Can these valves be repaired rather than only replaced. In line shut off valve in basement does not fully stop water to outside spigot. The valve is not leaking indoors. Valve has been cycled several times and the packing nut snugged tight.
FWIW this is a 50+ year old installed valve.
That would seem to depend on the particular valve, what type it is, etc. The mention of packing, would suggest that it's a gate type valve with washer. Could be as simple as replacing the washer.
Best solution is to get yourself a ball valve and do a replacement. Generally easier that it looks provided you can do a bit of soldiering. MLD
Some can, some cannot. Depends on what is wrong too.
Either way, you have to shut the water off to do the repair. It is probably more sensible to replace the valve and be good for another 50 years rather than repair and have a problem in a week or a couple of years. You just don't know.
Is it a gate valve, ball valve, globe valve, angle valve, or.....
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FWIW this is a 50+ year old installed valve.
Or the seat.
GENERALLY these use a washer - which can be replaced by taking out the stem (remove packing nut) which requires turning off the main water. IF it is a washer, just replace it. If it is not a washer see what kind of shutoff it is and post back. The seat can be damaged as well. On some they can be removed with an allen wrench. On some they can be refaced, on others you can get replacement seats. If not repairable, do as the other guys have said and put in a ball valve. If you can't solder (or are not sure you can do a good job) buy a sharkbite ball valve and just slip it in.
Which would make it leak AT the valve, which the OP said it does noit
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Replacing with a Chinese or Mexican valve is just as much of a crapshoot. This one has had 50 years of "experience".
No, if this valve shuts the water off ONLY to the outside spigot, then it SHOULD be a valve with a drain on the downstream side, like this:
[image:If the leaking valve only shuts off water to the outdoor spigot, your best bet is to open the drain and allow the leaking water to leak into a pail on the floor, thereby protecting the downstream supply piping.
Replace the valve with a ball valve in the spring, and if it wuz me, I'd get a ball valve with a drain on it too.
[image:Always install valves with drains on them so that the drain is on the bottom. And, of course, the drain should always be on the downstream side of the valve.
And how do I determine that?
Whether it be the sharkbite system. which looks intriguing, or a standard solder joint, one aspect I haven't found yet is how to properly cut out and remove the old valve so the new pieces will slip in properly.
Namely how do you best compensate for the inch where the pieces will mate without unnecessary tugging on the existing remaining copper pipe? Or am I being too cautious?
One thing I did verify today is I can easily shut off the household water supply at the meter. Plus I have a spigot near the basement steps lower to the ground that will aid in proper draining of the pipe.
Either compare it to photos of valves, or take a digital pic, and post with a free hosting site. Send the URL here.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
And how do I determine that?
I don't trust sharkbites. My prediction is that in a few years, the shark teeth will corrode off, and the valves will leak, come off, etc.
Sometimes you have to sweat in a short length of tubing, and a slip coupler. Or, a water copper union.
Other times you can unsweat the old valve, and put the new one right there.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Whether it be the sharkbite system. which looks intriguing, or a standard solder joint, one aspect I haven't found yet is how to properly cut out and remove the old valve so the new pieces will slip in properly.
Namely how do you best compensate for the inch where the pieces will mate without unnecessary tugging on the existing remaining copper pipe? Or am I being too cautious?
One thing I did verify today is I can easily shut off the household water supply at the meter. Plus I have a spigot near the basement steps lower to the ground that will aid in proper draining of the pipe.
Odds favor I'll be sweating pipe. Now just looking for some hints to properly cut out and then fit the replacement parts.
If there is enough play in the existing pipes, sometimes you can get away with moving them apart the required distance. If not, you can use a "repair coupling", which is like a regular copper coupling, except it has no ridge in the middle. It can be slid completely over one side of the pipe, then later slid back to the half-way position after the pipes are aligned. Usually doing it on one side of the repair is enough. Doing that, if you can just mover the pipes laterally enough to get it together, you then slide the coupling back before soldering. Worse case you can use two repair couplings, one on each side. Doing that the valve/pipe assembly will go right in even if the existing pipes can't be moved at all.
It sounds like you're going to replace the valve. In which case, it doesn't matter what kind it is. The issue is what you want to use to replace it. For an outside water shutoff I'd use a ball valve with drain. Drain for anywhere freezing is an issue, unless the outside spigot is a frost proof sillcock. Another choice is to get rid of the valve and go with a frost proof sillcock, in which case you don't need to shut it off for winter. The advantage to a shutoff inside plus the outside valve, even if it's frost proof, is that you can turn the water off inside so no one can turn it on outside when the house is unoccupied, etc. But you could also turn off the water to the whole house if you're away for an extended period. that's what I do.
Look at
Grainger carries them too.
Home Despot even lists it - as a NIBCO 1/2 in. Copper Pressure Slip Coupling Model # C601 Store SKU # 746932
Call your local BORG and ask for the part number.
If the valve is in the pipe that goes straight to the outside spigot, that may not be a problem. It could be that once you cut the pipe where the existing valve is, you can slide the remainder of the pipe to the outside spigot in and out. That section of pipe will be moveable. You'll just have to cut it to the right length to slide it back into the new in-line valve that you install.
We can do that.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Odds favor I'll be sweating pipe. Now just looking for some hints to properly cut out and then fit the replacement parts.
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