copper pipes

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inkah

Active Member
Forgive the ignorance, but would it be possible to remove a portion of the copper piping from a home without affecting basic water use in the home?
 
C

czygvtwkr

Guest
Depends if the water flows through that part of the pipe to get into the house......
 
Ken King

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
I'm going to say no, based on the limited information provided. Now, if a portion has already been disconnected from the water supply, removing it would be no problem but if it hasn't been disconnected any attempt to remove it will impact the water usage for the remainder of the house. :yay:
 
garyt27

garyt27

INAFJ
inkah said:
Forgive the ignorance, but would it be possible to remove a portion of the copper piping from a home without affecting basic water use in the home?
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Not if you have an outhouse and you carry your water from the stream.
DUH
 
I

inkah

Active Member
Ken King said:
I'm going to say no, based on the limited information provided. Now, if a portion has already been disconnected from the water supply, removing it would be no problem but if it hasn't been disconnected any attempt to remove it will impact the water usage for the remainder of the house. :yay:
Click to expand...

Hmmm... ok then

So what other info should there be? I was just wondering if it was possible before spending time deciding if it actually happened.

Basically, a few houses in my hood have been stripped in this manner. The ones I know about were empty. BUT there has been a...very strong damp/moody/musty smell coming from somewhere that I cant find. And the kids found a piece of obviously cut copper pipe on the side of the street next to my house. So I started wondering... we can still flush, draw water from the sink and shower though.
:shrug:
 
onebdzee

onebdzee

off the shelf
inkah said:
Hmmm... ok then

So what other info should there be? I was just wondering if it was possible before spending time deciding if it actually happened.

Basically, a few houses in my hood have been stripped in this manner. The ones I know about were empty. BUT there has been a...very strong damp/moody/musty smell coming from somewhere that I cant find. And the kids found a piece of obviously cut copper pipe on the side of the street next to my house. So I started wondering... we can still flush, draw water from the sink and shower though.
:shrug:
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Check your outside faucets, if they still work your good (you obviously have water in the house)

For the damp/musty smell, try looking in your flowerbeds around your house or in the crawl space under your house (if there is one)....there was a smell in my house that I couldn't find for the longest time and discovered that the flowerbed that surround most of my house were installed wrong
 
I

inkah

Active Member
onebdzee said:
Check your outside faucets, if they still work your good (you obviously have water in the house)

For the damp/musty smell, try looking in your flowerbeds around your house or in the crawl space under your house (if there is one)....there was a smell in my house that I couldn't find for the longest time and discovered that the flowerbed that surround most of my house were installed wrong
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There is a crawl space. But I am too skeered to check it out. Maybe :wr: will come help me? No flower beds - not like you have anyway.
 
ylexot

ylexot

Super Genius
inkah said:
Hmmm... ok then

So what other info should there be? I was just wondering if it was possible before spending time deciding if it actually happened.

Basically, a few houses in my hood have been stripped in this manner. The ones I know about were empty. BUT there has been a...very strong damp/moody/musty smell coming from somewhere that I cant find. And the kids found a piece of obviously cut copper pipe on the side of the street next to my house. So I started wondering... we can still flush, draw water from the sink and shower though.
:shrug:
Click to expand...

If they cut a piece off of your plumbing, there would be water constantly gushing out of it. You'd be able to hear it and there would be a substantial stream of water flowing around your house somewhere.

Well, unless they were particularly nice thieves and shut off the water to the house, cut it, and soldered on a new cap before turning the water back on and running off into the night.
 
onebdzee

onebdzee

off the shelf
inkah said:
There is a crawl space. But I am too skeered to check it out. Maybe :wr: will come help me? No flower beds - not like you have anyway.
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I can offer a 14 yr old that has no concept of what is under a house (spiders, snakes, other icky bugs)....you will have to feed him

I have a split-level house and issues with people seeing into my bottom floor(the windows are ground level), which is the reason I have those flowerbeds :lmao:

Just a small flowerbed will produce mold if it is retaining water....look under the mulch....if that is not the culprit, try looking up against the house where the dirt is, sometimes that will retain water and mold....check the gutters as well....if you didn't clean them out from last year, there may be some rotting/molding leaves

if those aren't the issue, I have more ideas (again....my house had a moldy/musty smell when I moved in and it took me forever to find it)
 
willie

willie

Well-Known Member
inkah said:
There is a crawl space. But I am too skeered to check it out. Maybe :wr: will come help me? No flower beds - not like you have anyway.
Click to expand...
With the exception of your water heater overflow pipe, I can't think of any copper that would not be under pressure. If ANY section was removed, you would know it. There would be no water available after the break and maybe a trickle before the break. By now, water would be coming out of the crawl space access door.

Someone brave should inspect your crewl space for the musty smell.
 
I

inkah

Active Member
onebdzee said:
I can offer a 14 yr old that has no concept of what is under a house (spiders, snakes, other icky bugs)....you will have to feed him

I have a split-level house and issues with people seeing into my bottom floor(the windows are ground level), which is the reason I have those flowerbeds :lmao:

Just a small flowerbed will produce mold if it is retaining water....look under the mulch....if that is not the culprit, try looking up against the house where the dirt is, sometimes that will retain water and mold....check the gutters as well....if you didn't clean them out from last year, there may be some rotting/molding leaves

if those aren't the issue, I have more ideas (again....my house had a moldy/musty smell when I moved in and it took me forever to find it)
Click to expand...

Those are good ideas, I'll look. Send the 14 yo over. He can teach my 12 yo not to be such a chicken. And I will order pizza :D
 
I

inkah

Active Member
willie said:
With the exception of your water heater overflow pipe, I can't think of any copper that would not be under pressure. If ANY section was removed, you would know it. There would be no water available after the break and maybe a trickle before the break. By now, water would be coming out of the crawl space access door.

Someone brave should inspect your crewl space for the musty smell.
Click to expand...

:( I don't know any brave ppl. Thanks for the info though - I am at least a teeny bit reassured
 
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