Ask Me Help Desk - Install Bathtub shut off valve

Hello!
We are trying to install a shut off valve as a temporary fix to a broken faucet, not being paid till the first and needing this taken care of. My toddler was in the bathtub when I went to turn off the hot water and the faucet shot off the wall, along with gallons of water like a geiser, we had to shut it off at the main water supply since looking in the access panel we found there was none. We were going to fix it by replacing the seat and the washer, but it's an old house and it needs to be replaced as the seat is coroded in the pipe. My husband was wanting to do a temporary fix to get us through without having to have the main shut off and the valve is still leaking when he has installed it. We can live the two weeks without the hot water for the bathtub but we need the water in the rest of the house and the hotwater for dishes and laundry too! Is their a way to even seal off if necessary the supply while we're waiting for payday?

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplyjen329

Hello!
We are trying to install a shut off valve as a temporary fix to a broken faucet, not being paid till the first and needing this taken care of. My toddler was in the bathtub when I went to turn off the hot water and the faucet shot off the wall, along with gallons of water like a geiser, we had to shut it off at the main water supply since looking in the access panel we found there was none. We were going to fix it by replacing the seat and the washer, but it's an old house and it needs to be replaced as the seat is coroded in the pipe. My husband was wanting to do a temporary fix to get us through without having to have the main shut off and the valve is still leaking when he has installed it. We can live the two weeks without the hot water for the bathtub but we need the water in the rest of the house and the hotwater for dishes and laundry too! Is their a way to even seal off if necessary the supply while we're waiting for payday?

Is the piping for the tub valve accessible in a crawl space or basement?

If so, you could always cap it off from below with a galvanized cap or plug -- Assuming it's galvanized piping, of course.

If he needs to cut the pipe to back it out to a fitting, he should make sure both ends will have threads that are easily accessible to make putting it back together later easier.

What kind of pipe do you have? If it is the cream colored CPVC, you have a cheap easy fix maybe even making the hot water semi usable. You will need a CPVC ball valve, a can of primer, a can of cement, and a hacksaw. $10? Cut a section out of the hot water line to fit the valve in. Clean up the ends and follow the directions on the primer and cement cans. If you buy the dual purpose cement, you can use the same can to the PVC on the cold.

Other types of pipe may be more expensive and require more skill, but will work the same.

You may have to hunt a little more to find ball valves, but it is worth it. They are easier to use and have drastically fewer leaks. Gate valves have been obsolete since the 70's, but still predominant. After all, they are what grandpappy used. When I was managing a factory with many difficult to control fluids, we scrapped hundreds of them, replacing them with ball valves and in the larger sizes, butterfly valves.

There is still a place for chromed globe valves, out where they show.

Quote:

Originally Posted by labman

What kind of pipe do you have? If it is the cream colored CPVC, you have a cheap easy fix maybe even making the hot water semi usable. You will need a CPVC ball valve, a can of primer, a can of cement, and a hacksaw. $10? Cut a section out of the hot water line to fit the valve in. Clean up the ends and follow the directions on the primer and cement cans. If you buy the dual purpose cement, you can use the same can to the PVC on the cold.

Other types of pipe may be more expensive and require more skill, but will work the same.

You may have to hunt a little more to find ball valves, but it is worth it. They are easier to use and have drastically fewer leaks. Gate valves have been obsolete since the 70's, but still predominant. After all, they are what grandpappy used. When I was managing a factory with many difficult to control fluids, we scrapped hundreds of them, replacing them with ball valves and in the larger sizes, butterfly valves.

There is still a place for chromed globe valves, out where they show.

Thank you, they are Copper pipes and not threaded, we were shocked when checking the access panel that there wasn't a shut off and since we don't have a basement it still leaves us wondering, he did try a ball valve but we had jbweld and it wasn't working for preventing the leak, so, he was going to try to solder but didn't know he needed the foux for a bonding agent, should that work or should I just refer him to the cement. We've come to the conclusion that we'll need to replace the piping since the cold water seems to not want to shut completely off now either, we were just trying a pacifier till payday ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplyjen329

Thank you, they are Copper pipes and not threaded, we were shocked when checking the access panel that there wasn't a shut off and since we don't have a basement it still leaves us wondering, he did try a ball valve but we had jbweld and it wasnt working for preventing the leak, so, he was going to try to solder but didn't know he needed the foux for a bonding agent, should that work or should I just refer him to the cement.? We've come to the conclusion that we'll need to replace the piping since the cold water seems to not want to shut completely off now either, we were just trying a pacifier till payday ;)

If it's copper tubing and you're looking for the least expensive way to shut it off until payday, install compression stops or compression ball valves for the time being.

Many people lack the skill to solder copper. When I installed a new faucet in my kitchen last summer, the new one required shortening the copper lines. I have enough trouble doing copper out where I have room, let alone working in tight places. I cut a good chunk of the copper lines off and used CPVC compression unions to adapt to CPVC, a ball valve, more CPVC, and finally a female threaded adapter to the faucet. PVC is larger then copper, so I used the more expensive CPVC for the cold too.

If you lack plumbing experience, don't count on getting good, tight metal compression joints.

Do not use cpvc dresser couples. Use all brass or the newer 'sharkbite' fittings and threaded valves. What growler said was the best way.