You don t need to wrap plumbing tape around the union before you screw it together.
Galvanized pipe to copper.
Step 1 tape the dielectric fitting.
Plumbing pipes such as pex copper and pvc are normally used depending on their application and the location in which they are installed.
Solder the brass half to the copper pipe thread the steel half onto the galvanized steel pipe with teflon tape then join the two together tightly with the joining nut.
Find the area where pipes enter your home and carefully scratch the pipe with a nickel.
Galvanized steel pipes on the other hand are a steel gray color.
The fitting is generally made of galvanized steel and bronze.
This fitting joins a copper pipe to a galvanized pipe called a union.
Benefits of galvanized pipes.
It s far easier to make a repair to steel pipe with copper than with galvanized plumbing pipe because the galvanized calls for cutting threads on exact lengths of pipe.
When connecting a copper pipe fitting to a galvanized steel pipe you must use a dielectric fitting.
This will keep the water from creating an electric current and causing corrosion and leaks.
This eventually causes pipe degradation and leakage.
The dielectric fittings commonly available in home centers photo 1.
Whenever you join copper water lines to galvanized steel pipe you should be concerned about the corrosion caused by joining two dissimilar metals called galvanic corrosion an electrochemical reaction occurs that causes the steel pipe in this case to rust and clog up.
If the surface of the pipe is the color of a penny then the pipe is probably made from copper.
Also there are some other plumbing pipe types such as black galvanized and brass.
If the copper and galvanized pipes aren t the same diameter solder a reducing coupling to the copper pipe.
Copper plumbing is lead free making it safer than galvanized pipe.
Copper pipe is available in small diameters for installation in tight spaces.
Plastic pipes are usually black and clamps should be visible.
When water flows through pipes of two different metals the pipes will become eroded by electrical impulses from the slight acidity found in all water sources.
First you will want to coat the dielectric fitting with pipe tape.
