Home made MLT with steel braid issues

[SwampassJ]

For the life of me I cannot get the 1/2 steel braid to fit around the T. It seems I need the next size up braid or I'm just not "getting" it right. Going to try again later after my annoyance level drops before I go and take some copper pipping or cpvc and just hacksaw them to hell.

EDIT

Do they make Ts with 3/8 x 3/8 x 1/2?

 

[Memnoch]

Just a quick thought, did you remove the inside tubing from the steel braid?

 

[brianj434]

You can also try bunching the braid up on its self. When you hold the end of the braid and a spot 1 inch from the end and push them together the diameter grows as the distance between the 2 points decreases.

Good luck

 

[SwampassJ]

Just a quick thought, did you remove the inside tubing from the steel braid?

Yes I did, kept poking my self with the braid.

 

[SwampassJ]

You can also try bunching the braid up on its self. When you hold the end of the braid and a spot 1 inch from the end and push them together the diameter grows as the distance between the 2 points decreases.

Good luck

Tried that just couldn't get it to slide over the 1/2 inch T. Could it be the T's inside diameter is 1/2inch instead of the outside?

Good news though. Cooler is holding water and just need to get the braid installed right now.

 

[Bobby_M]

Two things you can do. Reduce it down with reducing couplings or get yourself a water heater connection braid which is 1" instead of 3/8".

 

[Fletch]

You've got the wrong size braid. Probably from a faucet or toilet supply line? They're not big enough. Sounds like you're using a 1/2" copper sweat tee? They're close to 3/4" diameter. 1/2" copper pipe is 5/8" OD, so the ID of the tee is also 5/8". Do like Bobby said, use a water heater connector.

Sorry, tried to answer this when you first posted, but my internet blinked off, and then work interfered.

 

[SwampassJ]

You've got the wrong size braid. Probably from a faucet or toilet supply line? They're not big enough. Sounds like you're using a 1/2" copper sweat tee? They're close to 3/4" diameter. 1/2" copper pipe is 5/8" OD, so the ID of the tee is also 5/8". Do like Bobby said, use a water heater connector.

Sorry, tried to answer this when you first posted, but my internet blinked off, and then work interfered.

I might as well just get the two reducers, seems it would be cheaper then buying another supply line and cutting it with the hacksaw.

 

[ThreeDogsNE]

I had the braid off of a 12' long refrigerator water line. I ended up buying a piece of 3/8 inch copper pipe from McMaster Carr for too much money, cut short pieces, and soldered those into the 1/2" tees using reducer bushings that I found for about a $1 a piece at my local Menards. Lots of soldering.

Too late I found that 1/2" male PEX adapters fit very nicely into the braid, and snugly into the 1/2" copper tees. They also cost about a buck a piece, but do the whole deal. They still solder in place, but with less joints, less soldering, and much less hassle. They are brass, so they should probably be pickled afterwards.