WARNING • Always careful not to leak the refrigerant during welding. • The refrigerant generates poisonous gas harmful to human body if combusted. • Do not perform welding in a closed space. • Be sure to close the cap of the service port to prevent gas leak- age after the work.! Please block the pipe knock outs of the front and side panels after installing the pipes. (Animals or foreign objects may be brought in to damage wires. ) Service Port
For example, a 2-inch sink drain flows into a 4-inch commode drain, but a 4-inch pipe never flows into a smaller dimension pipe. Fittings, Elbows, Reducers and Sweeps Choosing the right fittings is imperative for connecting the drainpipes. Elbows connect horizontal drainpipes to vertical drainpipes that drop through walls before they connect to the stack. Waste flows with fewer clogs through gently sloped elbows, called sweeps, than it does through 90-degree elbows. Reducers connect small drainpipes to larger ones, and "T's" and "Y's" connect three lines. An example of where to use a "T" fitting would be in the wall behind a sink, where the horizontal sink drain meets the vertical drain line. The third "T" opening would accommodate a vent pipe that extends upward. Putting it All Together Many of today's drainpipes are PVC or ABS pipe, but some homes have copper, steel or cast iron pipes. The most user-friendly are PVC and ABS, requiring only a pipe saw to cut and special cleaner, primer and glue to connect the fittings.
This reduces the overall water hammering possibility. No Calcium Deposits & Corrosion Since Pex is a plastic, there will be no calcium buildups compared to the copper metal. Furthermore, there is no corrosion overtime. Elasticity The elasticity of Pex allows for less chance of a pipe burst due to freezing and better expanding/contracting during summer heat. Heat Transfer With a metal pipe there is a lot of heat transfer and heat loss. However, Pex does not transfer heat like copper, therefore, conserving energy! Overall Easier Install Due to the pipe being flexible and coming in long runs, the install time is shorter. Moreover, there are less connections (less chance for leaks) and less overall cost. Concerns with Pex – Possible Failure Because Pex is a plastic, it can be worn down through too much chlorine. If your city uses too much chlorine in their water, there is a chance your pipe can leak from eventual wear. This happened in an earlier version of pex known as Polybutylene. Read about that here.
Home > Home Improvement > Plumbing > New Plumbing Pipes Plumbing Installation Prices Installing new plumbing is a significant investment. Delaying the project, however, could result in home flooding that is as costly, if not more costly, than the plumbing itself. New pipe technology, furthermore, means that you don't have to spring for costly copper piping. Do I Need to Replace My Plumbing? If you live in a home that's 50 to 100 years old, the pipes could be nearing the end of their service life. Brass, copper, cast iron, and galvanized steel pipes all have an estimated lifespan of around 75-100 years. While piping can certainly last longer than this, it can also fail sooner if it isn't properly maintained and/or you have hard water. Eventually, though, all pipes will corrode to the point of failure. Signs of corrosion include discoloration, staining, flaking, and other marks on the outside of the pipes or around fittings, as well as brown/yellow/brackish water. Inspect the exposed piping of your older home at least once per year and if you notice any trouble spots, call a local plumber for an evaluation.
For new construction in the Plano Texas area, you should make a careful decision about what type of plumbing material your installation should be based on. We often recommend systems using copper. For over seventy years, copper plumbing has been the gold standard, installed in over eighty percent of today's homes, and for good reason. There are a number of reasons for this. One of the most important considerations is the quality of your drinkable water supply. Copper is manufactured without lead, so there is no risk of lead poisoning from water that travels through copper piping (as opposed to galvanized piping). Copper has a biostatic property, meaning it does not enable the growth of bacteria. It maintains a healthy pH level (perfect for circumstances in which the water supply may be too acid), and is resistant to corrosion and ultraviolet light. You want your new construction project to last. Copper is a naturally occurring material – not a synthetic material; therefore, it does not break down over time the way synthetics do.
