On 28 May 2006 08:33:37 -0700, jim rozen
wrote:

In article , Robert Swinney
says...

Thanx, Bruce. But, I live on a slab and the plumbing comes up through it.
If I put an auxiliary faucet onto the existing one, I will be sure to take
if off in the winter time. I may try to grind the seat one more time to see
if I can get past the eroded, cavitated, place. I'm not sure if the leaky
seat is removable. I may try driving a hex into it and trying to unscrew
it. Of course, if I do all this, the seat will be surely ruined and I will
have to do something - tear out the wall, etc.

You could do the job complete in less time you've been worrying about
it - basically it means opening a small hole in the wall less than
a foot square so you can either unsolder the old one and solder in
the new one, or determine that it really is threaded and unscrew it.

The patch can be a new bit of drywall or you could put a wood panel
over the hole, painted to match, so you can get back in there should
the need arise. The need will arise.

1) accurately determine the inside location for the opening. Take
measurements from known points, ie window edges, etc.

2) if you are sweating the pipes in the wall, soak down the
wood well to start, have a large bucket of water and a fire
extinguisher standing by at the ready. Get a fire insulation
blanket (sold at HD for exactly this purpose, it's glass fiber)
or an old asbestos shingle to prevent the flame from playing on
woodwork. Keep a fire watch on the finished project for an hour
or so, just in case.

3) pressurize the line and check for leaks *before* you seal
up the wall. Sounds crazy but in the heat of the moment you
might just button-er-up before checking....

4) purchase the highest quality fixture you can find. Removable
seat a plus.

Jim

In closed walls I like to just cut the old part out and do the final
in-place re-assembly with "Just for copper" from JACO. It is a no-heat
copper joining solution that works every bit as well as solder, with
no fire hazzard. Might need to solder a fitting into the hydrant, then
join with JFC and a normal solder type union.

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