd really like to do is find 3/8" copper fittings for 3/8" copper tubing.
But I'd have to go to an A/C shop to find those. That means Tuesday. I don't want to wait that long. I want to knock it out this weekend.

The plumbing's already been inspected and signed off on. This is basically a retro-fit. I've sweated in enough copper joints that I'm not worried about doing it.
I'll pump the system full of compressed air, and if it holds (I have a guage on it), then I'll know it wont leak.
 
OK. The more I think about this, the more I realize I'm going to have to use 3/8" pipe.

I have to tee into 1/2" pipe.
Then reduce to 3/8".
That's simple enough to do with pipe fittings, but to try and do that with tubing fittings is going to result in one of those... "plumber's nightmares". You know.... where you end up with a bunch of different fittings....

Here's a pic of my own private little hell.
:D
 

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I've been rockwool-ing like a mad-man.
A little bit left to do in the bathroom, and I'll be done with that nasty stuff!
 

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:D
(Thanks)

And here's the Control Room Window, all blocked in with 703.
That of course, will get covered with cloth. The 703 "sticks up" 1/2" so that when I put in the window seal, it'll all be flush.
 

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In order to keep the 703 from just falling through, in between the walls, I had to install these 1x2 backing strips on the inside of the walls.
I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to secure the 703 to the backing strips. :confused:
Especially the top of the windows.
I'm not sure if adhesive would work, and I don't want any kind of nail or fastener showing through the fabric..... I dunno. I figure something out.
 

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So, that's kind of where I'm at now.
Of course, I'll need to put in the window seals before I sheetrock, and the channels in the CR need to have their plates built. I'm going to have to "grout" the edges of the channel so that I get a perfectly smooth transistion from channel plate to concrete floor.
That'll be fun!
 
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