Because it is flammable, it is strictly prohibited to use Carbon dioxide – Degrade the drying characteristics of gas Chevron Gas – Toxic gas occurs when exposed to direct flame. 2 Always use a pressure reducing valve. 3 Please do not use commercially available antioxidant. The residual material seems to be the oxide scale is ob- served. In fact, due to the organic acids generated by oxida- tion of the alcohol contained in the anti-oxidants, ants nest corrosion occurs. (causes of organic acid ' alcohol + copper + water + temperature) REFRIGERANT PIPING INSTALLATION Precautions on Pipe connection / Valve operation Pipe connection is done by connecting from the end of the pipe to the branching pipes, and the refrigerant pipe coming out of the outdoor unit is divided at the end to connect to each indoor unit. Flare connec- tion for the indoor unit, and welding connection for the outdoor pipe and the branching parts. - Use hexagonal wrench to open/close the valve. Liquid pipe Gas pipe Refrigerant Charging Port!
Hard temper copper; size 1/2" or larger, is used for all installations; however, soft copper may be permitted underground to reduce joints. Medical gas copper pipe and tube will have blue or green markings specifying that it's for medical gas (IE: TYPE K MED ASTM B819). To protect from dirt and debris medical gas pipe will be shipped and stored with protective caps placed over the ends. Any contamination; such as oil, could cause spontaneous combustion when exposed to pure oxygen. Valves and fittings - Any fitting designed for medical gas must meet the applicable standards for your region(Canada - CAN/CSA-Z305. 1-92). Fittings must be capable of temperatures required for brazing if not threaded. Threaded fittings are only to be used in accessible locations for testing/inspection and only to connect devices that cannot be brazed. Installation Methods Joints made in copper supplies for medical gas are made with silver braze that do not require flux. Flux may be used to make joints on dissimilar metals only(copper-brass).
The main drawback of copper piping is its high price, and it requires soldering and additional fittings. Given its value, copper piping is tempting for thieves when exposed. PROS CONS Resistant to leaks Proven reliability since the 1960s Durable Does not pollute water Heat tolerant Long lifespan Old pipes can be recycled Corrosion resistant Expensive: Around $300 for 100 ft Old installations may contain lead solder Old copper pipes can be recycled, but copper mining and manufacturing cause environmental damage. For this reason, copper is not considered a green material. Some common applications of copper piping include hot and cold drinking water supplies, and refrigerant lines for HVAC systems. Type K copper pipe has the thickest walls, and is commonly used in underground service lines. Type L has intermediate walls, while type M has the thinnest walls, and they are commonly used for wall supply lines. Polyvinyl Chloride Piping (PVC) PVC is a plastic material that is commonly used in plumbing, and it comes in two sizes: Schedule 40 and Schedule 80.
While PEX has a higher cost than PVC, installation costs are lower and maintenance is minimal. PEX pipes and fittings have been used for over 30 years, but they gained popularity after 2010. Flexible Versatile Heat resistant Freeze resistant, since the material can expand and contract. Water contamination studies are still taking place. However, PEX has been approved in states with stringent regulations. The fittings require a special tool Cannot be connected directly to a water heater Cannot be used outdoors, since the material is damaged by UV rays. Due to its versatility, PEX piping is commonly used in retrofits and renovations. PEX is also used in areas with low ventilation, where joining pipes with glue can be dangerous. The material is suitable for hot and cold water supplies. Other Piping Materials The four piping materials described above are the most widely used in plumbing systems, but they are not the only options. The following are some examples of materials that are less popular or no longer used.
10 Plumbing materials and storage methods Pipe must be able to obtain the specified thickness and should be used with low impurities. Also when handling storage, pipe must be careful to prevent a frac- ture, deformity and wound. Should not be mixed with contaminations such as dust, moisture. Refrigerant piping on three principles Drying Should be no moisture inside Moisture Items - Significant hydroly- - Degradation of re- sis of refrigerant oil frigerant oil - Poor insulation of the compressor - Poor insula'tion of Cause - Do not cold and failure warm - Clogging of EEV, Capillary - No moisture in the pipe - No dust in the pipe. - Until the connec- tion is completed, the plumbing pipe entrance should be strictly controlled. - Stop plumbing at - Pipe entrance rainy day. should be taken Coun- side or bottom. termea- - When removal burr after cutting pipe, sure pipe entrance after cutting pipe, pipe down. taken down. should be fitted cap when pass through the walls. Nitrogen substitution method Welding, as when heating without nitrogen substitution a large amount of the oxide film is formed on the internal piping.