WiiGame
Active Member
Please Help! I suddenly have no hot water (in 6:30pm 20F temps) until I can fix this!
After a clothes washer repair, my hot water supply value dripped from the stem when open, but then also when closed, and then it started hissing at me. It's all green around the stem. I relieved the pressure by shutting off the water to the water heater (so we at least have cold running water) and opening all the hot water faucets in the lowest level (where the problem is).
By all accounts this should be easy for a novice like me, but I have this setup:
- copper pipe running vertical from the ceiling to about chest level
- a brass 90 degree elbow with "1/8" stamped on the side to bring it out horizontal
- a brass supply valve screwed directly into the elbow
- threads from the supply valve into the elbow are visible
- on the threads: what looks like dried yellow glue
Basic Questions:
1) How do I get this valve off?
2) What do I replace it with?
And how would I do that (if not obvious)?
Detailed Questions:
1a) Do I have any hope of unscrewing these two with wrenches (to replace just the supply valve) or are these 2 brass fittings joined forever? I do have a barely used pipe wrench set.
1b) Would a hand-held butane torch (or whatever it's called) melt off this glue? I have one of those if it helps.
2a) Is there any way I'm going to be able to get a 1/4 turn compression valve onto this by the end of the ordeal?
2b) Is there any way I can solve this without soldering (which I can barely spell, much less perform)? I have almost no confidence, and certainly no tools, for that.
After a clothes washer repair, my hot water supply value dripped from the stem when open, but then also when closed, and then it started hissing at me. It's all green around the stem. I relieved the pressure by shutting off the water to the water heater (so we at least have cold running water) and opening all the hot water faucets in the lowest level (where the problem is).
By all accounts this should be easy for a novice like me, but I have this setup:
- copper pipe running vertical from the ceiling to about chest level
- a brass 90 degree elbow with "1/8" stamped on the side to bring it out horizontal
- a brass supply valve screwed directly into the elbow
- threads from the supply valve into the elbow are visible
- on the threads: what looks like dried yellow glue
Basic Questions:
1) How do I get this valve off?
2) What do I replace it with?
And how would I do that (if not obvious)?
Detailed Questions:
1a) Do I have any hope of unscrewing these two with wrenches (to replace just the supply valve) or are these 2 brass fittings joined forever? I do have a barely used pipe wrench set.
1b) Would a hand-held butane torch (or whatever it's called) melt off this glue? I have one of those if it helps.
2a) Is there any way I'm going to be able to get a 1/4 turn compression valve onto this by the end of the ordeal?
2b) Is there any way I can solve this without soldering (which I can barely spell, much less perform)? I have almost no confidence, and certainly no tools, for that.
