Encyclopedia

of Home Improvements

*Question & Answer Plumbing Pipes*

Dear Bob

I always have trouble trying to remove old rusty pipes and fittings. How do you do it?

Dear DS

Rust and mineral deposits turn some of the simplest plumbing projects into real headache jobs. One trick I try to use is to saturate a rag with cola and wrap it around the rusted plumbing connection. Cola contains dilute carbonic, citric and phosphoric acids which dissolves the rust and makes the connection easy to loosen. Penetrants such as 3-in-one high performance penetrant or liquid wrench are products that work well and are readily available.
Let the penetrant do the hard work for you. Use a pair of pliers to hold the pipe steady that leads to the part you need to remove. Put a wrench on the part being removed and twist it off. This concentrates the turning force on the threads; so the chance of damage to the pipe is minimized.


Dear Bob

I will need to connect a PVC drain pipe to a galvanized pipe in the wall when I remodel my upstairs bathroom, What kind of fitting should I use?

Dear AW

A no hub coupling makes a quick trouble free connection. The trick to tying the two lines together is in placing the coupling over both pipes. The easiest way to accomplish this is to push the coupling fully onto one pipe, then push half of the coupling onto the other pipe.
A four band clamp is slid halfway onto one pipe and folded back so that the other pipe can be moved into place. Unfold the rubber sleeve and put the four band clamp over it and tighten.

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