The main valve to my house needs replacing. Here's a pic
Any helpful tips I should be aware of first - other than shutting off the water co. valve first obviously and opening up some faucets to bleed off pressure.
Since the one pipe is set into the stucco, I wonder if I'll need the pipe to be moveable and need to break the stucco around the pipe first? Or should this not be necessary?
Thanks for all input.
On 7/13/2008 6:29 PM Doc spake thus:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks as if you could cut the riser (the pipe going into the ground) below the valve, then unscrew the valve from the ell to remove it.
To replace, you'd need to thread the top of the pipe, then use some combination of nipples and a union to install the new valve.
Disclaimer: IANAP (I am not a plumber).
IANAP, IANAQ, IANAR
Maybe you can just remove the big nut, and replace whatever needs replacing.
Is the problem that you can't turn off the water? Or is the valve leaking to the outside?
Maybe you'll have to take off the handle, the small nut, and the stem first. Maybe not. Or maybe this won't work at all. IANAS.
I'm not a plumber, but isn't it possible to just replace the guts and leave the existing valve body in place?
IAAP. Unless you are good at soldering, I'd recommend calling a plumber. If you are good at soldering, don't try this on a weekend. When things go south on you, now your paying OT.
If I was doing this, I'd install a full port ball valve. You can do that lower to the ground than this valve is. Your probably going to have to un-sweat the 90. it's hard to tell scale from the picture.
Before you do anything, confirm that the water company's valve works when its shut off. If it holds, I would try what the other poster said and remove the guts of that valve and replace the washer.
It looks to me like soldered copper pipe. I would try to repair the existing valve. To replace it you will need to unsolder the connection where the elbow connects to the pipe into the stucco. You will probably have to cut the vertical pipe and lower the new valve far enough to get a new elbow and short piece of tubing on the top. I think you may have trouble finding an exact replacement valve with male and female connections.
This is not a difficult job if you are able to do the soldering properly. If you want to do it and are not sure of your abilities, get some spare fittings and tubing and practice until you feel comfortable with it. The old pipe must not have any water in it if you are to successfully unsolder it or solder to it.
Plan your work carefully and have a plan B (such as call a plumber) if possible. Don't start on it late Saturday evening!
Don Young
On 7/13/2008 7:34 PM Jay spake thus:
Soldering??? Looks like galvanized pipe to me, not copper.
When I attempted to turn it off, it won't tighten. It feels like the internals have corroded away.
Even if that were possible, the valve is 20 years old, I think I'd like to go to a more modern ball valve.
Take a look at a flow through JetSwet tool.
You cut off the old valve, stick the JetSwet into the line and turn the handle. The silicone gasket seals the pipe and the water flows through the tool. You slide a ball valve over the tool and sweat it into place (or thread it if you have galvanized). Once the solder is cool, you remove the tool and shut off the ball valve.
You're gonna get wet
I think it's because of the patina of age and the photo isn't exactly hi-res. If you look closely, you'll see the joints are sweated.
OK. Or it may just need a new washer -- how long will it take to check? -- and it feels the way it does because it now tightens beyond its intended depth. Or maybe it needs a new stem, which they sell at HD or at least real plumbing stores.
20 years old is nothing. There are loads of such valves that work fine that are 50 or 100 years old.What difference does it make if the valve is modern or if it is new? How often do you turn this valve on and off? I turn mine off maybe once every 5 or 10 years. When I replace the water heater and once when I went away for 2 months during the winter and drained the pipes.
But even if you used the valve every day, don't go looking for trouble. You're likely to find it.
Do it the easy way, and if for some reason you can't replace the rubber washer, or maybe it even needs a stem and you can't find one, then you have plenty of time to cut out the whole valve.
Not counting turning the water off at the street, the easy repair is as little as 20 minutes.
I expect replacing the valve is a mimimum of 2 hours for someone who doesn't do it frequently.
Use the other 100 minutes to 8 hours for some other house project.
attempt taking valve apart and take to real hardware store for washers and possibly new stem.
most likekly all it needs is new washer.
This is a gate valve. No replaceable parts inside. No rubber washer.
Mark M.
Can't get to the picture, but sounds like a gate valve. Had mine replaced last year. Our neighborhood is about 10 years old, I know of
3 or 4 other houses that had to replace theirs. Same symptoms - spin the handle and nothing happens. I have very minimal plumbing skills, so I had a plumber do it. Replaced it with a ball valve.Jerry
Don't be the one that shuts the city water valve that feeds the water to your house. My plumber refused because the potential for trouble is always there---and was he right! City came down and the long shaft to the valve broke off. They had to dig up the street down to the valve, replace the shut off handle. Fill it all in and then had to re-hot top the dug up section. All in all--let a plumber do it. MLD
It's a cheap (junk) gate valve with a snapped stem, you were lucky it lasted that long. Call a real plumber and have it replaced with a full port ball valve. From what I've read here I wouldn't suggest doing it yourself. Your other option is to move.
kenny b
You already have loads of input, mostly good.
Definitely get the water company to shut the street valve.
What I would add is to hacksaw the upper elbow thru its middle so that end is free, then unsolder the bottom end of the valve. The heat will boil the water out (careful of boiling spatters). Then unsolder the rest of the elbow, clean both ends, and sweat a new valve and elbow into place. You may need to add a short bit of pipe between the valve and elbow (if the new valve is smaller) or cut a bit off the top of the vertical pipe (if the new valve is larger).
Hey Ace, it's a gate valve.
Don't you just love it when DIYers get in on the act? Aren't they soooo cute?
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