I have a 1” underground copper pipe in tight quarters, not good access. The pipe is not perfect and looks oval. Is there a tool I can carefully insert in a 1” pipe to get it round again? Trying to prevent ripping out a sidewalk. Would like to get it as round as possible for the sharkbite fitting.
2 Answers
You would better off using a 1" CTS pack joint, as typically used for water service connections at the meter in my area. They clamp to the outside of the copper tube. Soft copper tubing is widely used here for water service, it comes in big rolls, and is very rarely perfectly round after it had been unrolled and laid in the trench.
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1" copper pipe is going to have an OD of 1.125 inches (1-1/8") when true.
You can round it from the outside using an adjustable wrench, or what is called a "crows-foot" wrench, to push the out-of-round parts inwards. In both cases, the wrench should have smooth jaws - you want to gently push the pipe into round, not rip bits off. You might consider applying some lubricant to the wrench jaws, but remember you'll have to solder this joint later (so maybe the lubricant can just be water).
Check your fitting for the depth of the hub. Your pipe has to be round for at least that distance -- not just the last 1/4". It's probably easiest to round from the main body of the pipe towards the end, rather than trying to round the end and then work inward.
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