Joining Galvanized Pipe To Copper

Whenever you join copper water lines to galvanized steel pipe you should be concerned about the corrosion caused by joining two dissimilar metals called galvanic corrosion an electrochemical reaction occurs that causes the steel pipe in this case to rust and clog up.

Joining galvanized pipe to copper.

Solder the brass half to the copper pipe thread the steel half onto the galvanized steel pipe with teflon tape then join the two together tightly with the joining nut. It s far easier to make a repair to steel pipe with copper than with galvanized plumbing pipe because the galvanized calls for cutting threads on exact lengths of pipe. How to connect copper to galvanized plumbing. This eventually causes pipe degradation and leakage.

Use garden hose to drain water from heater s tank. When water flows through pipes of two different metals the pipes will become eroded by electrical impulses from the slight acidity found in all water sources. Cut copper pipe just above the corroded connection using a tubing cutter. The reaction creates scale which will eventually clog the pipe.

When you join pipes made of dissimilar metals the 2010 california plumbing code requires you to do it with a dielectric union. After 4 hours of curing it. In this video this old house plumbing and heating contractor richard trethewey explains how to join steel and copper pipes. Zinc used to coat galvanized steel pipes.

Eventually galvanized pipe will have to be replaced and when that happens your choices are to replace it with more galvanized pipe copper pipe or plastic pipe. Connecting together galvanized pipes that are non threaded uses a coupling that creates a sealed joint. Unfortunately this is not the case. This fitting joins a copper pipe to a galvanized pipe called a union.

The problem with galvanized pipe is that it reacts with the minerals in the water supply. The rubber or plastic. Turn off water and power to water heater. By looking at the list of common plumbing materials you would think that copper and stainless steel could easily be connected together and cause minimal problems in the system.

It is important to know the type of coupling to use for galvanized pipe and the fitting procedure so the pipe is leak free.