Shower mixer pipe trouble

[usuallyalex]

Hi,

I've just started to replumb my 1970 overlander with pex and I've hit a snag. The one fitting I plan to keep is the shower mixer as I don't want to have to remove the bathroom if I can avoid it and the shower pipe runs behind the tub and sink as installed.

The plan therefore was to cut off and connect to the copper with compression fittings at the back of the mixer faucet but it seems that the hot water pipe is slightly larger than a regular 5/8 OD pipe and the fitting is too small.

I don't think it has swollen due to being frozen as there is no other pipe damage and it's a west coast trailer.

Does anyone know if a slightly larger pipe, say 11/16 was used on any fittings? Any idea how to make a good connection?



Alex

[boatnik1]

I ran into the same problem. I simply used some flexible water line from HD and stainless clamps to complete my connection.

[idroba]

It was frozen at some point in it's life, and expanded. No strange special pipes were made for Airstreams. It is a very common question, and the only solution is to unsolder the piece from the elbo (which will not have expanded) and solder a new piece in place, the go from there.

[usuallyalex]

Do you think it's safe to use a torch in there if I put a glass fibre plumbers mat behind it? The plastic is pretty thin and the fitting is still attached.

[boatnik1]

there's 2 size pipes. One is a regular 1/2 inch copper plumbing and the other is a 1/2 inch refrig/ac line. i could not find a piece to join them correctly to solder.

[HiHoAgRV]

Here is a quick test. Take a different section of water pipe and cut it off 3" away from a flare fitting. If the flare nut will not easily slide off of the cut section, it's swollen from freezing.

I'm betting that 90%, of the 80% of the reported Airstreams on the road, suffer from from swollen pipes.