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Mark and Kim Smith
 
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Default Well, that was a fun weekend! Let's see what next weekend brings!( longish )

Mother in law says can you fix my shower valves, they are leaking
again. No problem, they are so corroded, it is time to replace them.
Out comes the plaster and lathe behind the valves. Looks like it has
been leaking for some time. Got a new valve, some dielectric unions,
some 1/2" copper, etc. Shut off the main. Hmm, the handle on the main
seems to want to keep turning?!? Send the wife to get a new valve.
Meanwhile, I keep working on the tub valve. Everything looks pretty.

I go to throw on the handles and they don't fit! This is a Glacier
Bay unit. (This Glacier Bay unit says that I can sweat the copper to
it or use compression fittings. I opt for the former. The Borg was out
of Price Pfister, which was my first choice. I needed a two handle unit
to fit the original tile holes. Bath and shower head.) So a little
chipping away at the back side of the tiles and I can push the valve
through enough get the covers low enough to get the handles on, etc,
etc. That only took a while. This was after a lot of the copper was
already sweated in. When I was sweating the copper to the valve, I
noticed the fit was a little loose but seemed to go fine. Time to turn
on the water and check for leaks.

Out to the main at the meter to shut it and put on a new house
shutoff. Yikes! It won't turn. I can only get partial torque on it,
but it won't budge! Time to take a bath! I opened all the valves in
the house and disassembled the gate valve main at the house. (Still
pressurized.) Reached in and pulled the gate. Reassembled it to the
handle and reinstalled it. Water all over me, the driveway.........
Okay! Water on! No leaks at the gate valve but it is inoperable. At
least water is back on in the house. Time to check the new bath valve.
Oh man, one of the joints is weaping at the bathtub valve. The one that
looked like a loose fit on assembly!

So here is the plan. Buy or make a "wrench" to shut off the meter
valve. Hope it doesn't snap! (The city pipe looks pretty corroded.)
Finally replace the house main valve ( cross fingers that no pipes break
there!) Then, attend to the bath valve. Should I abandon the
soldering method and go for a compression nut?

What is it about mom in law's place? I do a job around my house and
barely have a problem. I get at least one Murphy everytime I do a job
at her place!

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Edwin Pawlowski
 
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Default


"Mark and Kim Smith" wrote in message
...
Mother in law says can you fix my shower valves, they are leaking again.


Don't you just love those 20 minute jobs?

My MIL's house was similar. I refused to start anything because I know I'd
end up having to replace the entire plumbing out to the main before I was
done. She finally sold the house.


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Charles Spitzer
 
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Default


"Mark and Kim Smith" wrote in message
...
Mother in law says can you fix my shower valves, they are leaking again.
No problem, they are so corroded, it is time to replace them. Out comes
the plaster and lathe behind the valves. Looks like it has been leaking
for some time. Got a new valve, some dielectric unions, some 1/2"
copper, etc. Shut off the main. Hmm, the handle on the main seems to
want to keep turning?!? Send the wife to get a new valve. Meanwhile, I
keep working on the tub valve. Everything looks pretty.
I go to throw on the handles and they don't fit! This is a Glacier Bay
unit. (This Glacier Bay unit says that I can sweat the copper to it or
use compression fittings. I opt for the former. The Borg was out of Price
Pfister, which was my first choice. I needed a two handle unit to fit the
original tile holes. Bath and shower head.) So a little chipping away at
the back side of the tiles and I can push the valve through enough get the
covers low enough to get the handles on, etc, etc. That only took a
while. This was after a lot of the copper was already sweated in. When I
was sweating the copper to the valve, I noticed the fit was a little loose
but seemed to go fine. Time to turn on the water and check for leaks.

Out to the main at the meter to shut it and put on a new house shutoff.
Yikes! It won't turn. I can only get partial torque on it, but it won't
budge! Time to take a bath! I opened all the valves in the house and
disassembled the gate valve main at the house. (Still pressurized.)
Reached in and pulled the gate. Reassembled it to the handle and
reinstalled it. Water all over me, the driveway......... Okay! Water
on! No leaks at the gate valve but it is inoperable. At least water is
back on in the house. Time to check the new bath valve. Oh man, one of
the joints is weaping at the bathtub valve. The one that looked like a
loose fit on assembly!
So here is the plan. Buy or make a "wrench" to shut off the meter valve.
Hope it doesn't snap! (The city pipe looks pretty corroded.) Finally
replace the house main valve ( cross fingers that no pipes break there!)
Then, attend to the bath valve. Should I abandon the soldering method and
go for a compression nut?

What is it about mom in law's place? I do a job around my house and
barely have a problem. I get at least one Murphy everytime I do a job at
her place!


get the city to replace their shutoff valve.


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