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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.

user1594257
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    Broomhandle? or wood dowel tapered to fit. But if the pipe is not near to perfect round you might find it will leak. – Solar Mike Jun 13 '23 at 18:56
  • How badly deformed is the pipe end? And do you have room to cut off the deformed end? – SteveSh Jun 13 '23 at 18:58
  • How 'bout a tapered wood tenon, used in wood working? Basically, what Solar Mike suggested. – SteveSh Jun 13 '23 at 19:03
  • I believe all pipe fittings for pressurized water pipes want the pipe to be perfectly round. The only type of fitting that would fit will the clamp type fittings, but would not trust them to last. Push-in or compression fittings might not last on a pipe that needed it shape adjusted. Solder fittings will have more luck on adjusted pipe. – crip659 Jun 13 '23 at 19:05
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    Even if th inside of the pipe was perfectly round, it's the outside that matters. It needs to be perfectly round and smooth, no scratches. that the surface that gets pushed up against the 'o" ring. – JACK Jun 13 '23 at 19:20
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    If the pipe is damaged a slip-on fitting isn't the solution. You're going to want a sweat joint. – isherwood Jun 13 '23 at 19:46
  • This video references a rounding tool. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o434Q41khg0&pp=ygUVQ3RzIHBhY2sgam9pbnQgY29wcGVy – user1594257 Jun 13 '23 at 20:50
  • They don't make "oval" copper fittings; *you* do. With a hammer. – Mazura Jun 14 '23 at 15:40

2 Answers2

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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.

kreemoweet
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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.

aghast
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  • I see this method on YouTube. Have to dig quite a ways down to accommodate the wrench handle. – user1594257 Jun 13 '23 at 20:40
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    You might want to purchase a crows-foot wrench if the digging is too much work. That should let you use a ratcheting driver (hopefully one you already have) and stay within a small radius of the pipe center. – aghast Jun 14 '23 at 13:57