JOINING DISSIMILAR PIPE ILLUSTRATED

[LazyPup]

[kactuskid]

Really nice drawings LazyPup. I have a guestion, is it ok to use a brass fitting to connect galvinized piping to copper instead of a dieletric union? I see this alot and figured it to be a good substitute to ensure against electrolisis.

[HayZee518]

Zinc-Copper, Zinc-Brass is electrolytically active. The dielectric union eliminates the "battery" across the joint.

[LazyPup]

The code prohibits directly coupling copper to iron, but in addition to dielectric nipples and dielectric unions, it does permit the use of a 6 inch hardened bronze nipple.

In some jurisdictions the inspectors will permit valve bodies to be used as the transition fitting if the valve has a hardened bronze body but technically they would not pass for two reasons. 1. They lack the code minimum 6" length, and 2. there is no way to insure that the valve will be replaced with a hardened bronze body valve during future maintenance.

[WD8CDH]

Hi LazyPub,

How about those "dielectric nipples" that are just a galvanized nipple with a plastic lining? I can't see how they would work.

Ron

[Sauna]

Very useful indeed. Thanks for the drawings.