Stupid question: How do I connect a washer box to the pipe?

[ivwshane]

I cannot figure out how the washer box is supposed to connect to my existing plumbing.

I'm using this box:
http://www.oatey.com/Plumber/Shared/...let+Boxes.html

I thought I would just screw it on to the current plumbing but that doesn't make sense since it wouldn't be able to lock into place correctly on the washer box.

It looks like the copper simply slides into the threaded pipe but then how does it prevent leaks?

[Tom Slick]

You sweat (solder) the copper pipe to the fitting.

[ivwshane]

That wont melt the plastic?

[Tom Slick]

Does the plastic piece unscrew? if not then you solder a female fitting onto the pipe the correct size for the oatey fitting then screw the fittings on.

Solder on a fitting like this

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/copper.html#female


you could also use a "shark bite" push-lock fitting but they usually are not allowed by code to be covered up.
http://www.sharkbite.com/
you can find either at home depot.

[ivwshane]

Does the plastic piece unscrew? if not then you solder a female fitting onto the pipe the correct size for the oatey fitting then screw the fittings on.

Solder on a fitting like this

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/copper.html#female


you could also use a "shark bite" push-lock fitting but they usually are not allowed by code to be covered up.
http://www.sharkbite.com/
you can find either at home depot.

The plastic piece in the 2nd and 3rd pic doesn't come off (at least I can't get it off).

I have the female fitting on their now but, unless I measure it perfectly, when I go to screw the male piece into the female piece it wont allow me to lock the plastic housing into the washer box housing and may not fit properly.

Soldering the pipe to the fitting seemed logical but the way the part was designed doesn't make soldering too easy (I have about 1/2" from the bottom of the fitting until I hit plastic).

[frumper64]

How about screwing the female fitting (pictured in the post above) onto the fitting mounted in the box and then using that whole assembly to show you how much you need to cut off the existing pipes in order for it all to fit together correctly? (simply put - dry fit it all). Then take the female fitting off, cut the existing pipes to the correct length, solder the female fittings to them and then install the box and screw everything together?

[ivwshane]

What about using a compression fitting?

[BigguyZ]

My preference: add a female NPT to PEX connection and use pex to connect the two. Easy to cut, and flexible to maneuver between the fittings....

[dbhost]

Just IMHO, but under NO circumstances would I use a compression fitting behind drywall. Too many chances for a leak, risk of catastrophic damage too high...

You really ought to figure out how to sweat the pipe to the fitting...

[ivwshane]

Just IMHO, but under NO circumstances would I use a compression fitting behind drywall. Too many chances for a leak, risk of catastrophic damage too high...

You really ought to figure out how to sweat the pipe to the fitting...

I was set on using compression fittings but then I had the same thought you did.

Anyway this is what I ended up doing.

I cut the existing copper and soldered it to the oatey fitting outside of the box and I added a coupler to that as well. Then I slid the fitting with the soldered copper and coupler through the hole, slipped the stationary copper pipe in the coupler and locked the oatey fitting in and soldered the coupling.


Thanks for all of the suggestions, it helped me to not make a stupid mistake.