Radiator Ball Valve?

nz

Hi everyone,

I have a strange ball valve as a shutoff on my garage radiators, one started leaking from the stem.

I took the handle off, there doesn't appear to be a packing nut, so I can't tighten it.  The brand marked on the handle was marked as "Premier". 

I started to look for a replacement but I can't seem to find a MIPxMIP 3/4" that would match, but I'm not sure if I'm searching for the right thing...the copper line is 3/4" on both sides. 

Any ideas? Can someone point me in the right direction?

hot_rod

Looks like a 3/4 compression valve for pex?I believe that name brand is at Lowes or HD. You would need to find the exact valve for threads to match

Can you cut the tube and get a new crimp or compression valve and a coupling

nz

Its definitely a compression valve of some sort, looks old though, I don't even know if PEX was around when this was installed lol. 

Yeah I can solder a new one no problem, I was just hoping to avoid draining the zone in the winter.  I don't want to use SharkBite and as a homeowner, I don't own a ProPress and I'm philosophically against it although this is the one time I might be able to use it. I was just thinking if I was able to find the same type of valve, I could just screw a new one on and get sprayed a lot 🤣

I just didn't know if someone knew if this was some specific type of copper compression valve and it had a name I could search for. I searched online for an hour but couldn't find anything that looked like it. 

EBEBRATT-Ed

The cheap ball valves have no packing nuts. I would just cut it out and sweat one in .

I don't think you really want to do that on the fly. You could buy a decent threaded ball valve and put 2 compression adapters in it.

With the adapters in a threaded valve it might make it long enough so that you can cut the old compression sleeves off and slap the new valve in there.

retiredguy

Some of those cheap valves can be made to stop leaking by tightening the nut that holds the handle on. If you run out of threads try adding a washer between the nut and handle. If that does not stop the leak, replace the valve.

ethicalpaul

Why not give Sharkbite a try? We already know this existing alternative leaks. Sweated stuff leaks. Everything leaks. But we rule out something new because we _think_ it might leak?

nz

I have the leak mostly stopped to a very very slow drip for now....I drilled out a rubber washer, put some epoxy on one side, and screwed it down tightly with the nut. 

I ordered some nice Watts valves from the supply house, I know what I'm doing this weekend 🤣.

Thanks everyone for your feedback! 

hot_rod

These pinch off vice grips work for me. I’ve used them on pex, PB, PE, rubber tube

mattmia2

I can't tell if that is plastic or if that is just copper that the camera has made a sort of odd color.

Edit: Rereading the OP says it is copper.

pecmsg

hot_rod said:

These pinch off vice grips work for me. I’ve used them on pex, PB, PE, rubber tube

I don’t see those working on 3/4” Hard Drawn Copper. 

hot_rod

Dahl makes a nice valve for applications like that. I kept a 1/2 and 3/4 on my truck for repairs.