Question about a CPVC to Copper transition in my home

Athex · Dec 23, 2006

I have a 5 year old home in Texas.

I have 1/2 inch cpvc for my water pipes and I recently experienced a water leak in the home. After opening up the wall we found the cause to be a crack in the female brass connecter on the CPVC side of the CPVC to copper transition.

I would also like to note that the cpvc leading to the brass connection was bent about 20-25 degrees around a 2x4.

I was wondering if anyone here has insight into what could have caused something like this, as I dont think a brass connection should fail in this new of a home.

My only thoughts are:

1. defective connector (but I think it should have broken sooner)
2. too high of torque applied when attaching it
3. the bend in the cpvc stressing the connector

Anyway any thoughts would be appreciated!

Kordts · Dec 23, 2006

The stress of being twisted around the stud is almost certainly the culprit. The installing plumber needs to come back and do it right. No inspector should have passed that.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

Athex · Dec 23, 2006

Thanks for the quick response, they came out and fixed it but refused to cover the cost, I intend to work through the builder to have them pay for the repairs at this point but I need to do some research into the cause before I present it to them.

Here is the picture of the installation attached and the leak. I estimate looking at it again more like a 20 degree deflection from the original angle, when the redid it they did it correctly though.

hj · Dec 23, 2006

leak

If the leak is in the brass portion, as it appears to be, then the culprit would have to have been overtightening the male fitting into it.

Athex · Dec 23, 2006

hj said:
If the leak is in the brass portion, as it appears to be, then the culprit would have to have been overtightening the male fitting into it.

Yes, it is in the brass, it is actually a vertical crack that runs the whole length.

If they overtightend it, would it take 5 years for the leak to appear? because its been that long since the installation.

RogerED · Dec 3, 2014

Athex said:
I have a 5 year old home in Texas.

I have 1/2 inch cpvc for my water pipes and I recently experienced a water leak in the home. After opening up the wall we found the cause to be a crack in the female brass connecter on the CPVC side of the CPVC to copper transition.

I would also like to note that the cpvc leading to the brass connection was bent about 20-25 degrees around a 2x4.

I was wondering if anyone here has insight into what could have caused something like this, as I dont think a brass connection should fail in this new of a home.

My only thoughts are:

1. defective connector (but I think it should have broken sooner)
2. too high of torque applied when attaching it
3. the bend in the cpvc stressing the connector

Anyway any thoughts would be appreciated!

I realize this is an old thread, but for future reference, some brass fittings are subject to structural failure when they "corrode" due to loss of zinc, so called "dezincification". When this happens, you can usually see a whitish deposit near the fracture.

Question about a CPVC to Copper transition in my home

Users who are viewing this thread

Athex

New Member

Kordts

In the Trades

Sponsor

Paid Advertisement

Athex

New Member

Attachments

hj

Master Plumber

Athex

New Member

RogerED

New Member

Similar threads