About speedball1 Expertise About me: My Plumbing Expertise: I retired from plumbing after a lifetime in the trade. all phases from service and upkeep to construction, both residential and commercial. I am qualified to do anything in plumbing from fixing a leaky faucet to drafting a set of plans for a commercial shopping center and supervising the construction. My last five years were spent as a trouble shooter for a large plumbing company. I took on all my companys complaints. I have been a expert on the plumbing page at Askme.com. In a field of 200 experts my rating was number one. You may also find me at Answerway.com and AskMe Help Desk.com. This is fun for me and if I can help anybody out that`s iceing on the cake. Degrees & Certifications: As for degrees, I don`t have any. Just a Journeymans ticket, but hey! How about fifty years experience?
Experience Life Experience? Hmmmmmmm! Ran away at 15 and joined a carnival, Navy at 17 Merchant marine at 19 I've had a hellava life.
Question I have a break in a copper supply line in my crawlspace. Due to the location, sweating a repair sleeve on is not an option. I purchased a compression union. The instructions say to use a flaring tool to flare the ends of the pipe. Again, because i don't have the tool and the location I can't do this. The fitting came with 2 inserts which are flared, but the salesman told me not to use them on a 1/2 pipe copper pipe repair. My question is can i put the union on without flaring the ends, and if so should i use the inserts? This is my first time using a compression union. Thank you in advance for your advice.
Bill Muessig
Answer Good morning Bill, I'm confused. Copper fittings come in three flavors. Sweat, (solder), Flare and Compression. You and the salesman seem to have married the last two. A compression fitting that has to be flared? No such animal! A flare fitting has a rounded male end and a female flare nut that tightens down on it after you put a flare in the copper pipe. A compression fitting has two ferrules that look like little brass rings. First you slip the female compression nut over the end of the pipe and then the furrule and last the male end of the fitting screws into the compression nut clamping down on the furrule and making a watertight connection. First of all change salesmen. Then go into a plumbing supply house and ask for a 1/2" compression union. When you install it do not paint pipe joint compound on the furrules as it will put undue pressure on the compression nut and it might develop a crack. More questions? I'm as close as a click. Hope this helps and thank you for rating my reply. Tom
