Replacing main water supply valve
 

All,

After 15 years of using the house main water supply valve to turn off
water to the house it no longer completely shuts off the water. My
sense is that the seal inside is not fully functional and the outside
water pressure is enough to maintain a flow even though the valve is
off.

So, could anyone suggest the best plan from here. It looks like the
valve is soldered in. It's located just outside the house.

Do I have the city shut off the house water, hacksaw out the old valve
and solder in a new one? There is one nut between the body of the
valve, around the shaft. Is there any chance I could simply open that
up and pull out the guts of the valve and replace just that?

Thanks for any advice.

Steve

Replacing main water supply valve
 

good friend had that problem, he installed a second valve, ball type,
they never go bad. left original valve in place.

ask the water company they might replace the valve for free, to save
inconvenient emergency calls for them.

Replacing main water supply valve
 

On 28 Mar 2006 17:51:14 -0800, "
wrote:

All,

After 15 years of using the house main water supply valve to turn off
water to the house it no longer completely shuts off the water. My
sense is that the seal inside is not fully functional and the outside
water pressure is enough to maintain a flow even though the valve is
off.

So, could anyone suggest the best plan from here. It looks like the
valve is soldered in. It's located just outside the house.

Do I have the city shut off the house water, hacksaw out the old valve
and solder in a new one? There is one nut between the body of the
valve, around the shaft. Is there any chance I could simply open that
up and pull out the guts of the valve and replace just that?

Thanks for any advice.

Steve

Call the city. They will fix their own valve. I suspect you are
talking about a valve near the water meter. Precede from there.

Oren
"My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland
and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore
excused from saving Universes."

Replacing main water supply valve
 

" wrote in message
oups.com...
All,

After 15 years of using the house main water supply valve to turn off
water to the house it no longer completely shuts off the water. My
sense is that the seal inside is not fully functional and the outside
water pressure is enough to maintain a flow even though the valve is
off.

So, could anyone suggest the best plan from here. It looks like the
valve is soldered in. It's located just outside the house.

Do I have the city shut off the house water, hacksaw out the old valve
and solder in a new one? There is one nut between the body of the
valve, around the shaft. Is there any chance I could simply open that
up and pull out the guts of the valve and replace just that?

Thanks for any advice.

Steve


There is a good chance you can repair the valve seat or seal, it may only
need a rubber washer (if you have not mashed the valve seat trying to turn
it off with a bad washer). Can't say for sure not knowing what valve you do
have.


You will still need to shut off the water at the curb. You can do this
yourself if you have the tool or the city will probably do it for you for
free as long as that is all you ask for.

If it comes to replacement, use a 1/4 turn ball valve since it will always
be all the way open or closed and are most reliable for this application. A
gate valve would work too but is not as reliable.

Adding or replacing the pressure regulator at this time would be only
marginally more work and money if the old one seems worn out (visable
cracked rubber seals like on mine or cannot adjust because shaft is stuck
etc.)

Replacing main water supply valve
 

Installing a second valve is probably the best idea.

Walt Conner

he installed a second valve, ball type,
they never go bad. left original valve in place.

Replacing main water supply valve
 

Thank you.....It is the house valve that I am talking about not the
city valve. However, as someone mentioned, perhaps I can get a tool to
turn off the city valve and see if I can simply replace the rubber
washer in the house supply valve. I'll try that first. If it doesn't
work I'll call the city and see if they will do it for free. Great
suggestion. Also good advice on the 1/4 turn ball valve.

Replacing main water supply valve
 

You should be able to turn it off at the meter without getting the city
involved.
Replace it with a quarter turn ball valve.
If its on copper, you can use compression unions as opposed to sweat
soldering it into place.

--
Steve Barker



" wrote in message
oups.com...
All,

After 15 years of using the house main water supply valve to turn off
water to the house it no longer completely shuts off the water. My
sense is that the seal inside is not fully functional and the outside
water pressure is enough to maintain a flow even though the valve is
off.

So, could anyone suggest the best plan from here. It looks like the
valve is soldered in. It's located just outside the house.

Do I have the city shut off the house water, hacksaw out the old valve
and solder in a new one? There is one nut between the body of the
valve, around the shaft. Is there any chance I could simply open that
up and pull out the guts of the valve and replace just that?

Thanks for any advice.

Steve

Replacing main water supply valve
 

On 28 Mar 2006 18:18:34 -0800, "
wrote:

Thank you.....It is the house valve that I am talking about not the
city valve. However, as someone mentioned, perhaps I can get a tool to
turn off the city valve and see if I can simply replace the rubber
washer in the house supply valve. I'll try that first. If it doesn't
work I'll call the city and see if they will do it for free. Great
suggestion. Also good advice on the 1/4 turn ball valve.

