So an update on my attempt to get all my 14 toilet & sink shut-off valves replaced with Dahl-brand as recommended in a previous thread here:
https://www.plumbingforums.com/thre...-for-toilet-sink-other-than-home-depot.17808/
I was scheduled to have my handyman out here today but an emergency came up and he sent his son, who has done a lot of work with him on my home as well, including changing some of those shut-off valves last year. 2 big problems came up:
1) Shut off main water shut-off, which is gate type. It could not shut off all the water supply, the faucets would all run dry, but water still spilling out of the valve under sink. The son doesn't know what's wrong with the gate valve, so will have to get his Dad out here to look at it.
BACKSTORY: After the main shut off gate valve leaked slightly last year, I had the handyman try to change it out but he couldn't get the nut off in the drywall (see picture) so he assured me that it was okay to just change the blue handle and gasket. I hate the gate valve and really wanted quarter turn but that would've required cutting a big hole in the drywall to access and probably moving the water heater. He told me any leak would most likely be at the nut which I would see right away on the drywall, or on the valve itself, so I relented.
QUESTION: Why would the gate valve not shut off all the water? It gets enough 'exercise,' handle & gasket just got changed about 7 months ago. Never had problem shutting off water completely for changing valves in the past years before 7 months ago. In general, we shut off water to the whole house when we go on vacation which is at least a couple times a yr in non-covid years.
2) So the son proceeds with removing the shut-off valves under the sink because I need the kitchen sink faucet replaced as well. Buckets & towels underneath to catch the water. The cold water shut-off valve has been leaking less than a drop a day for who knows how many months AND it was already replaced exactly a year ago as described in the thread linked above with the Brasscraft from Home Depot. He puts in the brand-new Dahl valve... AND it continues to leak! The ferrule is tight. The hot water & dishwasher shut-offs do not leak (so far) when replaced with Dahl. So assuming very unlikely the brand-new Dahl is defective, we are thinking the copper pipe for cold water has been deformed by all the valve changes (5 yrs ago, 1 yr ago, today). He didn't have the pipe-cutting tool (Dad had it) so he'll have to come back. I told him let's not do any more today because it's too watery messy and it's best anyway to get Dad to fix the main shut off so the water is *completely* shut off and then change the rest of the 11 valves+1 leaky cold valve.
QUESTION: Since I had so much trouble with leaky valves last year and the ones that don't actively leak have the green deposits as mentioned at the end of the previous thread, should I be assuming most/all of the rest of the copper pipes have been deformed? Should they be cutting off an inch on all of them before putting in the new valves to start on newish copper? Can you tell/not tell just by looking at the copper pipe?
Part of me wishes I never embarked on this valve-changing exercise, it's certainly expensive and stressful...
https://www.plumbingforums.com/thre...-for-toilet-sink-other-than-home-depot.17808/
I was scheduled to have my handyman out here today but an emergency came up and he sent his son, who has done a lot of work with him on my home as well, including changing some of those shut-off valves last year. 2 big problems came up:
1) Shut off main water shut-off, which is gate type. It could not shut off all the water supply, the faucets would all run dry, but water still spilling out of the valve under sink. The son doesn't know what's wrong with the gate valve, so will have to get his Dad out here to look at it.
BACKSTORY: After the main shut off gate valve leaked slightly last year, I had the handyman try to change it out but he couldn't get the nut off in the drywall (see picture) so he assured me that it was okay to just change the blue handle and gasket. I hate the gate valve and really wanted quarter turn but that would've required cutting a big hole in the drywall to access and probably moving the water heater. He told me any leak would most likely be at the nut which I would see right away on the drywall, or on the valve itself, so I relented.
QUESTION: Why would the gate valve not shut off all the water? It gets enough 'exercise,' handle & gasket just got changed about 7 months ago. Never had problem shutting off water completely for changing valves in the past years before 7 months ago. In general, we shut off water to the whole house when we go on vacation which is at least a couple times a yr in non-covid years.
2) So the son proceeds with removing the shut-off valves under the sink because I need the kitchen sink faucet replaced as well. Buckets & towels underneath to catch the water. The cold water shut-off valve has been leaking less than a drop a day for who knows how many months AND it was already replaced exactly a year ago as described in the thread linked above with the Brasscraft from Home Depot. He puts in the brand-new Dahl valve... AND it continues to leak! The ferrule is tight. The hot water & dishwasher shut-offs do not leak (so far) when replaced with Dahl. So assuming very unlikely the brand-new Dahl is defective, we are thinking the copper pipe for cold water has been deformed by all the valve changes (5 yrs ago, 1 yr ago, today). He didn't have the pipe-cutting tool (Dad had it) so he'll have to come back. I told him let's not do any more today because it's too watery messy and it's best anyway to get Dad to fix the main shut off so the water is *completely* shut off and then change the rest of the 11 valves+1 leaky cold valve.
QUESTION: Since I had so much trouble with leaky valves last year and the ones that don't actively leak have the green deposits as mentioned at the end of the previous thread, should I be assuming most/all of the rest of the copper pipes have been deformed? Should they be cutting off an inch on all of them before putting in the new valves to start on newish copper? Can you tell/not tell just by looking at the copper pipe?
Part of me wishes I never embarked on this valve-changing exercise, it's certainly expensive and stressful...