Forgot how much a union fitting saves you until this week

Started by plumberdave · · 3 replies
Back to the forum
Reply
#1
Look, been doing this 30 years and still learned something on my own pad this week, go figure. Pulled the union on my pump to clean the basket housing out good and got to thinking how many guys just glue everything solid and then act surprised when they need a hacksaw to service anything. My whole pad, pump, filter, heater, every piece has a true union ahead and behind it, schedule 40 rigid, and Sunday it took me maybe ten minutes total to break it down clean the impeller and put it back with a fresh o-ring. No cutting, no repriming a mess, no cussing. Guys used to build pads like that as standard, now half of what I see is one union if you're lucky and flex pipe doing the rest. Anyway that's my surprise for the week, that thirty year old plumbing habits still pay off.

Dave

3 Replies

#2
Counted mine once out of curiosity, six unions total on my pad, pump inlet and outlet, filter, heater, and the check valve on the return side, and every single one has earned its keep at some point when I've had to pull something apart for the winter.
#3
Whoever plumbed my heat pump in must've read this thread ten years early, union on both sides and it's saved me from cussing at the coupling more than once when I pull it to check the coils. Small pad so it's not many fittings total but the ones that count are unioned, learned that lesson from the guy before me apparently.
#4
Only counted three unions on my pad when I redid the plumbing after the liner swap, pump in and out and one before the filter, and I still think about adding one on the return side every time I have to fight that fitting with a strap wrench. Previous owner apparently wasn't thinking about future-Jason having to service anything, everything else is just solid glued schedule 40. Works fine day to day but yeah when it's time to pull the pump basket I feel it.