Connecting to existing water piping

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NearlyRetired

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Samara-of-Kip is a 1978 45ft C-Kip Trawler Yacht. The existing water system is original and uses 1/2 inch O.D. copper piping with Wade compression connectors. I need to extend it using the current standard 15mm system. I haven't been able to find a converter to do the job and am currently well and truly stuck for ideas! Anyone been through this before or have any useful suggestions?
 
I've used Conex compression fittings in the past on old imperial 1/2" copper tube to metric 15mm with no adapter whatsoever. If your old stuff is imperial copper you will have no problems with Conex fittings as the olives are much deeper than Kuterlite or others of that ilk which have shallow olives.

3/4" to 22mm you can still get adapter rings, 28mm to 1" will also fit using Conex.

Hope that helps!
 
I'm told that the existing pipework was typically used in hydraulic systems. The Outside Diameter is 1/2 inch. Is that the same as 1/2 inch imperial water pipe that you are referring to? It means that roughly 2.5mm needs to be taken up by a standard 15mm fitting. I didn't think I would get a stable joint given that difference, but if your experience is different I'll be more than happy!
 
NearlyRetired said:
I'm told that the existing pipework was typically used in hydraulic systems. The Outside Diameter is 1/2 inch. Is that the same as 1/2 inch imperial water pipe that you are referring to? It means that roughly 2.5mm needs to be taken up by a standard 15mm fitting. I didn't think I would get a stable joint given that difference, but if your experience is different I'll be more than happy!
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Don't forget your boat was not built in the UK so uses the standards of another country. Either Taiwan or USA. Measure the OD as often pipe size is by bore. Your OD may be over 1/2"

It is sometimes possible to make up adaptors by getting the compression olives for both sizes and using differnt ones at each end of the connector.. This used to be the case in the UK after plumbing went metric.
 
Could you not cut your copper and slide a piece of 1/2" ID ( or metric equivilent) hose over the end? Attach with hose clamps and use a hose /15mm adapter on the other end. I've done similar on my boat but metric and imperial fittings are both common here in Canada so adapters seem pretty common too.
 
Imperial 1/2 inch copper water pipe is 1/2 inch ID, not OD. 1/2 inch OD is 3/8 inch imperial water pipe.

If your pipe is 1/2 inch OD you may be able to slide 15 mm pipe over it. You might need to thin the 1/2 inch a bit by rubbing it down with emery cloth. Alternatively you could stretch the 15 mm with an improvised tool. Or you could get them together by heating the 15 mm and cooling a bit of the 1/2 inch in the freezer. However you do it, once the 1/2 inch is inside the 15 mm, all you need to do is solder it and you've got a seal.
 
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