# Viable \[Copper\] Pipe Patching **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2018, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152 "2018-02-04T05:52:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/21 "2018-02-05T23:27:44Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > I’m just curious, not being really a plumber, what kind of water supply is 10 PSI? Isn’t typical drinking water supply 40-50 PSI? You’re right about typical supplies … although 40-50 PSI might be considered good … if your supply is only 10 PSI, then the system you’re connected to isn’t good, as far as pressure goes … be careful if you try to improve the pressure, the weak points in your plumbing may be fine at 10 PSI, but if you increase it to 30 PSI, you might be springing leaks everywhere … Yeah, I knew the very minute when the new water plant came on line a few years ago … woot … ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/22 "2018-02-06T03:26:46Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > I’m just curious, not being really a plumber, what kind of water supply is 10 PSI? Isn’t typical drinking water supply 40-50 PSI? Apologies, typo. its 20. Yeah, I suppose low, doesn’t seem much like it though, good water pressure, it goes quite some distance and branches off, maybe that is why. **t-bonham** Well this is at a friends auto shop, I suppose they are waiting until the summer to do the heavy work, in the meantime I will probably just sweat in a new piece or patch it (whatever I can do given the small work clearance) until then and cover it with pipe sleeves/insulators. They are also putting in a waste oil heating system too in the spring. Just gotta have the fix last until spring or summer. I’ve been pushing PEX as a replacement, good idea? ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/23 "2018-02-06T03:31:28Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > You’re right about typical supplies … although 40-50 PSI might be considered good … if your supply is only 10 PSI, then the system you’re connected to isn’t good, as far as pressure goes … be careful if you try to improve the pressure, the weak points in your plumbing may be fine at 10 PSI, but if you increase it to 30 PSI, you might be springing leaks everywhere … > > Yeah, I knew the very minute when the new water plant came on line a few years ago … woot … Sound advice! Thanks. I’ll be careful with the pressure, just gotta get by until the end of winter. I typo’d earlier, it is about 20PSI at the end point where I checked. (took off supply line valve and checked there) but the pressure seems good when the faucet is on and the valve only opened half way. Not so much worried about it, but if it froze and due to the age of the copper pipes, there will likely be a weak point. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/24 "2018-02-06T09:05:58Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I just used one of these last week and it works. I have also used them with success. They are also called ‘push fittings’ and are popular with plumbers. PVC fittings are beginning to come out with thier own version of a push fitting. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/25 "2018-02-06T15:06:50Z")
Another option is moving to where it doesn’t freeze … like I did … haven’t even seen jack frost on the ground yet this winter … ---
**Author:** ![BuckChongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@BuckChongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckChongo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/26 "2018-02-07T01:28:39Z")
Cleaning up old copper pipe and sweating new fittings on it is just so satisfying, it ain’t like work. If you switch to that ugly gaudy PEX use Sharkbite fittings, really easy and I’ve never seen one leak if it’s done right. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/27 "2018-02-07T05:34:19Z")
> [@BuckChongo](#): > > Cleaning up old copper pipe and sweating new fittings on it is just so satisfying, it ain’t like work Amen. +1 ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/28 "2018-02-08T06:38:02Z")
Just want to say thanks for all the tips. I wound up only having to replace/sweat in a small one inch section between two tee’s(it was a mess down there) and re-solder a couple other connections. When I first got to it, it was covered in electrical tape :smack: Good deal though, got some new transmission cooler lines installed on my car in trade. I was riding around with crap ones with really softened and thin rubber and rusted metal @ 120K miles, so it worked out nice. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/29 "2018-02-08T07:43:53Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Soldering is a skill lots of people don’t have. I get that, but in the use case demonstrated in the sharkbite video (replacing a damaged straight section) there is greater skill required in cutting the pipe than any other part. If you’ve managed to cut the pipe back to two clean, facing ends, slipping in a new section of pipe plus two straight couplers (the kind with a solder ring already contained in the joint) then heating them until the solder flows is so simple that it hardly counts as a skill. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/30 "2018-02-08T13:52:34Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I get that, but in the use case demonstrated in the sharkbite video (replacing a damaged straight section) there is greater skill required in cutting the pipe than any other part. > > If you’ve managed to cut the pipe back to two clean, facing ends, slipping in a new section of pipe plus two straight couplers (the kind with a solder ring already contained in the joint) then heating them until the solder flows is so simple that it hardly counts as a skill. Flux is for girls … right? … ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152/31 "2018-02-08T21:46:07Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Flux is for girls … right? … I’ve seen a lot of joints made without it. Not ideal obviously, but also, painting it on is again, not really a skill. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viable-copper-pipe-patching/808152.md?page=1)