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Loosening a pipe fitting: suggestions?


Joe Frickin' Friday

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Joe Frickin' Friday

I'm installing a branch pipe (for a gas-powered clothes dryer) onto the main natural gas line in our house. The main pipe is 1" NPT, and I'm trying to tap into an existing tee, one leg of which has been plugged with a pipe plug which has a square boss on it for wrenching.

 

That plug was presumably installed in '94, when the house was built - and it's pretty tight. Today I had a pipe wrench on the tee and a 13/16" open-end wrench (that's a "spanner" for you folks in the British isles :wave:) on the square boss of the pipe plug. The open-end wrench was only about half as long as the handle on the pipe wrench, so I slipped a cheater bar onto it, and shortly thereafter snapped my open-end wrench into two pieces.

 

Did I mention that the plug was pretty tight?

 

Thankfully Sears replaced my busted open-end wrench under warranty, and while I was there I bought a second pipe wrench, same size as my first one. But before I start really whaling on this plug/tee connection with a pair of bad-ass pipe wrenches, I'm curious to know if anyone has any suggestions that might reduce my effort, or - more importantly - avoid risking damage to the existing pipe. This would be a major PITA if I have to replace any of the existing pipeline, as there don't seem to be any unions that would make it even slightly easy.

 

Heat? Solvents? How can I soften the pipe thread compound in that 16-year-old connection?

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I haven't done a lot of natural gas lines specifically - almost all water and other pressurized gasses. You didn't mention it but it should be black iron pipe, with some type of sealant (teflon). In case you (or another reader) isn't familiar with it - NPT stands for National Pipe Thread. They are tapered threads, which achieve a seal by getting tighter and tighter the more you wrench the parts together. You can imagine that leaks are a big no-no, so natural gas lines really get tightened down hard. And then there's that sealant. That stuff serves as a lubricant during assembly, and a gap filler. It also hardens up and can be a real bear to crack open. But that's pretty much your only hurdle: Leverage. Use two, 24" pipe wrenches. Maybe have a friend help, or add cheater bars. Do not heat the pipe, unless you want to have a weenie roast. I shouldn't have to say it, but make double sure that the gas is shut off, and you wan't to be super paranoid about leaks upon reassembly. Good luck!

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yabadabapal

Interesting. Im thinking that this might work. Instead of trying to loosen the connection with your pipe wrench, gently with a rubber hammer, mallet, tap the wrench in the opposite direction as if you were tightening it. Then once you feel the slightest bit of give, as if the threads were giving into the tightening direction, start tapping in the direction you want it to go, loosening. Keep tapping back and forth in opposing directions and the threads and or compound on the threads will start to soften due to friction heat. It might work?

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ShovelStrokeEd

Mitch, I was a pipe fitter for about 20 years of my life.

 

The tee fitting will be malleable iron and the plug a form of cast iron or steel. Might be hollow, might be solid. Depends on local laws.

 

Two pipe wrenches in opposition are about the only way out of this. You might try tapping rather vigorously with a heavy hammer around the wrenching boss on the tee. Best way is to have another heavy hammer on the opposite side to act as an anvil and keep the rest of the piping from moving.

 

If all else fails, drill through the center of the plug and use a cold chisel to break the plug out of the fitting. Easy if the plug is cast. Drill large and chip it away, once it splits, it will be easy to remove. Do not be tempted to use the chisel to cut into the opening, you will be sure to damage the internal threads on the fitting. There is a special chisel for this, usually called a round nose or cape chisel.

 

On assembly of the new stuff, check with a local plumber on the sealant requirements. Varies by local code and teflon is usually verboten on gas lines unless in paste form. The reason you can't find any unions is that they normally only permit one and it will be after the appliance shutoff. Make sure all the fittings you use are malleable iron, not cast or worse, drainage.

 

BTW, NPT stands for National Pipe, Taper.

Edited by ShovelStrokeEd
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Joe Frickin' Friday
The reason you can't find any unions is that they normally only permit one and it will be after the appliance shutoff.

 

Thanks for the rest of the advice. If it comes down to drilling/chiseling, that'll be exciting, since there's natural gas on the other side. Sparks, anyone? :lurk: I don't think I'll go there unless I managed to snap off the square wrenching boss.

 

Interesting though, why only one union allowed?

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The reason you can't find any unions is that they normally only permit one and it will be after the appliance shutoff.

 

Thanks for the rest of the advice. If it comes down to drilling/chiseling, that'll be exciting, since there's natural gas on the other side. Sparks, anyone? :lurk: I don't think I'll go there unless I managed to snap off the square wrenching boss.

 

Interesting though, why only one union allowed?

 

Unions leak.......Natural gas is hard to seal, leaks are not obvious, if they develop, and the consequences of a leak are ......Serious, potentially. Thus the use of left hand/right hand couplings.

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You say you already have one pipe wrench; Ed thinks there's a possiblity with two- get thyself down to Home Depot or Lowes and get a nice Ridgid pipe wrench. They make quality plumbing tools, especially the pipe wrenches. Even aluminum, but aluminum is big bucks. Standard steel will do. Would probably help to get somebody to hold one pipe wrench for you. Or if he's stronger, have him have a go at the plug.

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Heat? Solvents? How can I soften the pipe thread compound in that 16-year-old connection?

 

I can't answer your question but I can't pass up this chance to tell a story.. :)

In Houston I was once dispatched to a location where a man had used a traffic flair to heat a gas line to remove an old gas line cap or connection..He was smart enough to turn the gas off but not to consider the gas left in the line..Somehow he managed to cause an explosion at the point of the heat. He blew off most of his right hand, the right side of his face and blew his right eyeball out which was hanging down about where his cheek used to be..

