Replace Hot Water Pipe Myself?

[Felix]

I don't have much experience with plumbing, but after getting an estimate, I'm wondering how hard it could really be.

Situation:

We have a hot water heating system with radiators in all the major rooms. Most of the pipes in the utility closet in the basement are new-ish copper, but the lines running from there to all the radiators above are still the old galvanized kind. These pipes hang just below the drywall on the ceiling in the basement, which is finished.

We have a slow leak in an elbow joint where the line turns to go through the ceiling to a radiator on the first floor, and there's rust coming up through the paint on the pipe. We probably only get one drop every couple days, but I'm worried that once we turn the heat back on, putting pressure in the lines, it's going to get a lot worse.

The plumber wants $2,200 to drain the whole system, replace this 6 inch section of galvanized pipe with new copper, then refill and bleed the system. This, of course, doesn't cover any repair to the drywall.

I'm fairly confident I can drain the system to a drain in the basement, but they won't touch the pipe unless it's them doing the draining. Is this something I should try myself?

It doesn't seem too bad. Open a vent on a top floor radiator and drain the water heater and boiler to the basement floor drain. Cut out the bad pipe with a sawzall and try to remove what's left to a decent, existing fitting. Put in new work. Fill the system and bleed (kinda like my brakes). Am I missing something?

Am I foolish to consider this?

 

[Koffer]

You sir are getting the royal shaft at $2,200
It can be done by you
If it just goes up to the rad above it I would replace from the rad down to the spot where the spot right before the elbow .

 

[splitshot]

You sir are getting the royal shaft at $2,200
It can be done by you
If it just goes up to the rad above it I would replace from the rad down to the spot where the spot right before the elbow .

Good advice, and get a quote from a different plumber next time.

 

[EdsCruisin]

You sir are getting the royal shaft at $2,200
It can be done by you
If it just goes up to the rad above it I would replace from the rad down to the spot where the spot right before the elbow .

x2.
First I would say don't worry about it. The water pressure in this system is low - less than 20 psi (there should be a pressure guage on the furnace). If you are getting so few drips, why not use a patch on the galvanized portion?

Draining the radiator is actually draining the whole system other than the furnace itself. It may take a little while to do and when you cut out the old pipe some latent water will still drain out. Make sure it is dry before soldering any copper or it will spatter and not seal.

Refilling and bleeding is pretty simple too. Lots of resources on the web that walk you through it. You must have found a plumber that is hurting for work...

 

[Felix]

Thanks, that's what I needed. I'm going to try to take care of it myself, either with copper or cpvc.

 

[Cuerno Largo]

Call Billy Mays. He can sell you some mighty putty. It seals leaks.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

Don't use CPVC in a heating system, copper would be fine. If it's the line that goes to the radiator you could just drain the radiator and undo the union at the base of the radiator and unthread that pipe, if the pipe looks good and is not cracked you can dope it and reassemble it or replace it with new. The heating system is the same pressure whether it's running or not, normally around 12-15 psi. Usually heating systems will stop leaking when they run because the circulating water carrys some dirt and rust that can act as stop leak on small leaks.

On the other hand I'd be happy to drive down there and fix it for $2200.

Kevin

 

[Felix]

....The heating system is the same pressure whether it's running or not, normally around 12-15 psi. ...

That's good to know, thanks.

I actually found out that a neighbor of mine is a plumber, so I'm just going to have him take care of it for me for a much more reasonable price. Hopefully, I can watch and learn so I can take care of this crap next time.

 

[John Smith]

It is good to have neighbors in the trades. Once you see how easy it is to drain, replace the pipe, and refill the system you will realize how crazy the $2200 quote is. I have a hydronic system also and replaced my pump a few years ago myself. I think the quote I received on that job was $1700. A neighbor had their boiler replaced last year when all that broke was the pump. They paid 6k for that job. The trades pay very well in our area.

 

[Isotel]

dump a bunch of these in there

 

[EdsCruisin]

It is good to have neighbors in the trades. Once you see how easy it is to drain, replace the pipe, and refill the system you will realize how crazy the $2200 quote is. I have a hydronic system also and replaced my pump a few years ago myself. I think the quote I received on that job was $1700. A neighbor had their boiler replaced last year when all that broke was the pump. They paid 6k for that job. The trades pay very well in our area.

That's why I'm a DIY guy and I tell my son to get his college degree while learning a trade. Life is good when your services are in demand!

 

[Felix]

I wanted to be a DIY guy on this one, but as I was taking a look at the pipes leading into and out of our boiler in the basement trying to figure out how to drain it, my wife saw me get one puzzled look on my face and that was it. "You're hiring someone to come in here. I don't want you ruining our finished basement."

Apparently I don't instill confidence.

 

[EricG]

Don't use CPVC in a heating system, copper would be fine.

Just a note - if the existing pipe is iron and you plan to repair it with copper, you'll have to electrically isolate the copper from the iron or you'll get galvanic corrosion at the joints. Your plumber friend should know this.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

Just a note - if the existing pipe is iron and you plan to repair it with copper, you'll have to electrically isolate the copper from the iron or you'll get galvanic corrosion at the joints. Your plumber friend should know this.

Not normally a problem in closed loop systems. Happens in water heaters in fresh water systems. You can use black steel and cast iron in heating systems without rust issues where any steel other than galvanized won't last long in a fresh water system. I've used copper pipe in heating systems 30 years without useing dielectric unions and have never had a problem, I can't remeber ever see a boiler installed with isolation joints. Now I would never install a water heater without dielectric unions but thats fresh water.


Kevin

 

[EricG]

Not normally a problem in closed loop systems. Happens in water heaters in fresh water systems. You can use black steel and cast iron in heating systems without rust issues where any steel other than galvanized won't last long in a fresh water system. I've used copper pipe in heating systems 30 years without useing dielectric unions and have never had a problem, I can't remeber ever see a boiler installed with isolation joints. Now I would never install a water heater without dielectric unions but thats fresh water.

Kevin

interesting - i wonder why that is.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

Well I know heating systems don't rust because of the lack of oxygen in the system. When the system is first filled the system starts rusting till all the oxygen in solution in the water is used up then it stops. As long as fresh water isn't added the system won't rust anymore. If the system has a leak with an auto fill it will rust out because of the new water being constantly added. I'm guessing the same thing happens with galvanic reactions that the water's Ph is neutralized by the boiler and plumbing so it no longer creates the electric current that causes the reaction.


Kevin