Bread trick ?

petros151

I am putting a tee in a hot water line near the water heater and I turn off the valve and cut it last night let the water drain back out but still this morning there is water in the pipe -- I tried once to sweat a damp pipe was really a pain sizzle pop eventually it dried out after 20 min of heating it with a torch...

I heard once of you plug the pipe with wonderbread
it will stop the water long enough to sweat the tee then when the water is turned back on it will blow the bread to pieces which by that time will be totally waterlogged

anyone know about this trick ?

Lightfoot

yep, used it many times. roll the bread pretty tightly in a ball and force it in. work quickly. and it doesn't have to be wonder bread, any white bread (sandwich style) will work.

bubbler

Probably worth saying that you want to blow the bread out before you hook up that new sink, dishwasher or washing machine... pretty much anything besides a straight gushing-water device...

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wctekkk

try using a shop vac either sucking or blowing what ever one gives you better results or http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/TES...JL5?Pid=search

ddawg16

Works like a champ....

Don't worry about the bread....it will disolve real quick in water....to prove it to yourself, drop a piece in a bowl of water....watch what happens.....

I usually go to the closest large facet to clean out the line. The gunk from the sweating is more of an issue than the bread.

One other thing....make sure you push it up in the pipe as far as you can....if too close to the sweat joint, you basically toast the bread and it takes longer to disolve.

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plummen

Pull the aerators out of faucets

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biggles

put a bucket on the pipe from the house and you need to open all hot water faucets so it vents down into the bucket...if you need to drain the pipe to the heater put it in pilot and drain the heater down below the relief valve pull it up to check the water level in the tank

brokenhammer

I have had plumbers despise this method, claiming it's really bad for the pipes. I have never had any problems and it sounds like they were full of it?

Bondo

Ayuh,... Plumbers are like Electricians,...

They foster the idea that most of their job is Voodoo, 'n can't be done by mere mortals....

I've been usin' the bread trick for 40 years...

petros151

hmmm... looks like I might need a whole loaf!

I have a 1/2" copper cold line that feeds the garden hose. I am tapping into that
to run a cold to anew sink. I shut off the valve that isolates this line at about 11 am the whole line is 10 foot to where the shut off is, I cut it about 8 foot from the shut off and so far I have had two kitchen buckets of water come out of the pipe it is slowed way down about now 2.5 hours later it's a dribble now but how much water can be in a 10 foot length of 1/2 pipe/ does it sound like the shut off is not totally off?? (it's really turned as far as it will go)

I guess next step is shut off main water I was trying to avoid that interruption.

what'da think ?

tony.g

Is it not possible to use compression fittings instead of solder?

Bondo

Ayuh,... It's still runnin'.... a 1/2" pipe, Don't hold near that much water...

petros151

I shut off the main that did it must be leaky shut off on the line...thanks

Lynnie59

Compression fittings would do the trick. my main doesn't shut off and i've gone that route.

bob22

have you opened faucets etc above the line in question to allow water above to drain out faster?