 

Be careful out there Mitch..

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You can measure the square part and get an 8 point - 1/2" drive socket that fits. Then you can use a 1/2" drive breaker bar to get the plug to loosen up. You would still need to hold onto the Tee with your pipe wrench to prevent twisting/damage to the main line.

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With 1 inch pipe you might be able to do it with a pair of 18 in wrenches but, I'd use a pair of 24's and it should be a slam dunk.

 

Dave

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  • 2 weeks later...
Joe Frickin' Friday
JFF,

Did you get it loose?

 

It's on hold. I am off of work this Friday, so I'll try it Friday morning. That way, if something goes really bad, I'll have all day to get the damage repaired before I need gas in the evening (for hot water).

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Mitch, purge the system if ya get to any cutting or drilling.

 

Don't want ya losing an eyeball or anything... :grin:

 

Helluva story Lawman... :eek:

 

MB>

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John Ranalletta

I'm went to the Tasker school of plumbing repair. He said he started by changing a leaking washer in the sink faucet and ended up digging a hole in the street.

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I think you need a BFW :thumbsup:

 

With a pipe wrench you run the risk of rounding off the squires of the plug.

 

On second thought an 18" should do just fine.

 

Slight hijack... what do you use on your Argon(?) reg?

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Joe Frickin' Friday
Slight hijack... what do you use on your Argon(?) reg?

 

Yep, TIG welder takes argon. Reg has a nice big hex on it. The

actual sealing radius on the gland isn't real big, so even though the pressure is high, you don't need to torque the bejeezus out of the hex to get a good seal; a crescent wrench works well here.

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a crescent wrench works well here.

 

Perhaps this Crescent wrench is big/long enough for some good leverage on the pipe plug?

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Joe Frickin' Friday
a crescent wrench works well here.

 

Perhaps this Crescent wrench is big/long enough for some good leverage on the pipe plug?

 

Well, after breaking my 13/16" open-end wrench, I bought a second pipe wrench, so now I've got a pair of pipe wrenches with 18" handles. I think the Crescent wrench is only 12".

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Nice n Easy Rider
Heat? Solvents? How can I soften the pipe thread compound in that 16-year-old connection?

 

I can't answer your question but I can't pass up this chance to tell a story.. :)

In Houston I was once dispatched to a location where a man had used a traffic flair to heat a gas line to remove an old gas line cap or connection..He was smart enough to turn the gas off but not to consider the gas left in the line..Somehow he managed to cause an explosion at the point of the heat. He blew off most of his right hand, the right side of his face and blew his right eyeball out which was hanging down about where his cheek used to be..

 

Be careful out there Mitch..

+1 on what Billy said. Sadly reminded of the dangers of residual gas since yesterday was the 1-yr anniversary of the Con Agra plant explosion here in NC. The explosion was caused when some contractors were hooking up a new water heater and apparently relied on their noses to verify that there was no residual gas in the lines. Result was 4 dead and over 70 to the hospitals.

As Billy said - please be careful.

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Where's the nail biting emoticon when you need one? My comfort food is popcorn :lurk: so I've loaded up and eagerly awaiting news of your successful cap extracation.

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Well, after breaking my 13/16" open-end wrench, I bought a second pipe wrench, so now I've got a pair of pipe wrenches with 18" handles. I think the Crescent wrench is only 12".

 

If your adjustable wrench is a Crescent you may get away with adding a pipe to the end for additional leverage as this brand tends to be more robust then others.

 

Again, I would not use a pipe wrench due to the potential of rounding off the edges.

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Joe Frickin' Friday

Success! :clap:

 

I wanted to have both my hands free to apply full force to one wrench, which meant I needed to brace the first wrench all by itself:

 

ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=5099&filename=allshot.jpg

 

I didn't think the single skinny vertical board was stiff enough to avoid buckling when I started turning the other wrench, so I clamped another board to it to stiffen it up.

 

Note also the other cluster of planks c-clamped to the big I-beam near the ceiling. The wrench I was gonna grab would be vertical and pulled to the right to unscrew the plug, so I had to brace the whole pipe assembly against that beam to prevent it all from shifting to the right. Closeup:

 

ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=5100&filename=1wrench.jpg

 

With the second wrench hanging on the plug's square lug:

 

ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=5101&filename=2wrench.jpg

 

I had a piece of steel tube that I slipped over that wrench as a cheater. The only thing I had a direct grip on was that piece of steel tube, which left two heavy pipe wrenches and a bunch of wood blocks in position to violently rain down if something came loose unexpectedly. Solution? Steel-toe boots and a motorcycle helmet. :grin:

 

Properly braced and with a good cheater bar, the plug came loose without too much of a struggle. No corrosion, just a nicely snugged plug held in with some firm-but-not-crusty pipe joint compound. 1/2" pipe stub and valve in place, and another 20 feet of pipe has been installed; almost done. :)

 

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  • 10 years later...
6 hours ago, Twisties said:

Ha, great resource!  This came up on a Google search today.

 

Time to go see how many pipe wrenches we have....  :-)

I almost always have one fewer than I need...you’d think, since that situation usually results in obtaining another one, I’d have reached the point where I have enough. Not yet!

  • Haha 1
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Well, we had one, and it wasn't any longer than the 22 mm wrench I had been trying with.  Problem solved by addition instead of subtraction....  added an additional fitting to make the new connection.... not quite as elegant.... two extra pieces, but serviceable and out of sight, so....

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