MA Cooke Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Hi everyone. Our house is a raised ranch built in 1961, with (mostly) original plumbing, and we have a valve in the basement that is leaking from around the stem packing. It is either a gate or globe valve, it's one of two isolation valves at the meter as the line comes in from the street. Since it's a 55 year-old valve, to me the simple solution is to replace the valve. It's old iron or steel piping, 3/4" or 1" line size, the existing valve is FPT both ends. My father-in-law thinks it will be too much trouble to replace the valve, he insists that we hire a plumber to replace the packing. It's an old valve...I talked to 2 plumbers who told me it's futile to try to re-pack. I can buy the valve for under $15 at a big box home improvement store, I figure a plumber could do it in 1 or 2 hours. It's relatively accessible, it's about a foot off the floor near a corner wall. When I told him this, he told me I don't know what I'm talking about and hung up on me. Anyone care to chime in?> Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brian 1 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 (edited) The valve is bronze and the pipe is carbon steel. You run a big, and I mean big risk of damaging the probably already deteriorated pipe threads if you do a replacement of the valve. I would just replace the packing, much easier and much less risk. The valve itself is in perfect condition in terms of the reusable components. I would heat it a little if you can't get the bonnet to unscrew, but as always proceed with a delicate touch until you see how she's going hold up. Edited November 30, 2016 by Brian 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brian 1 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 OK, I put my beer down, you should have unions on each end of the valve if its FPT, how are the unions secured to the pipe, sil-brazed? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted November 30, 2016 Author Share Posted November 30, 2016 Brian 1, thanks for your reply. UPDATE: One plumber I spoke with suggested I try to tighten the packing. I was previously unable to, as my channel locks didn't have sufficient a lever arm. I found my big-a55 channel locks, they're about a foot long, and I got the packing nut turned about a half turn overall, and it is no longer leaking. It appears there's a female nipple, no union. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brian 1 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 That's good news! I can proceed with the beer now that thinking is not required! LOL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dnl42 Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 Well done. Before I rebuilt my 1960 house (a full "scrape" 10y ago), I learned to never ever touch plumbing unless things were really really bad. First lesson: I decided to replace a J trap under the kitchen sink...was back into the wall before the collateral damage stopped. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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