Is there an easy way to replace this valve? Plumbing question....

[tominboise]

This valve feeds my hose bibs. House was built in 1946 and this valve was put in then, I presume. I rebuilt it with new gaskets and seals about 18 years ago, but it is leaking again (won't shut off completely). I would prefer to replace with a ball valve if possible, but not sure how to approach it in this trapped location. If need be, I'll disassemble and rebuild again, but what say you?

 

[Jim greengo]

That's going to involve cutting/unscrewing a lot of pipe and installing a union someplace,or repiping in copper.
Probably easier to pull it apart and replace the washer in it.

 

[dfiler2]

I would repair it again unless you are ok with doing a bunch of plumbing. Whoever plumbed it that way should be flogged, IMO.

 

[Wolley]

If it just goes to hose bibs, cut after the valve. Remove the valve and replace with new pex to the bibs

 

[niget2002]

Lasted 18 years after the first rebuild? I'd rebuild it again.

 

[tominboise]

Rebuilding is a matter of finding a local Hardware or plumbing store with the correct gaskets and seals. Last time the lady at the local ACE hardware had all the parts and knew what I needed and where it was in the store. She is long gone, of course.

 

[Walkers]

If you can rebuild it for another 18 years then do so. Without cutting everything apart you could cut the valve out use a sweat in ball valve and sweat X threaded adapters with short pieces of pipe to sweat in a ball valve. There is potential for a galvanic issue, but it would probably take 30 years to be a problem.

 

[Meursault74]

rebuild it.

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might just have the bit you need.

 

[nadogail]

Every Plumbing job is guaranteed to be harder than it looks.

 

[housewolf]

Leave it in if it’s just not shutting off. Add two (or more) valves at places with a little more room to work

 

[tominboise]

Every Plumbing job is guaranteed to be harder than it looks.

Truer words were never spoken.

 

[tominboise]

Leave it in if it’s just not shutting off. Add two (or more) valves at places with a little more room to work

Not a bad idea, for sure.

 

[tominboise]

If you can rebuild it for another 18 years then do so. Without cutting everything apart you could cut the valve out use a sweat in ball valve and sweat X threaded adapters with short pieces of pipe to sweat in a ball valve. There is potential for a galvanic issue, but it would probably take 30 years to be a problem.

I will probably try to rebuild it again before I start cutting.

 

[motorcycle79]

If u want to replace it this is how I would do it. Shut all water off to house and drain best of ability. Sawzall pipe left of valve might have to cut it twice for enough space to unscrew pipe to both tees. Replace with Pex would be the easiest and fastest and would probably fit in the space you have. Otherwise replace with extra offset to make room for a union

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

2 unions, a sawzall, and a threader so you can get the lengths exactly right doesn't look too bad to me

 

[tominboise]

How hard would it be to get a PEX fitting to seal in the threads, of that upper Tee (the one feeding the hose bibs? Probably the fitting is quite corroded but maybe the thread sealers are thick enough to seal it. I realize I could screw a 3/4" PEX ball valve into that Tee, facing down, and then use PEX with a 90 and then into the other Tee on the supply side.

And why does 3/4" PEX seem so much smaller than 3/4" pipe?

 

[rharman]

rebuild it.

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might just have the bit you need.

They might but I wouldn't bet on a very long lasting repair using them.

 

[The Cobbler]

I would just repair it and make plans to re plumb that steel pipe. it's a leak waiting to happen

 

[housewolf]

How hard would it be to get a PEX fitting to seal in the threads, of that upper Tee (the one feeding the hose bibs? Probably the fitting is quite corroded but maybe the thread sealers are thick enough to seal it.

And why does 3/4" PEX seem so much smaller than 3/4" pipe?

The pipe and fittings are probably full of sediment but the threads will probably look good when you back out the pipe. The wall thickness of the pex is significantly less than gal. The ID is same

 

[73project]

I would skip the big box/general hardware stores when sourcing plumbing parts such as these. I would head to your local plumbing store where the people that do it for a living shop. You will get someone that probably knows the manufacturer of that valve, and you'll stand a better chance of getting a quality replacement part.

 

[Renegade1LI]

It’s only screw pipe, i would have to repipe it so it was a little neater, probably change to copper. If you want to keep the valve in that location remove as much threaded pipe as needed change to copper and use a slip coupling for your final connection. If you have access to a press tool even easier otherwise a few sweaty joints.

 

[Bert_]

How hard would it be to get a PEX fitting to seal in the threads, of that upper Tee (the one feeding the hose bibs? Probably the fitting is quite corroded but maybe the thread sealers are thick enough to seal it. I realize I could screw a 3/4" PEX ball valve into that Tee, facing down, and then use PEX with a 90 and then into the other Tee on the supply side.

And why does 3/4" PEX seem so much smaller than 3/4" pipe?

PEX is copper tube size. 3/4 Pex IS smaller than 3/4" iron pipe

 

[DGersic]

Easiest answer: rebuild it in place.

Best answer: start at the meter. Cut out everything. Repipe the house in PEX, or copper.