How Would A Plumber Fix This? Tight Spot!

[Peteman]

I have an old galvanized pipe that is beginning to leak around an elbow connection. If access was OK this shouldn't be a problem but this is in tight with heating pipes and a soil stack all boxed in a small space of rafters and headers (see pic below). I'm afraid if I simply put a pipe wrench on the fitting and try to remove without having a wrench above to counter the twist, I'll just loosen connections up the line in upstairs wall. I can't get another wrench above that elbow. How would a plumber do this? Thanks!

 

[Terry]

I'm afraid if I simply put a pipe wrench on the fitting and try to remove without having a wrench above to counter the twist, I'll just loosen connections up the line in upstairs wall.

You will need to either back it with the second wrench, or look further up the chase to a place were the next connection is. In otherwords, you have a serious problem there. It's why we sometimes do a complete repipe with old pipe.
I would not risk unthreading the 90 with just one wrench unless you have a way to work it when that section of pipe breaks.

If you're feeling really lucky, you can put heat on the 90 to expand it and see how that goes.
Heat, and then before it cools try the wrench.
Warning: It still might be a disaster.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Are you implying there is enough space between D and E that you could turn D? If so, I would grab C with a 10 inch curved jaw locking pliers, with the other end near J. You could either try to tighten the elbow another turn, or be rid of the elbow, and switch to PEX at C ... as has been done at L and M. I presume B is insulation on a galvanized pipe.

 

[Sylvan]

I have a basin wrench I use in tight spaces such as yours and hold back with the basin wrench and use a pipe wrench to try to unscrew the fitting. You have a 30% chance of it working out good but as Terry stated be prepared to open walls and then possibly renting a mega press tool

Large jaw basin wrench

 

[Peteman]

Thanks for the replies. Yes I'm afraid this may involve more demo (and replacing the pipe with pex) than I had originally planned. The wall upstairs doesn't lend itself to opening and getting a wrench on things (wall is only 1 foot wide - side of a large arched dining room/living room opening). The pipes are just as tight within that short wall segment.

All the pipes you see in the pic run up to a 2nd floor bathroom. My big plan is to rip up the floor of this bath (fortunately it just wood and not mortar/tile) and feed new pex down to the basement. I'm hoping the fitting doesn't blow out before I can get things planned for this re-do.

Reach 4, the item labeled B is actually a short coupling. The elbow is right up against the soil stack. Don't know how they jammed all this in here in the first place!

 

[Dj2]

Is H a union?
is J copper?
Rather than a repair job, I'd replace this pipe to the 2nd floor.
Galvanized is the wrong pipe for water supply.

 

[Peteman]

Yes - I is copper & H is a dielectric union. All horizontal pipes in basement are either pex or copper. Not sure it's galvanized but it's not lead.

Yep, looking like I'll do a full replacement of the old vertical pipes up to 2nd floor ... nice winter project.