Building a copper manifold

[Adam F]

This is my first post! I wanted to share a little project I recently started. I'm going to be replacing my old (getting thin) copper pipes. The manifold is 1 inch type L copper with 1/2 and 3/4 outlets. So far this has taken me 4 hours and I'm about half way through. I would say cutting down the copper lip from cutting the pipe has added a good bit of time compared to leaving it. But the whole point of my project is the best water flow (gpm) I can get to everything. I'll update this thread as I get further with this cold water side, and then when I start the hot water side and tearing out my old copper pipes and putting in PEX A.

 

[RickFlorida]

I like the idea of doing some of the connections in a vise and not inside the wall. I too did this for a few of my steps when I remodeled my last shower. (I'm just a DIY'er). Your solder joints look perfect to mee. (not too much solder but you also show fill all the way around). Very nice! Are you doing from copper to PEX because you need the flexiblity (I mean the physical flexibiblity like bending through walls for floors)? You are excellent at soldering so why not show off and do all copper, no PEX? Just curious.

 

[Adam F]

I like the idea of doing some of the connections in a vise and not inside the wall. I too did this for a few of my steps when I remodeled my last shower. (I'm just a DIY'er). Your solder joints look perfect to mee. (not too much solder but you also show fill all the way around). Very nice! Are you doing from copper to PEX because you need the flexiblity (I mean the physical flexibiblity like bending through walls for floors)? You are excellent at soldering so why not show off and do all copper, no PEX? Just curious.

Yep. I want as little fittings as necessary and it's flexibility will be its biggest contributer of that. I also want to spend as little time without water as possible. I only did this in copper because I like soldering and I find things like this bring me joy. I wish there was a demand for these because I'd happily make them for people and quit my job.

Thanks for the compliment.

 

[Adam F]

Got in another 2 hours tonight. One side is pretty much done. Now I need to find another tee. If I can I will hopefully have the whole thing done tomorrow night.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Why so many valves ? I look at those as a liability that will at some point fail.

 

[Adam F]

Why so many valves ? I look at those as a liability that will at some point fail.

Each of these gets a valve, 4 bathrooms, two spigots, a washer and kitchen. Sure it isn't necessary but I wanted to be able to turn the water off at one location for future repairs/upgrades. There are six of us in this house so turning the water off causes some grief.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

Very nice work.

When I needed a manifold in the past for a custom driveway de-icing system I was faced with a true custom job: I had very limited space, and very specific pipe sizes. Once my heating guy I was working with and I sat down and figured it all out, we wrote the specs and had the manifold custom made by a company in Canada called Alberta Custom Tee. https://www.customtee.com/ They did a perfect job at a reasonable price. Each manifold (we had an out and in manifold, identical) had eight ports and was open on both ends. They use a custom tee puller machine to make them. We used Dahl Brothers full port valves on each of the branches.

 

[Adam F]

Very nice work.

When I needed a manifold in the past for a custom driveway de-icing system I was faced with a true custom job: I had very limited space, and very specific pipe sizes. Once my heating guy I was working with and I sat down and figured it all out, we wrote the specs and had the manifold custom made by a company in Canada called Alberta Custom Tee. https://www.customtee.com/ They did a perfect job at a reasonable price. Each manifold (we had an out and in manifold, identical) had eight ports and was open on both ends. They use a custom tee puller machine to make them. We used Dahl Brothers full port valves on each of the branches.

That's a good way of doing it. I do enjoy taking my time and not doing the most simplistic way. Though if I ever wanted to offer this as a service my methods would change since I doubt many people would be willing to pay 800-1000 for a manifold like the one I'm building. However the tee drill and notcher is a hefty investment. It could become a purchase of I knew I had enough work lined up.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

That's a good way of doing it. I do enjoy taking my time and not doing the most simplistic way. Though if I ever wanted to offer this as a service my methods would change since I doubt many people would be willing to pay 800-1000 for a manifold like the one I'm building. However the tee drill and notcher is a hefty investment. It could become a purchase of I knew I had enough work lined up.

Of course copper was cheaper when I did this...but I only paid a few hundred dollars for these full custom manifolds. It wasn't a tee drill that made them but a complete automated manifold machine that is programmed, with automated brazing. A much heftier investment. They used to have a YouTube video of their machine but I think it's gone...

 

[Adam F]

Of course copper was cheaper when I did this...but I only paid a few hundred dollars for these full custom manifolds. It wasn't a tee drill that made them but a complete automated manifold machine that is programmed, with automated brazing. A much heftier investment. They used to have a YouTube video of their machine but I think it's gone...

The tee drill is what I would use. At least I can say mine is hand made. Some people value that, but it's less by the day.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Each of these gets a valve, 4 bathrooms, two spigots, a washer and kitchen. Sure it isn't necessary but I wanted to be able to turn the water off at one location for future repairs/upgrades. There are six of us in this house so turning the water off causes some grief.

If you have 4 kids then I understand why you stayed in the workshop and took hrs to build that……

 

[Adam F]

Update.

It's 95% done.

 

[Adam F]

I'm sure a lot of people will think this is a large manifold, and they are correct. I learned about water flow and waters loss of flow and pressure during flow when water is disrupted. My current company laid 13 miles of 12 ductile iron pipe to feed businesses and help a town with 100k gallons of water daily. During flushing to disinfect the main I flowed 400gpm out of a hydrant. The pressure dropped 40%. That's a lot for a main that should support 1000gpm. After all, a hydrant 12.5 miles back the other direction had no problem hitting 1000gpm with 30% drop in pressure. The issue was from friction loss. A clean stream of water is always going to flow more and hold better psi during flow. Things that help are soft bends and larger pipes than necessary. I made this a little larger (length from 90's and tee to PEX) to help the water correct it's flow before getting to the next disruption. I see my house as a water distribution system. When I have two people using large amounts of water I want the pressure drop to be as minimal as possible. It's overkill, and that's what I do. It's why I dislike PEX b, that stuff kills flow.

What we did to fix the flow issue at the end of the main was install a water tower. It's equalized the system.

 

[BlueSkyHigh]

If it were mine, I'd chrome plate that beauty!

 

[Adam F]

I always make sure I get good penetration.

 

[Twowaxhack]

If it were mine, I'd chrome plate that beauty!

I would’ve used all pex if I used any Pex. I would’ve also spaced the tees farther apart.

 

[Adam F]

Got the hot water side done today. Took a different route to see which style I prefer.

 

[MrInfoPhilly]

Why have the valves so close to the tee? If its a leak., you shutting down the manifold.... I'd went with threaded if i'm doing copper and ball valves. More service friendly.


Some say the ball valves leak if you remove the tags.......