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Started by pstnly@bellsouth
Mon, 10 Apr 2006 06:28
How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: pstnly@bellsouth
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 06:28
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 06:28
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My house has a 50 year old shower head coming out of the wall. The copper pipe coming out of the wall is old, tarnished and ugly - I would love to replace it. (This is the pipe onto which the shower head attaches via a thread). I've given it a tentative twist, but it seems like it's not going to budge. What I don't know is whether the pipe coming out of the wall is actually screwed into something, or whether it's welded. Can anyone help here? Assuming I don't want to destroy the wall, and the pipe is not screwable, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning up the ugly copper pipe to make it at least look presentable? Is there any way to chrome it in place?
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: mikeytag
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 13:26
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 13:26
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If the house has copper piping than you can pretty much bet that it is welded in place. Unscrewing it is going to be unfruitful. If it is welded you need to cut off the pipe and weld a new piece on, usually a job for a plumber who knows what he is doing. I think the copper cleaner that Jeff talked about is your best idea. Copper doesn't rust so the pipe is still good, maybe you can clean it to your liking. Mike >My house has a 50 year old shower head coming out of the wall. The >copper pipe coming out of the wall is old, tarnished and ugly - I would >love to replace it. (This is the pipe onto which the shower head >attaches via a thread). > >I've given it a tentative twist, but it seems like it's not going to >budge. What I don't know is whether the pipe coming out of the wall is >actually screwed into something, or whether it's welded. Can anyone >help here? > >Assuming I don't want to destroy the wall, and the pipe is not >screwable, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning up the ugly >copper pipe to make it at least look presentable? Is there any way to >chrome it in place? ____________________________________ Posted via Homerepairlive.com http://www.homerepairlive.com
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: "Doug Kanter"
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:07
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:07
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<pstnly@bellsouth.net> wrote in message news:1144675694.567896.307440@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... > My house has a 50 year old shower head coming out of the wall. The > copper pipe coming out of the wall is old, tarnished and ugly - I would > love to replace it. (This is the pipe onto which the shower head > attaches via a thread). > > I've given it a tentative twist, but it seems like it's not going to > budge. What I don't know is whether the pipe coming out of the wall is > actually screwed into something, or whether it's welded. Can anyone > help here? > > Assuming I don't want to destroy the wall, and the pipe is not > screwable, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning up the ugly > copper pipe to make it at least look presentable? Is there any way to > chrome it in place? > No access behind the wall, in a closet, etc?
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: Goedjn
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:23
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:23
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On Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:07:18 GMT, "Doug Kanter" <ancientangler@hotmail.com> wrote: ><pstnly@bellsouth.net> wrote in message >news:1144675694.567896.307440@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... >> My house has a 50 year old shower head coming out of the wall. The >> copper pipe coming out of the wall is old, tarnished and ugly - I would >> love to replace it. (This is the pipe onto which the shower head >> attaches via a thread). >> >> I've given it a tentative twist, but it seems like it's not going to >> budge. What I don't know is whether the pipe coming out of the wall is >> actually screwed into something, or whether it's welded. Can anyone >> help here? >> >> Assuming I don't want to destroy the wall, and the pipe is not >> screwable, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning up the ugly >> copper pipe to make it at least look presentable? Is there any way to >> chrome it in place? It's probably soldered. Why don't you just paint the thing?
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: No
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 15:04
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 15:04
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Doug Kanter wrote: > People sometimes clean the bejeezus out of brass lamps, and then apply some > sort of lacquer. I wonder if this can be done with copper as well. Might be > worth a visit to www.rustoleum.com, and perhaps a phonecall. Krylon also > makes some interesting protective sprays. www.krylon.com. > > > "mikeytag" <noreply@homerepairlive.com> wrote in message > news:b9d6ed66b77ad89f064e8c7aeba763e1@homerepairlive.com... >> If the house has copper piping than you can pretty much bet that it is >> welded in place. Unscrewing it is going to be unfruitful. If it is welded >> you need to cut off the pipe and weld a new piece on, usually a job for a >> plumber who knows what he is doing. I think the copper cleaner that Jeff >> talked about is your best idea. Copper doesn't rust so the pipe is still >> good, maybe you can clean it to your liking. >> >> Mike >> >>> My house has a 50 year old shower head coming out of the wall. The >>> copper pipe coming out of the wall is old, tarnished and ugly - I would >>> love to replace it. (This is the pipe onto which the shower head >>> attaches via a thread). >>> >>> I've given it a tentative twist, but it seems like it's not going to >>> budge. What I don't know is whether the pipe coming out of the wall is >>> actually screwed into something, or whether it's welded. Can anyone >>> help here? >>> >>> Assuming I don't want to destroy the wall, and the pipe is not >>> screwable, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning up the ugly >>> copper pipe to make it at least look presentable? Is there any way to >>> chrome it in place? >> >> ____________________________________ >> Posted via Homerepairlive.com >> http://www.homerepairlive.com > > Yes - Spray laquer will work to keep copper from tarnishing. Been there, done that. (Not pipes though but should still work)
