# Old house plumbing.



## plumberman860 (Sep 15, 2013)

A friend of mine needs this capped off so he can work on his remodel of the half bath. My question is what's the best way of removing the old valves. I know old brass can be nightmares sometimes and was looking for a better solution than just attacking it with wrenches.


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## redbeardplumber (Dec 4, 2012)

Pics???


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

plumberman860 said:


> A friend of mine needs this capped off so he can work on his remodel of the half bath. My question is what's the best way of removing the old valves. I know old brass can be nightmares sometimes and was looking for a better solution than just attacking it with wrenches.


Can you attack it with some pics first?


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## plumberman860 (Sep 15, 2013)

Lol oops. Sorry thought I attached the pic before.


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

Isn't that some old galvanized coming out of the floor at the top of the pic? If so, it seems safe to assume you have galvanized in the wall that those chrome plated brass nipples are threaded into. Open the wall to confirm. If so, you will have to start unthreading. If joints don't come apart well, you will want to find a spot to use a dresser coupling to cap temporarily. May I suggest that a repipe is more important than a remodel at this this time if that is galvanized in the wall. Would be a disservice to your friend of you didn't.


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

That's a radiator at the top. 3/8" nipple for water. Those should come out easy. You can prefab a 3/8" galvi cap and nipple and plug it there. 

I would repipe it if he is going through a remodel. Now is the best time to do that.


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

MTDUNN said:


> That's a radiator at the top. 3/8" nipple for water. Those should come out easy. You can prefab a 3/8" galvi cap and nipple and plug it there.
> 
> I would repipe it if he is going through a remodel. Now is the best time to do that.


*There should be no problem pulling brass nipples from galvanized. Have done it many a time. The problem unknown to the plumber is are they galvanized? Some enterprizing plumbers [or other so called mechanics] would run soft copper up the wall with a lug ell soldered on and two little screws run into a piece of scrap wood to anchor them. Now 40 years later you must pull the nipples. As you are turning the ell is twisting pretty soon snap. You then can utter the word $hit -- or some other expletives. But listen up -- there is a way to pull them and put them back. Most lug ells are cast brass and are made in a hex pattern. So open up around the nipple enough to fit a tub faucet wench over the lug ell. Note depending on the lenght of the nipples you might have to cut the wrench. When your sure your on the ell hold back the socket with a cresent wrench, turning the nipple with a pipe wrench -- reverse to install if needed.*


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## jmc12185 (Aug 27, 2013)

If it's galvanized or brass sometimes no problem at all but other times threads just keep breaking off. I would get rid of as much of it as possible because eventually it will start leaking and probably sooner than later if you start messing with it.

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

PLUMBER_BILL said:


> There should be no problem pulling brass nipples from galvanized. Have done it many a time. The problem unknown to the plumber is are they galvanized? Some enterprizing plumbers [or other so called mechanics] would run soft copper up the wall with a lug ell soldered on and two little screws run into a piece of scrap wood to anchor them. Now 40 years later you must pull the nipples. As you are turning the ell is twisting pretty soon snap. You then can utter the word $hit -- or some other expletives. But listen up -- there is a way to pull them and put them back. Most lug ells are cast brass and are made in a hex pattern. So open up around the nipple enough to fit a tub faucet wench over the lug ell. Note depending on the lenght of the nipples you might have to cut the wrench. When your sure your on the ell hold back the socket with a cresent wrench, turning the nipple with a pipe wrench -- reverse to install if needed.


Sure, pull the escussion back and check if its galvi before the attempt.


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## crown36 (May 21, 2013)

plumberman860 said:


> A friend of mine needs this capped off so he can work on his remodel of the half bath. My question is what's the best way of removing the old valves. I know old brass can be nightmares sometimes and was looking for a better solution than just attacking it with wrenches.


 :no: Totally not a question I would expect from a 7 year union plumber!


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

plumberman860 said:


> A friend of mine needs this capped off so he can work on his remodel of the half bath. My question is what's the best way of removing the old valves. I know old brass can be nightmares sometimes and was looking for a better solution than just attacking it with wrenches.


For real?

Channel locks to hold back up after shutting water off, crescent wrench on the valve right tighty lefty loosey, screw a cap on both lines..

Go back with a threaded stop after remodel...


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Letterrip said:


> Isn't that some old galvanized coming out of the floor at the top of the pic? If so, it seems safe to assume you have galvanized in the wall that those chrome plated brass nipples are threaded into. Open the wall to confirm. If so, you will have to start unthreading. If joints don't come apart well, you will want to find a spot to use a dresser coupling to cap temporarily. May I suggest that a repipe is more important than a remodel at this this time if that is galvanized in the wall. Would be a disservice to your friend of you didn't.


I've seen dressing coupling let go when used for end caps...


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

Plumberman said:


> I've seen dressing coupling let go when used for end caps...


dresser couplings were never meant to hold as a cap .


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## younger-plumber (Sep 12, 2008)

Triplecrown24 said:


> :no: Totally not a question I would expect from a 7 year union plumber!


my thoughts...


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

Plumberman said:


> For real?
> 
> Channel locks to hold back up after shutting water off, crescent wrench on the valve right tighty lefty loosey, screw a cap on both lines..
> 
> Go back with a threaded stop after remodel...


Old plumbers trick I'm sure you know it.

If its too tight. Tighten it more just a little to break the seal.


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## jmc12185 (Aug 27, 2013)

MTDUNN said:


> Old plumbers trick I'm sure you know it. If its too tight. Tighten it more just a little to break the seal.


A little trick of the trade? Lol

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

MTDUNN said:


> Old plumbers trick I'm sure you know it.
> 
> If its too tight. Tighten it more just a little to break the seal.


Yep.

Works every time


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

Triplecrown24 said:


> :no: Totally not a question I would expect from a 7 year union plumber!


Agreed, but his intro says no experience in repair, so I went with it. A guy who only builds new cars in a factory wouldn't always know the problems of taking one back apart.


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

Plumberman said:


> I've seen dressing coupling let go when used for end caps...


Note I said temporary. They need to be secured against movement. They can get you out of a jam though.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

Plumberman said:


> Yep.
> 
> Works every time


If not throw some heat on it


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

TX MECH PLUMBER said:


> If not throw some heat on it


If you heat it up, follow it up with cold quickly and loosen


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Letterrip said:


> Note I said temporary. They need to be secured against movement. They can get you out of a jam though.


No doubt, I just never used then above ground.

I used the poo out of them fixing irrigation hack installations on schedule 22 at home. They are the worlds worse at trenching an un level ditch.


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## wyrickmech (Mar 16, 2013)

The way you attack this sink depends on what you want to save and how far you are renovating. The best opinion is just get some wrenches and see if it turns at normal tensions if not then snug tighter then loosen. If you are replacing it all which I would recommend you could get a little more ruff on it.


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## crown36 (May 21, 2013)

plumberman860 said:


> Lol oops. Sorry thought I attached the pic before.


 I like the combination wrenches in your pic. They're practically useless in the plumbing trade. But you would know that.....You're a 7th year plumber, remember? :no:


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## plumberman860 (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks for all the help guys. Life's been hectic with a new born and work so I haven't had the chance to log on. 

I never took that picture my buddy sent it to me. So those are all his tools. You never use combination wrenches in plumbing? Maybe you haven't tightened flanges before but what do I know I've only been doing plumbing for seven years. 

There is no repair work done at Yale. It no different than working on a job from the ground up. 

To the people who helped and gave advice and not smart as remarks, thanks lol. My friend is actually holding off on everything to get his money right to totally gut the plumbing out of his house and install PVC and pex.


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