Odd Tubing Size

[zxcb]

A local contractor was digging up a water line at a church and snagged the LP line. It is hard drawn copper, .465 OD and .390 ID. Obviously I have no fittings that fit.

Anyone know what this pipe is?

[ammoniadog]

That does sound like an odd size. Do you really need to find that particular size of copper, or can you make your own "adapter"? Does 1/2" copper slide over it? If so, I would take some of that, slide it over the oddball size that you have, pinch it tight with a channel locks, and braze it up with 15%. If 1/2" doesn't slide over it, I would still use 1/2" copper, but would make my own couplings with some 5/8" or 3/4" copper (and the channel-locks and silfoss).

I had to do something similar once when some Asian guy that is a good customer of ours wanted us to hook up this gas powered rice-cooker that he had. It had some weird metric sized copper underneath it, that went to a weird sized threaded fitting. I cut off the threaded fitting and hacked it up so that I could make a normal sized fitting screw into it. I honestly don't even know what type of fuel it was designed to run, but I got it hooked up to his natural gas and it seemed to work ok.

[ararams]

This is where the hydraulic tubing expander comes in handy.

[codgy]

probably soft copper that was pulled and stretched when it was snagged. Braze in a swaged coupling and get on with it.

[zxcb]

5/8 tubing slipped over it loosely. Brazed it with 15%, good to go. The pipe wasn't stretched, it was straight, stiff, and perfectly round. (after digging back to good pipe)

[Pneuma]

I did some work in apartment building built in the 30's. the plumibing copper was all odd sized stuff. Apparently before they had standards companies made copper pipe and the fittings to go with it. In any case I helped out a guy trying to put ball valves in the wall and I eneded up brazing a standard size line for him. So if it is an old church that could be it.