On Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:46:10 -0800, Keefiedee wrote:

I want to add a compression fitting lever arm ball valve in a piece of
22mm pipe that as far as I can tell is unlikely to be able to be
sprung apart enough to get the valve into the space. Is there a
special plumber's trick or piece of equipment or whatever to deal with
this problem?

If there is really /no/ give in the pipes to spring them apart you can get
away with cutting the pipe so that with the valve pushed fully over one
pipe end the valve will then mate with the other end. Then the valve will
slide back and forth on the pipe ends: tighten the compression fittings so
the valve is midway in its travel and therefore the pipe ends are equally
inserted into the valve. IYSWIM.

If there's enough straight length of pipework the pukka way would be to
make another cut somewhere along and join that with a slip coupling after
fitting the valve properly.

If the pipe at one side or another of the proposed valve position does a
right angle bend and there's room to cut and insert a fitting round the
bend (as it were :-)) then that can give you enough wiggle space to
assembe the valve and the new (compression) coupling.



--
John Stumbles -- http://yaph.co.uk

Never believe anyone who claims to be a liar