scrunchielaura
New Member
I picked up two 1 x 3/4 x 1 copper tees at a small independent plumbing supply store. They are marked "CFI". What brand/manufacturer is this?
The quality control on these tees is bad. One is longer than the other and has more pronounced forming ridges than the other. I compared them to a big box store obtained Nibco 1 x 3/4 x 3/4. The CFI's are significantly lighter than the Nibco. Nibco and EPC catalogs both say that a 1 x 3/4 x 1 should weigh more than a 1 x 3/4 x 3/4. The top/back (ie side with no port) of the CFI's is thin whereas the Nibco is thick in this area. A Nibco 3/4 x 3/4 x 3/4 is also thick there. I guess that's why the CFI's weigh less.
The more I look at these CFI tees, the less I want to use them. I'm thinking I should look harder for a better brand.
My application for these tees:
I want to prepare to someday code upgrade to a 1 inch service line in from the water meter. Right now the service runs an extra 13 feet along the house before coming up out of the ground to feed the house via a tee mounted outdoors behind a hose bib. From that point it is 3/4 inch copper throughout the house except for 1/2 inch feeding individual fixtures.
The house has 26.5 total fixture units. Cold is 21.375 units and hot is 12.375 by the 3/4ths rule from the UPC. Elevation change is negligible and max distance is 80 feet. My understanding is that the service line should be 1 inch and that this can drop to 3/4 once a few fixtures tee off. Hot is fine with 3/4 throughout.
I want to bring the 1 inch service line in tucked between two floor joists. After a 1 x 3/4 x 1 tee, this line would continue as 3/4 inch to a wall and then down to a water heater. Below the tee, a second similar tee would feed an under-joist distribution log using 1 inch to the left and 3/4 to the right.
The quality control on these tees is bad. One is longer than the other and has more pronounced forming ridges than the other. I compared them to a big box store obtained Nibco 1 x 3/4 x 3/4. The CFI's are significantly lighter than the Nibco. Nibco and EPC catalogs both say that a 1 x 3/4 x 1 should weigh more than a 1 x 3/4 x 3/4. The top/back (ie side with no port) of the CFI's is thin whereas the Nibco is thick in this area. A Nibco 3/4 x 3/4 x 3/4 is also thick there. I guess that's why the CFI's weigh less.
The more I look at these CFI tees, the less I want to use them. I'm thinking I should look harder for a better brand.
My application for these tees:
I want to prepare to someday code upgrade to a 1 inch service line in from the water meter. Right now the service runs an extra 13 feet along the house before coming up out of the ground to feed the house via a tee mounted outdoors behind a hose bib. From that point it is 3/4 inch copper throughout the house except for 1/2 inch feeding individual fixtures.
The house has 26.5 total fixture units. Cold is 21.375 units and hot is 12.375 by the 3/4ths rule from the UPC. Elevation change is negligible and max distance is 80 feet. My understanding is that the service line should be 1 inch and that this can drop to 3/4 once a few fixtures tee off. Hot is fine with 3/4 throughout.
I want to bring the 1 inch service line in tucked between two floor joists. After a 1 x 3/4 x 1 tee, this line would continue as 3/4 inch to a wall and then down to a water heater. Below the tee, a second similar tee would feed an under-joist distribution log using 1 inch to the left and 3/4 to the right.
