Contemporary plumbers use copper and CPVC pipes to plumb residential water lines, but it’s still common to find galvanized steel water pipes in older homes and outdoor water lines. Galvanized pipes come in diameters from 1/2 inch to 8 inches, with 2-inch and larger pipes normally reserved for industrial use. The threaded pipes connect with threaded fittings. When you need to remove a fitting, you sometimes have your work cut out for you.

Single-Port Fittings

The concept with single-port fittings is simple: tighten your wrench around a spigot or cap connected to a galvanized pipe, and turn it counterclockwise to remove it. The reality is seldom that simple, however, because you will usually find the fitting rusted in place. At the very least, you’ll have to hold the pipe steady with one pipe wrench while you turn the fitting with another. You will need muscle power, too – lots of it. Once you get the fitting to move, the rest is easy, but you sometimes need to augment your best efforts with spray lubricant to accomplish removal.

Two-Port Fittings

Disconnecting a fitting with two ports, like a coupling or elbow, presents a dilemma. The question becomes how to loosen the fitting from one pipe without tightening it onto the other. The answer is that, to loosen the fitting from one pipe, you must first cut it loose from the other. You can cut through galvanized pipe with a hacksaw, but the job goes much faster if you use a reciprocating saw with a metal-cutting blade. Don’t forget to turn the water off before you cut into the pipe, or you’ll be dealing with an uncontrollable spray. You risk a scalding if the water is hot.

Tees and Crosses

The procedure for removing multiple-port fittings like tees and crosses is similar to disconnecting double-port fittings. You must cut all the pipes connected to the fitting but one. Making two cuts on each pipe to remove a small section gives you the clearance you need to turn the fitting. If you plan to replace the fitting, you’ll also have to replace the cut pipes, and replacing one extra pipe isn’t much more work. Therefore, it’s usually more expedient to simply cut all the pipes rather than trying to unscrew the fitting, which is probably locked onto the threads anyway.

Disassembling a Pipe System

When you assemble a system of galvanized pipes, you begin at one end and screw on pipes and fittings in order until you reach the other end. Disassembling the system is the reverse procedure, but you need a free end from which to start. That means cutting through at least one pipe unless there is a union somewhere in the system that you can take apart. When disassembling a system of old pipes that they won’t reuse, plumbers usually don’t go to the trouble of unscrewing them. They simply cut them apart with a reciprocating saw.

By the way, when mentioned galvanized pipe fittings, you maybe think where I can find them? The pipe fittings manufacturer that I recommend you is Golden Highope.

Golden Highope Industrial Inc. Ltd. offers galvanized and malleable iron pipe fittings, their products are designed, manufactured and shipped in compliance with API, ASTM, JIS, DIN, DAN, SMS and many other international quality standards from the spectroscopic tested. MECH is a China well-known brand of galvanized / malleable pipe fittings, which divided into two different series, American standard and British standard.

Learn more specifications of galvanized pipe fittings, welcome to visit Golden Highope’s website: www.golden-highope.com. Feel free to send inquiry to them.

Article Source: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/disconnect-galvanized-pipe-fitting-42178.html