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: "Jeff"
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 15:06
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 15:06
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Two choices if you leave in place Use chemicals for copper cookware to remove tarnish, maybe lightly sand and paint with a clear lacquer to prevent future tarnishing. Lightly sand and paint with an oil based enamel a neutral color. <pstnly@bellsouth.net> wrote in message news:1144675694.567896.307440@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... > My house has a 50 year old shower head coming out of the wall. The > copper pipe coming out of the wall is old, tarnished and ugly - I would > love to replace it. (This is the pipe onto which the shower head > attaches via a thread). > > I've given it a tentative twist, but it seems like it's not going to > budge. What I don't know is whether the pipe coming out of the wall is > actually screwed into something, or whether it's welded. Can anyone > help here? > > Assuming I don't want to destroy the wall, and the pipe is not > screwable, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning up the ugly > copper pipe to make it at least look presentable? Is there any way to > chrome it in place? >
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: "PanHandler"
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:38
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:38
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"Edwin Pawlowski" <esp@snet.net> wrote in message news:IRx_f.3458$ee6.3162@trndny01... > > "mikeytag" <noreply@homerepairlive.com> wrote in message > news:b9d6ed66b77ad89f064e8c7aeba763e1@homerepairlive.com... >> If the house has copper piping than you can pretty much bet that it is >> welded in place. Unscrewing it is going to be unfruitful. If it is welded >> you need to cut off the pipe and weld a new piece on, usually a job for a >> plumber who knows what he is doing. > > > More likely, it is brass and threaded into a fitting inside the wall. > > If the OP cannot tell a copper tube from a brass pipe, he should not be > doing the job though. If it's a mobile home there's a good chance that it's a plastic Pex supply line from the diverter and the shower arm can't be unscrewed, and doesn't have rear access. Mobile home plumbing (especially older homes) can be a total nightmare for DIYers.
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: "Doug Kanter"
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:31
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:31
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People sometimes clean the bejeezus out of brass lamps, and then apply some sort of lacquer. I wonder if this can be done with copper as well. Might be worth a visit to www.rustoleum.com, and perhaps a phonecall. Krylon also makes some interesting protective sprays. www.krylon.com. "mikeytag" <noreply@homerepairlive.com> wrote in message news:b9d6ed66b77ad89f064e8c7aeba763e1@homerepairlive.com... > If the house has copper piping than you can pretty much bet that it is > welded in place. Unscrewing it is going to be unfruitful. If it is welded > you need to cut off the pipe and weld a new piece on, usually a job for a > plumber who knows what he is doing. I think the copper cleaner that Jeff > talked about is your best idea. Copper doesn't rust so the pipe is still > good, maybe you can clean it to your liking. > > Mike > >>My house has a 50 year old shower head coming out of the wall. The >>copper pipe coming out of the wall is old, tarnished and ugly - I would >>love to replace it. (This is the pipe onto which the shower head >>attaches via a thread). >> >>I've given it a tentative twist, but it seems like it's not going to >>budge. What I don't know is whether the pipe coming out of the wall is >>actually screwed into something, or whether it's welded. Can anyone >>help here? >> >>Assuming I don't want to destroy the wall, and the pipe is not >>screwable, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning up the ugly >>copper pipe to make it at least look presentable? Is there any way to >>chrome it in place? > > > ____________________________________ > Posted via Homerepairlive.com > http://www.homerepairlive.com
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: "Edwin Pawlowski
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:54
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 18:54
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"mikeytag" <noreply@homerepairlive.com> wrote in message news:b9d6ed66b77ad89f064e8c7aeba763e1@homerepairlive.com... > If the house has copper piping than you can pretty much bet that it is > welded in place. Unscrewing it is going to be unfruitful. If it is welded > you need to cut off the pipe and weld a new piece on, usually a job for a > plumber who knows what he is doing. More likely, it is brass and threaded into a fitting inside the wall. If the OP cannot tell a copper tube from a brass pipe, he should not be doing the job though.
Re: How to replace shower plumbing.
Author: "Doug Kanter"
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 21:41
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 21:41
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"PanHandler" <panhandler@emptyhat.net> wrote in message news:ObA_f.21653$Sf.10603@bignews6.bellsouth.net... > > "Edwin Pawlowski" <esp@snet.net> wrote in message > news:IRx_f.3458$ee6.3162@trndny01... >> >> "mikeytag" <noreply@homerepairlive.com> wrote in message >> news:b9d6ed66b77ad89f064e8c7aeba763e1@homerepairlive.com... >>> If the house has copper piping than you can pretty much bet that it is >>> welded in place. Unscrewing it is going to be unfruitful. If it is >>> welded >>> you need to cut off the pipe and weld a new piece on, usually a job for >>> a >>> plumber who knows what he is doing. >> >> >> More likely, it is brass and threaded into a fitting inside the wall. >> >> If the OP cannot tell a copper tube from a brass pipe, he should not be >> doing the job though. > > If it's a mobile home there's a good chance that it's a plastic Pex supply > line from the diverter and the shower arm can't be unscrewed, and doesn't > have rear access. Mobile home plumbing (especially older homes) can be a > total nightmare for DIYers. > If the OP's "50 year old shower head" description is accurate, how could it be a mobile home? Wouldn't a tornado have said hello to a mobile home after 50 years? I mean, it's just a matter of probability.
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