Will bent 3/4 copper pipe laterals pose a problem or can they be straightened?

[kgphoto]

A "contractor" put a bunch of copper pipes up in the attic preparatory to re-

piping a house. In order to get them up in the attic, he bent them approx 10 degrees off each side of center for about 20 degrees total. So now it is impossible to make a straight run. Can these be straightened by a tool that can fit in an attic?

With alternating bends be enough, or will it create too much strain on the joints?

 

[Gary Swart]

No tool. Why do you need a straight run? As long as the joints are properly made, and pipes are not kinked, the curves will not cause a problem, and there are no bonus points for straight runs. I'm not sure how a real plumber would have done this, but I would have considered cutting the pipes to a size that would fit then coupling the pieces once in the attic.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[kgphoto]

My guess is he wanted to minimize the amount of torch work in the attic. I heard that non straight pipes create turbulence and reduce flow.

 

[Jadnashua]

IF a curve in a pipe was a problem, what do you think a 90-degree fitting does? It COULD be a problem if it was bent too much and had a kink, as was mentioned, which would create a narrowing and potential turbulence, depending on the flow rate. It's not considered good practice to bend rigid pipe, though.

 

[kgphoto]

And yet we are taught to limit the number of bends in a run.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

my pecker has a bend and crook in it and I notice when I pee
the water seems to spin out the end of it in more of a clock wise fashion.
I have not noticed much in the way of wear and tear on my equipment over
the years......

The same goes with bends in your copper pipe,
I dont think you have anything to worry about ...
let the man do his job ...... .