Need some help from any plumbing experts

[glenmore]

I have a hose spigot that I need to replace. There is a leak in the seat area but it is the type of spigot that has does not have a changeable seat so I need to sweat the spigot off and solder on a new one.

The problem is that there is a constant trickle of water coming from the spigot even though the main is closed. The spigot is at street level and the rest of the house/plumbing is higher. My household propane torch will not get the connection hot enough to swap out the spigot. I had no problem changing out another spigot (at the back of the house) that had no water dripping from it. Today I closed the main and then opened the spigot to try and let all the water drain from the house. I came back after 5 hours and there was still water dribbling from it.

Any tips for handling this? Maybe I need to open some spigots in the house after I shut the main and open the bad spigot to let the house drain more completely?

 

[Steevo]

Sweat the old one off, stuff a ball of sandwich bread up the pipe to hold back the flow of water, and sweat the new one on.
Once turned on, the wet bread will disintegrate and wash out of the pipe.

 

[plumbstupid]

If you open the other faucets in the house more water will drain out of the spigot since it is the lowest fixture. Be patient and eventually the water will stop.

If it was me I would turnof the water at the meter and then remove the meter. Most water departments have check valves built into the meter yoke, which makes it nessasary to remove the check or push it open with a screwdriver. The hnadle on long channel-lock pliers work well too. Anyway once you remove the meter and push in the check valve( if equipped) the water will drain back into the meter pit.

 

[truckin23]

Sweat the old one off, stuff a ball of sandwich bread up the pipe to hold back the flow of water, and sweat the new one on.
Once turned on, the wet bread will disintegrate and wash out of the pipe.

on Steevo's way that is how I was thaught back in the 60's to do it fast and something usely everyone has at home no having to run to the hardware store

 

[blackgold]

My father used compressed air to push air back down the line.
Brian

 

[premierplayer]

Cut in a compression valve before the hose bib. With this you can isolate the hose bib if you have future problems or need a seasonal cut off.

 

[Steves32]

40 year plumber here.
I've never had to use bread- just makes a mess of things.
Make sure water heater inlet valve is closed or it will syphon the water from tank.
2 ways to do the job.
Blow out the line w/ compressed air.
Or
Loosen the water meter union, no need to remove the meter.

 

[Zeke]

They even sell the "bread" now at plumbing supply's. Low spots are hard to dry up, meter trick or not. Unless you have all day, use whatever trick that works.

Seeing the compression thing mentioned, I bet there's a compression fitting or push on that will accept a hose bib. Is there enough of a stub out of solder free copper? If I plumb for a bib, I first solder on a MP adapter. After that, valves can be threaded on and off easily.

 

[CitadelBlue]

If you can use a "Frost Free" faucets (

) they screw on to a copper fitting that is "sweated" to a copper pipe (sweat first, then screw on the connection to the faucet) and then either us a compression fitting or one of those new "shark bit" fittings .....

 

[Bronson]

I was doing some plumbing in a two story apt complex and had tried everything, , let it drain, ball o' bread, everything. Then it hit me. Shop Vac! I went in the kitchen and duct taped the hose to the kichen fauscet and turned on both valves. Turned on the shop vac, went back and soldered My tub faucet in 60 seconds, done. It works great! (isolate the water heater before you turn on the vac)

 

[camarotoolman]

I like Shark jaws?, just push then on, no soldering. Old solder, new solder too fustrating for me. The $ 5-6 is worth it to me.

 

[pauldeere]

I lways use Map Gas rather than propane get a lot hotter.....

 

[darkk]

Sweat the old one off, stuff a ball of sandwich bread up the pipe to hold back the flow of water, and sweat the new one on.
Once turned on, the wet bread will disintegrate and wash out of the pipe.

X2 An old trick I have used many many times...but you need to work quickly

 

[Mike F]

^^ The only way to work quickly would be to use MAPP gas. Propane is too slow. MAPP is a good thing to have around anyway, so use it as an excuse to buy one.

 

[Mr.Magoo]

I like Bronson's method,,,, Vacuum, if you understand the simplicity, a sure winner!

 

[rlitman]

I have a set of what looks like giant pill capsules. They're squishy and egg shaped, and are sized to fill up a pipe for this purpose, just like the bread trick. The difference, is you remember where you placed them in the pipe, and hit that spot with the torch when you're done, and they melt. I bought them for emergencies, but still never used them.

I've used sharkbite fittings in a few special cases (never compression in anything larger than 1/4" pipe), and they have their uses, but I wouldn't trust one on a hose bib. They're subject to too much movement and force, even if the flange is properly secured to the exterior wall. All of my the hose bibs I've installed are the frost free kind. I install a ball valve in the basement (and here, you could install a sharkbite valve, if it is at least one elbow away from the valve, and the pipe is well clamped), and a female fitting at the end of the pipe, just inside the wall. I then screw the frost free hose bib into that. I really don't like to heat seated valves if at all possible. Oh, and the new quarter turn hose bibs are awesome.

Honestly though, in the few times that this has come up for me, I've made use of the power of having a seriously large torch (not something you can do with propane, or any box store torch).
I just went back a couple of feet from the end I need to sweat (somewhere in the middle of the pipe), and get that section so ripping hot that any water that trickles near it flashes into steam instantly, and then sweat on my connection. Never had this not work for me.