Broken pipe, seeping valve
Copper main has a hole at my MIL's house. 50 year old gate is slowly seeping water past the valve.
Should I use the "ball of white bread" trick so I can solder or is there something that works better?
Thanks!
Comments
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If the valve is leaking slow enough and you want to put a new valve downstream there is the bread trick but that will only work with a very small leak. They make Jet Sweat which is a plug that fits through a full port ball valve. There is also Propress where you can crimp a fitting on with water pouring out and there is shark bite which I am not in favor of.
You may also to sweat 1/2 of a copper union on if you stuff the pipe with bread and work fast.
What do you mean by "copper main has a hole"?
Do you mean you want to fix a leak but the valve will not hold?
Some supply houses will rent a Propress Machine.
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Yes, I need to cut out and replace a section but the main shutoff isn't 100% (slow leak through valve).
I guess I can try the bread first and then go with a ball valve and a jet swet if that doesn't work. I'd just rather not have a ball valve buried in the ceiling if I can avoid it.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.0 -
What I did for this, granted it was 24 year old and much less risk averse me, is i cracked the union at the meter and put a bucket under it while i sweated the fitting.
Compression and flare fittings are also options. I would have a compression fitting and a cap that fits that compression fitting ready to go if I try the crack the meter union trick.
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You could also have the utility turn off the curb stop while you replaced the gate valve.
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I would do the curb stop shut off and replace the gate valve with a high quality ball valve.
If you have one leak you will have more of them to come bite you in the butt.
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If the curb stop shuts off. I do like optimistic people…
Br. Jamie, osb
Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
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It probably will.
And if it doesn't isn't it the water company's problem?
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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depends on the city
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I didn't think there was anywhere that considered a curb stop to not be the property of the water company.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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Not all municipalities own the water company!
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In any event, I'd rather not deal with the village or the curb stop.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.
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Oh come on, that's clearly a good time.
😁
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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I've never used the bread trick...Done them on the fly, Jet Sweat, Dry Ice. What's wrong with "burying" a ball valve? Not a big deal. Every water district, City, town or village I have worked in will give you a shut down. Many times -gratis - They don't want you to break something. Even if it's a $75 fee...well worth it. Mad Dog 🐕
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Dry Ice. Hmmm.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.0 -
It's a day late, but better than never.
Single pipe 392sqft system with an EG-40 rated for 325sqft and it's silent and balanced at all times.
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Well, that could be a problem.
Weird how it just popped out after 65 years. 🤔
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.0 -
Honey, I'm going to buy a ProPress. It's for your Mom. 😁
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https://www.supplyhouse.com/Spin-Tools-F1078-7-8-Flaring-Tool
or a hammer flare tool if you can find one for 7/8"
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Nah, new sweep el and some tin/silver solder. Once I opened other fixtures, the drip stopped.
I'm all set up for soldering and brazing, so I don't see a pro-press in my immediate future.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.1 -
btw the popped out is probably because it doesn't have room to expand and the solder fatigued after being stressed repeatedly from expansion and contraction of the run of pipe for decades. happens a lot in electronics and is blamed on a bad factory soldering job but it is poor mechanical design
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@delcrossv is there an expansion tank on the domestic water heater? Most newer water meters have a built-in backflow preventer that can cause pressure buildup in the system during a water heating cycle unless there is an expansion tank somewhere.
—
Bburd0 -
No, but this is a cold water feed to a sillcock. Meter's probably 30 years old.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.0 -
freezing is also a strong possibility here too
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That's what I'm thinking.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.0 -
Traced it. Heating risers to fin tube on the first floor. Facing west and north. Zone valve was off and the line froze. Now I get to replace about 30' of tube and the other end popped out as well.
Grrrrr.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.0 -
If you are bent on soldering I would get a Jet Swet plug. I bought a whole Jet Swet kit for about $200. Runs from 1/2" size to 2".
You can plug the pipe, Slip on your new ball valve, solder or use copper tite., then loosen and pull out the plug.
These plugs have save me a number of times, Especially with a leak on a lower floor. If you dont do propress and are against Shark Bites, this is your answer.
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All this time, I thought we were talking about a leak on the domestic side.
8.33 lbs./gal. x 60 min./hr. x 20°ΔT = 10,000 BTU's/hour
Two btu per sq ft for degree difference for a slab1 -
I think they found another frozen pipe near this fitting…
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A wet vac does a good job of evacuating 3/4 hydronic piping.
Bob "hot rod" Rohr
trainer for Caleffi NA
Living the hydronic dream
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That's what I used to remove the water that i used to flush the new underground piping to my garage before filling that system with glycol so I could have a reasonable idea of the concentration.
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Just drained the boiler. I'm good.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.0 -
"All this time, I thought we were talking about a leak on the domestic side."
That was the initial thought.
Trying to squeeze the best out of a Weil-McLain JB-5 running a 1912 1 pipe system.0 -
A ball valve is far better than a gate. Would also consider an expansion fitting or loop.
Propress has been around for a while now and I no of no problems when properly installed.
Many places will rent, or if you know one of us guys, lend it to you. Or not.0
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