Splicing a water line

[ALHILLDIRT]

I have a 3/4" pvc cold water line and a 3/4" cpvc hot water line that I need to tap into for supply to a small sink. I have fair access to the lines. These are main supply lines with an operating average pressure of 55 psi.

My question: Is there a secure way to tap into these lines without cutting the line and installing a "T".

 

[6sunset6]

Saddle valves. Clamps on and then screw it down to pierce the pipe. used for ice makers etc,

 

[ray66v]

There are saddle piercing valves out there, but, I would not recommend it.
Why would you want to? PVC is so easy to splice.

Besides, your not going to get much volume through a piercing valve is you do use them.

 

[ALHILLDIRT]

Just looking for the proverbial "easier way" I guess. The water supply needs are for a small, and cutting the line would involve draining the pipe to prevent a big mess.

 

[gemini5362]

I agree why use a saddle valve. PVC is the easiest thing in the world to splice into Just get a pvc cutter and cut the pipe in half then cut out enough to put the t into it. barely more work than a saddle valve and a lot less chance of leaks. pLus as has already been pointed out. More volume.

 

[ray66v]

Depending on your situation, there are all kinds of creative ways to drain the pipes without any mess. For example, you could use compressed air, (with a blow gun and a rag), to blow the water out of the pipe and drain through a faucet into a sink.

 

[ToadHill]

You can get most of the water out by shutting off the pump or shut it off at the meter. Turn on the lowest tap in the house, (basement if you have one) and let the water run until all the pressure is released.

 

[UPRAISER]

A plumber friend of mine showed me a neat trick to prevent water from running out the ends of a cut water pipe.

Take a small wad of white bread and poke it into each pipe end. Just enough to stop the flow of water, not a hard ball. Make the splice, or connection. Turn the water back on and run it a few minutes, the white bread will run out the faucet. Be sure to remove any screen etc. on the faucet. It works !

Curt

 

[davitk]

A plumber friend of mine showed me a neat trick to prevent water from running out the ends of a cut water pipe.

Take a small wad of white bread and poke it into each pipe end. Just enough to stop the flow of water, not a hard ball. Make the splice, or connection. Turn the water back on and run it a few minutes, the white bread will run out the faucet. Be sure to remove any screen etc. on the faucet. It works !

Curt

Use WHITE bread, not wheat (in theory it "disolves")

 

[RalphVa]

That white bread trick is generally only used to keep the water from cooling off the pipe joint when soldering. Just catch the drips in a bucket from a plastic pipe.

I agree with the others. Just blow or drain the lines and cut them and put in tees. Make sure you have the correct PVC/CPVC tees. They're slightly different size. You can even use a copper pipe cutter tool to make the nice cuts. Just make depth changes slowly. If access is good, I generally use a little circular saw (18v Dewalt) to make nice cuts on pressure pipes. If low pressure, I just use a hack saw or sawsall.

Ralph