I need plumbing help :-)

Christopher561 · Post by **Christopher561** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 3:29 am

Hi, Remember me :-). How has everyone been doing? Ok to the issue!.... This house is about 80-70 years old maybe older or younger. The plumbing is still original and all of the shut off valves for the kitchen and bathroom are leaking and corroded. Theses are the ones that are soldered downstairs to the copper piping. Me and my dad want to try to replace them our selves. kinda of a little father-son deal so were gonna try it. He has the knowledge of how to sweat piping. I was wondering if anyone happend to of run into the same problem? and how will be go about doing this?... thank you for advice always :-)

SLK · Post by **SLK** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 3:55 am

i would shut the main line off... make sure ALL the water is drained out of the piping and cut the piping around the valve. cut new piping to fit the gap and solder in between. Thats what my dad did to my aunts house when her valve was leaking.

Rob

Christopher561 · Post by **Christopher561** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 4:06 am

ya I have a feeling that thats the only way around this.. gotta get more pipeing whohoo!

lonewolfz28 · Post by **lonewolfz28** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 4:12 am

If you have enough room below the shutoffs, cut off the water like suggested and just cut as close to the shutoff valves as possible. Lowes and Home Depot carry copper adapters and new shutoff valves that'll solder right in in less than an hour. The little inexpensive, screw-down, mini-type, tubing cutters work fine for a few uses and fit into smaller spaces. If you don't have one already, a Benz torch kit with solder and flux is less than $25. The fittings and valves should be under $10. That's less than you'd pay a lot of plumbers just to show up.

Have fun. :2cool: Don't worry, I plumbed an external heatercore to a computer case the first time I touched a torch in ~15 years. No leaks, first try. If you dad already knows how to sweat pipe, just follow his lead, listen and learn. It might come in very handy down the road.

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 6:15 am

speaking as 1 of the resident plumbers here, that old copper is going to be very thin and will crumble very easy, so be very carefull not to crush it.

the main trick is to drain all the water out of the pipes before soldering, use a shop vac if need be to pull it out.

i would get a scrap peice of copper to practice on first if you have never soldered before, will save you some headaches i would think

if you need any more advice, i PMed ya my for my phone number and i can talk ya through it.

good luck