Home Repair forum - copper tub spout pipe roughness problems

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copper tub spout pipe roughness problems

stpaulspillars@hotmail.com

2008-02-20, 1:26 pm

I was performing what should have been the simple replacement of a
squealing tub spout with a new one, but I managed to mess it up good.
The tub spout that I purchased required an underlying adapter that
attached to the 1/2" copper pipe and then the spout fit over it. The
adapter had a metal ring and a screw that went in and against the pipe
before the spout went over it. When I had the whole thing on, I
realized that it was about a quarter inch from the wall, probably due
to some plaster residue on the pipe that did not allow me to slide the
adapter part any further. The adapter has a screw that holds it tight
to the pipe. When I removed the whole apparatus including the
adapter, I had to yank and twist pretty good to get it off due to the
condition of the pipe, which was not bad at all but just was not slick
enough. I eventually just screwed the thing off since the adapter was
now jammed into the tub spout. What happened is that the screw that I
thought was not against the pipe etched a circular line around the
whole lenght of the copper pipe. These etchings catch the adapter and
do not allow me to get the thing within an inch of the wall now.

Is there any way to smooth out the etchings I made on the copper
pipe? Can copper pipe be sanded smooth? What sort of thing can I use
to smooth out the etchings and plaster gunk to enable me to get it all
the way flush to the wall....or did I totally "screw" it up?

Thanks,
Zack

DerbyDad03

2008-02-20, 1:26 pm

On Feb 20, 1:45=A0pm, stpaulspill...@hotmail.com wrote:
> I was performing what should have been the simple replacement of a
> squealing tub spout with a new one, but I managed to mess it up good.
> The tub spout that I purchased required an underlying adapter that
> attached to the 1/2" copper pipe and then the spout fit over it. =A0The
> adapter had a metal ring and a screw that went in and against the pipe
> before the spout went over it. =A0When I had the whole thing on, I
> realized that it was about a quarter inch from the wall, probably due
> to some plaster residue on the pipe that did not allow me to slide the
> adapter part any further. =A0The adapter has a screw that holds it tight
> to the pipe. =A0When I removed the whole apparatus including the
> adapter, I had to yank and twist pretty good to get it off due to the
> condition of the pipe, which was not bad at all but just was not slick
> enough. =A0I eventually just screwed the thing off since the adapter was
> now jammed into the tub spout. =A0What happened is that the screw that I
> thought was not against the pipe etched a circular line around the
> whole lenght of the copper pipe. =A0These etchings catch the adapter and
> do not allow me to get the thing within an inch of the wall now.
>
> Is there any way to smooth out the etchings I made on the copper
> pipe? =A0Can copper pipe be sanded smooth? =A0What sort of thing can I use=

> to smooth out the etchings and plaster gunk to enable me to get it all
> the way flush to the wall....or did I totally "screw" it up?
>
> Thanks,
> Zack

It doesn't sound like the adaptor needs to make a water tight seal
around the pipe, so I would use a file to smooth the pipe as much as
needed to get the adaptor on.

Copper is pretty soft so I'd be surprised if you couldn't knock down
the ridges with a file at least enough to get the adaptor on.

The same holds true for the plaster.

Robert Allison

2008-02-20, 5:25 pm

stpaulspillars@hotmail.com wrote:

> I was performing what should have been the simple replacement of a
> squealing tub spout with a new one, but I managed to mess it up good.
> The tub spout that I purchased required an underlying adapter that
> attached to the 1/2" copper pipe and then the spout fit over it. The
> adapter had a metal ring and a screw that went in and against the pipe
> before the spout went over it. When I had the whole thing on, I
> realized that it was about a quarter inch from the wall, probably due
> to some plaster residue on the pipe that did not allow me to slide the
> adapter part any further. The adapter has a screw that holds it tight
> to the pipe. When I removed the whole apparatus including the
> adapter, I had to yank and twist pretty good to get it off due to the
> condition of the pipe, which was not bad at all but just was not slick
> enough. I eventually just screwed the thing off since the adapter was
> now jammed into the tub spout. What happened is that the screw that I
> thought was not against the pipe etched a circular line around the
> whole lenght of the copper pipe. These etchings catch the adapter and
> do not allow me to get the thing within an inch of the wall now.
>
> Is there any way to smooth out the etchings I made on the copper
> pipe? Can copper pipe be sanded smooth? What sort of thing can I use
> to smooth out the etchings and plaster gunk to enable me to get it all
> the way flush to the wall....or did I totally "screw" it up?
>
> Thanks,
> Zack

Sand paper would work, emory cloth would be better. Emory cloth
comes in rolls made specifically for cleaning copper before
soldering and it is easy to do the shoe shine motion to clean the
pipe.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

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