Probite fittings

[coilcj]

Getting ready to plumb the second part of the shop and for (hopefully) obvious reasons, I am not doing PVC! I am wanting to run 3/4" copper lines, the issue I have is I am not real confident in sweating pipe, I have done it once for a hot water heater but pipe holding 150 PSI makes me a little nervous, plus the one joint will end up in a real tight spot with little to no room to work. I was emailed this link to "quick connectors" and was wondering if anyone has used them and how they work. Yes, they are a little pricey, but for my piece of mind I don't mind spending the money. Yes, I searched for Probite and found nothing.

www.probite.com

It shows a pressure rating of 200psi which does make me a little skeptical, I know I have a 25% cushion (compressor tops out at 150psi), but I usually like a little more wiggle room then that. What are your thoughts (other then suck it up and learn to sweat pipe), any other suggestions? Thanks

[Haggar]

Sweating pipe is easy, especially all nice new/dry stuff. I have bought a few of those fittings to use in real tight repairs in my house where it wasn't easy to go in with a torch (2" from a fiberglass tub wall), but that'd be a lot of money to plumb a whole garage with them.

clean the copper with wire brushes made for it (inner and outer) or emery cloth, coat with flux, heat the fitting until its hot enough to flow, add in the solder until you see if go all the way around the fitting, cool with a wet rag, done.

You could use compression valves if sweating the brass bodies scares you.


Where you say you ahve one in a real tight place, can you build this piece on a bench and then install it? Plenty of times when I'm doing something liek a shower valve which has crazy bends to get around a wall stud or something, and has 15 solder joints to it, I build it on the floor, always rotating it so the joint I'm sweating is with the fitting down and pipe straight up, so its easiest to solder and not twist. Then, once its all assembled, you just go solder it into place with a couple joints, instead of doing all of the joints in-situ...

[coilcj]

Based on the lack of response, I am guessing not many people have used this. Guess I am gonna learn to sweat pipe

Another question, what types of flexible line is everyone using to connect the compressor to the hard line? My hardline is going to be 3/4" so I need a sizable hose, did some searching and didn't find anything, probably using the wrong search terms

[PTSchram]

Originally Posted by coilcj

Based on the lack of response, I am guessing not many people have used this. Guess I am gonna learn to sweat pipe

It's a skill that will come in handy down the road!

Originally Posted by coilcj

Another question, what types of flexible line is everyone using to connect the compressor to the hard line? My hardline is going to be 3/4" so I need a sizable hose, did some searching and didn't find anything, probably using the wrong search terms

Try your local hydraulic supplier.

[cabletech]

I had a rubber hose "custom made" by McMaster-Carr, ordered it online. Cost about $30. Rated working pressure is somewhere north of 200psi. Oil resistant. It has 3/4" NPT fittings on either end of it (here it is: http://www.mcmaster.com/#5268K59 ). It connects the tank to the copper pipe on the wall. I had mine made about 2' long.

I had never sweated pipe before doing my shop air either. Took about 2 joints before I was an expert. Now I've used "that skill" inside the house for plumbing jobs (changed out my water heater, bathtub faucet/handles, shower handles, etc). Just sweat it. You'll be glad you did later. It's easy.

[Joe_88k5]

I haven't used the "Probite" brand but I have used the ones they sell at Lowes. Gatorbite or something like that. I've used a few of them between the old copper plumbing in the house and any new stuff I run with PEX. I can't imagine plumbing an entire garage with them, that would be $$$.

Sweating pipe is easy, just do a few practice joints and you'll be fine.

[Todd W]

We used gatorbite in 3 places.

1 leaked and we had to spend forever getting it soldered in there right.

WAY TOO MUCH $$

[coilcj]

Thanks for the info, I had priced out the couplers I "needed" and it came to $50 which was not terribly hateful, then I went back to the drawing board and realized that number was going to tripple, at least! I am going tomorrow morning to pick up a bunch of fittings and a new fire extinguisher, just in case

[CSP]

Get yourself a little pad that goes between the pipe you're soldering and any combustibles behind the fittings. You'll be glad you have it. They are usually in the same area that you find solder and flux.