residential code?

[john]

None that I’m aware of: did they try telling her the *whole* line needed replacing, or just the line serving the fridge (basically to where the water shutoff is for the kitchen)? Sounds like maybe they didn’t want to deal with the rigid connections of copper and weren’t expecting a family member to be a tech. Lead sweated joints can be an issue, but that’s just in older copper piping. I imagine the local hardware store still sells copper pipe….

Also, what a good grandson! 

[fixbear]

Water codes are up to municipality’s.  A city within a town can be different.  But copper is still a standard water service.  Problem is some of the older fittings were made with a bronze or brass that had lead in them.  Sear’s installers are just looking for extras that they get commissions on.  PEX has only taken over in residential due to the lower cost and ease of install.  However with a refrigerator, the plastic lines are less trouble to move the case in and out as well as hook up.  Copper tends to kink if you aren’t careful pushing the case back in.  It also work hardens and cracks at fittings. That’s why they removed it from propane service for interior hook-up and went to flex stainless.  .

 

   Most of us that work in this trade have in stock or access to John Best fittings and water service lines of different diameters for coffee machines, filters etc.The real beauty of them is the plastic Best ball valves one can place at the machine for service work.

[izzygreen]

The install guy said that according to code the copper has to go and a new valve has to be installed behind the unit instead of under the sink….I just looked at him and said uh-huh….you can go now I kinda feel bad because he had brought the valve and the flex tube and tools up to the apartment already.

 

Oh well ….

[olivero]

Never heard of that and the building I work in is fairly new, opened a couple of years ago. 

 

Never heard of that before, nor does it make sense, kind of like the rule “existing to remain” as in, don’t mess with it, it stays that way, it was done per code back then and hasn’t been touched since type deal so I don’t see why that’s a needed thing, probably just more hours or the guy had a misunderstanding.

[ectofix]

I  surmise that regional codes vary like the wind.

 

A poster “elsewhere” had said he was told they couldn’t install a commercial coffee brewer using “soft” copper lines and brass fittings due to local code. The fact that my house is all supplied by copper water lines makes me scratch my head on that one.

 

I used to install Starbucks brewers.  I reflected upon that.  The supply lines and fittings I was provided to install those Starbucks brewers were NOT brass or copper.  All the water lines were flexible, fiber reinforced PVC (I think).  The fittings were stainless steel and uniquely compatible with flare or compression.  The only thing BRASS was some of the nuts.  They supplied us with step-less clamps for securing the PVC lines to the barbed fittings.

 

I DO NOT know who the original supplier was for this stuff.  Obviously these “installation kits” were assembled to meet ANY local code within the USA.

 

The cheapest alternative I can suggest would be John Guest lines and fittings.  However, I personally could NEVER use that in my home.  Plastic lines with plasticy shark-bite fittings?  Nah!  I won’t trust that.  I’ve seen them leak way too often when disturbed or moved to an odd angle.

 

In your case, if brass is okay, you could do barbed fittings with the fiber-reinforced PVC flexible a water line and hose clamps. Use the smallish hose clamps and double them on the barbs.  Don’t go oversized on the clamps since those will leak.

 

The best option might be pre-made stainless-sheathed, reinforced flexible lines with appropriate fittings (flare or compression-compatible) fittings already there.  Kinda like water supply lines you buy nowadays for a faucet.  They have a rubber seal in there in place of a ferrule.  Maybe the big-box stores have something like that.

[fixbear]

Tell him to show you a copy of the code.  He can’t

[alnelson]

And ironically enough, in Wisconsin the AHJ’s want you to use copper and don’t allow the stepless clamps and plastic tubing.

[alnelson]

I wonder if it is not code, but a Sears rule. Sears is afraid the copper tubing will leak and flood your house and they will be liable for damages.

I know if you get a new washing machine from Sears, the delivery guys will only connect water if you purchased brand new water hoses from Sears. That way they don’t have to worry about being responsible for reusing old hoses in the event they start to leak.

[fixbear]

To show how frustrating local codes are i’d like to relate a story of a Fire house I was working on.  Contractor installed a fiberglass full length floor drain in the middle of the floor of a addition.. Tied it to the existing floor drain in the old building.  He used schedule 80 PVC as is permitted in the town and was on the original plans submitted to the town.  During construction the town and the Village got into a political squabble over building inspections.  The village didn’t want to pay for the towns code enforcement officer to do inspections. The village, being the smallest in the state and only 1/4 sq. mile, did not have any staffing other than village clerk, mayor, judge,  board, and one police officer. State law requires code enforcement officers to be trained and certified in NY. So with the town not inspecting the village turned inspections over to the state. A young gal from the state shows (her first job) up to inspect and shuts the job down.  Claims that the drain had to be x heavy cast iron because it was commercial. building.  The floors are poured, the roof is on, Just doors and lighting to go.  Took a year and a court to get our CO

 

Subjective or what?  Codes are one place that common sense does not always apply.  Thankfully NEC codes are nationalized now.  But NFPA codes are not accepted everywhere.

[izzygreen]

wow,

 

That reminds me of the Health Inspector that wanted me to install casters on a produce merchandiser that had hard piped mist valves…he did not care that they would never be able to move the unit without shutting off the water and disconnecting the piping, he just wanted to see casters….