Will a Home Depot propane Bernzomatic produce enough heat to remove a 3/4 sleeve copper fitting (my main shutoff valve) ?
Have verified the lines are copper and purchased a pressure collar type fitting for replacement shutoff valve
Picture of line and new replacement part at
it should.
Plumbers don't like paint that much. Might assist you by removing that first...
I left my main valve in, just installed a new ball valve downstream, 6" or so. Leave the main valve open, unscrew the knob, and you'll never have to think about it again.
All's you need to get out of it is one last close/open cycle. Will make the plumbing a lot easier.
You could even avoid sweating, and use 3/4 compression fittings (or flare), if code allows.
The problem with sweating in these situations is that even small amounts of residual moisture can make sweating difficult. You may have to stick in a small rag to stop moisture while sweating, but don't forget to remove it!!!
While you're there, I would plumb in a threaded T, with a threaded valve, as well, just for the future.
jake wrote the following:
All I use for plumbing is the propane torch. You might want to clean all that paint off beforehand. It will stink when burned. You have to make sure that once you melt the solder, you have some room to lift the pipe off, otherwise the shutoff valve will just get stuck between the pipes. Another alternative is to cut the pipe some distance from the valve to lift the pipe off, then use a coupler. Make sure the pipe is empty of water, or else you will be there all day trying to melt the solder.
Now, that is a good idea. If you look at the picture the OP sent, you might notice what kind of shut off valve he has pictured. Incidentally, the valve he has pictured will probably not work well on pipe that had solder. He'd be better off with a sweat on valve.
I suppose I could ask. So, is the valve being replaced because it doesn't shut off completely? Have you tried a new faucet washer?
To answer your question.... yes, probably. If not, a mapp torch will do the job.
You didn't ask, but..... replacing a sweat valve with compression makes a leak very very likely.
Cut out some tubing near the main shut off would work. But, not with painted copper tubing.
If this were my job, I'd want to enlist someone who has plumbing experience, and replace with a solder-on valve. Or if it's just failing to shut off, try a faucet washer.
Good luck getting a compression fitting to seal on that scuzzy looking pipe!!! You need the pipe CLEAN AND SMOOTH for that. I'd cut the pipe and splice in as needed to solder the new valve - with the pipes completely dtained and dry. With water in the pipe you will NEVER get the soldered joint melted off.,
Or just find a new identical shut-off valve and replace the whole "cap" leaving the original body. A ball valve is a lot less troublesome if you do end up having to replace it, but just replacing the "guts" is a lot less work.
Seems like a good idea to me.
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This seems like a place where a wad of white bread would work well. It absorbs water for a while, then breaks up and comes out the faucet (although I never saw my bread come out. It's probably going to make the water heater burst soon.)
Well, at least the part of the pipe which is presently in the sweat fits, might be usable. If it were heated, and wiped clean of old solder.
I have a similar problem. The water main valve is leaking around the stem. Finding a replacement packing is unlikely based on my past experience with
30+ year old plumbing. And, there's only a quarter of an inch between the main valve and the concrete wall, so there's no margin for error if I have to sweat on a new valve.What about inserting a new ball valve downstream of the old valve. Then shut off the water at the curb, open the old valve, remove the cap, and insert epoxy into the valve stem packing to stop the leak? Will this work? Other suggestions? Your thoughts. . . .
I would use a 'sweat in' valve, go ahead and connect about 4 inch nipples to the valve, cut the house pipe and sweat in the assembly with repair couplings. Repair couplings dont have a stop in the middle, you can slide the pipe all the way through them. Toughest part of the job may be cleaning off the paint. I am assuming you have a cutoff on the street.
Jimmie
I would use a 'sweat in' valve, go ahead and connect about 4 inch nipples to the valve, cut the house pipe and sweat in the assembly with repair couplings. Repair couplings dont have a stop in the middle, you can slide the pipe all the way through them. Toughest part of the job may be cleaning off the paint. I am assuming you have a cutoff on the street. ======================================================
Yeah, but those street shutoffs are dicey. That's why I suggested leaving the old valve, and putting the new one after it.
C'mon, now, that's not politically correct. You have to call it "colorically challenged bread".
I've heard of plenty of people using a hunk of bread, and I can't remember hearing any after effects. Probably ends up in the aerator.
On the other hand, if you used black bread, you'd probably have babies coming out of your faucets, and find all your faucet washers stolen.
Ahhh, the mental effects of mormon inbreeding revealed.....
Besides all the other good advice, a new, run of the mill Bernzomatic torch only puts out about half the heat of the older ones. So if you do this, I wouldn't count on the cheapest Bernzo to do the job. The better ones do get a bit expensive. And as far as the bread to stop the pipe dripping, they now sell stuff made for that purpose. I think it's something close to the corn starch packing peanuts.
Jake, I have been installing softeners, and plumbing for 35 years, retrofitting all the time in old houses, old plumbing, you name it, I have just about seen it all. If you haven't started yet, I will be glad to give what advice I can. From the picture, I see that your current pipe is 1/2 inch from the wall. Pretty close, but not insurmountable. Would you be wise to put in a new valve further upstream, and leaving the old vlave there? Is it leaking? Does it shut off all the way, or do you REALLY have to shut it off at the street? Is this new valve in a place where everyone can see it? I like to be neat, but can it be done without it looking good? A crawl space, you can make it just work without looking good, out in a room? We can make it look good too.....let me know if I can help......I do have a few tricks up my sleeve to help you more than the average do-it-yourselfer..... I am like some of the other posters, I prefer using a sweat joint, but with a difference I would use a male adapter, and then threading on a ball valve (you can take the handle off to turn it onto the male adapter) that way it could be replaced later without any sweating. There are more tricks after you get the valve on, I will expand later if you go this route. you can contact me directly, Tom
snipped-for-privacy@bbc.net
"jake" wrote in message news:hqkrnp$vcc$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...
You can buy generic packing material, which seems to be a kind of impregnated synthetic string material. Or, you can make your own with string and pipe dope.
Proly the wide variety of O-rings available would fit the bill, as well. Packing shouldn't be a big deal.
True but places like HD distinguish the two kinds with 2 or 3 tiny letters that meant nothing to me. And they get taken out of the right bin and plopped in the other bin. So best to feel with one's finger if the inverted dimple is in there.
Our n'hood of about 100 homes is shaped like a square or a circle, with a valve every ?? 10 or 30 degrees, so by turning off two valves only 10 or 30 houses have to be without water. However everyone is afraid to turn off any but the main valve, the one they know works and they know the location of, so afaik it's always every house that goes without water. It's never bothered me but it seems to bother some others.
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