You can turn off the city valve anytime IMO... if I break the company
valve I pay. I do use a "crescent wrench" or "channel locks" to turn
off city water any time necessary.

Oren
"My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland
and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore
excused from saving Universes."

Replacing main water supply valve
 

we called the plumber and rather than braak the underground city
shutoff also, he got out his tarp and a compression 3/4"ID ball valve
and replaced it live. and wet. call aquajet if you are in buffalo ny.

Replacing main water supply valve
 

Geez... Nasty way of changing a valve.

Interesting around here compression fittings arent allowed
for some reason... (Nassau County, LI New York)

Tom

Replacing main water supply valve
 

" wrote in message
oups.com...
All,

After 15 years of using the house main water supply valve to turn off
water to the house it no longer completely shuts off the water. My
sense is that the seal inside is not fully functional and the outside
water pressure is enough to maintain a flow even though the valve is
off.

So, could anyone suggest the best plan from here. It looks like the
valve is soldered in. It's located just outside the house.

Do I have the city shut off the house water, hacksaw out the old valve
and solder in a new one? There is one nut between the body of the
valve, around the shaft. Is there any chance I could simply open that
up and pull out the guts of the valve and replace just that?

Quite frequently simply cranking down on the nut below the knob will tighten
things up so the valve works again. You can only play this magic once or
twice; so if it works, install a new full bore ball valve after the old
valve. I did that while my old valve was still working, cause they don't
last.

(tighten means clockwise when looking down on it; I don't want to think
about what will happen if you screw it off)

Replacing main water supply valve
 

"buffalobill" wrote in message
ups.com...
we called the plumber and rather than braak the underground city
shutoff also, he got out his tarp and a compression 3/4"ID ball valve
and replaced it live. and wet. call aquajet if you are in buffalo ny.

Geez, I would pay to see that done!
Did he use some sort of fixture to get the new valve on? Doesn't seem
possible by hand.

Replacing main water supply valve
 

This happened to me on a Sunday a few
years ago. I called the water company,
recently privatized from the local
government. I expected a major problem,
but instead a guy, from a cellphone,
working in the field, called me back in a
few minutes. He came over and shut off
the water at the buffalo box near the
street. I then soldered in a new valve
and called him back to turn on the water.
The whole thing took a few hours.

BTW, my valve was stuck off, so we had
no water. It had to be fixed right away.
You could probably schedule the shutoff
convenient to your schedule .... that is
if you are going to do the replacement
yourself.

Toller wrote:
" wrote in message
oups.com...

All,

After 15 years of using the house main water supply valve to turn off
water to the house it no longer completely shuts off the water. My
sense is that the seal inside is not fully functional and the outside
water pressure is enough to maintain a flow even though the valve is
off.

So, could anyone suggest the best plan from here. It looks like the
valve is soldered in. It's located just outside the house.

Do I have the city shut off the house water, hacksaw out the old valve
and solder in a new one? There is one nut between the body of the
valve, around the shaft. Is there any chance I could simply open that
up and pull out the guts of the valve and replace just that?


Quite frequently simply cranking down on the nut below the knob will tighten
things up so the valve works again. You can only play this magic once or
twice; so if it works, install a new full bore ball valve after the old
valve. I did that while my old valve was still working, cause they don't
last.

(tighten means clockwise when looking down on it; I don't want to think
about what will happen if you screw it off)

Replacing main water supply valve
 

Aren't some of these service shutoffs shared by more than one house?
Just a thought- you might want to look at that and notify neighbors if
that's the case. My service shutoff is between mine and neighbors'
driveway- never bothered to check if there are separate valves.

Replacing main water supply valve
 

There will be a seperate valve and meter for each billable account.


"Sev" wrote in message
oups.com...
Aren't some of these service shutoffs shared by more than one house?
Just a thought- you might want to look at that and notify neighbors if
that's the case. My service shutoff is between mine and neighbors'
driveway- never bothered to check if there are separate valves.

Replacing main water supply valve
 

wrote:
Geez... Nasty way of changing a valve.

Especially by soldering!

Replacing main water supply valve
 

wrote:
Thank you.....It is the house valve that I am talking about not the
city valve. However, as someone mentioned, perhaps I can get a tool to
turn off the city valve and see if I can simply replace the rubber
washer in the house supply valve. I'll try that first. If it doesn't
work I'll call the city and see if they will do it for free. Great
suggestion. Also good advice on the 1/4 turn ball valve.

Amen to the ball valve. All the gate valves in my house plumbing are
now DOA; the handles go round and round forever and they don't shut off.