|
Posted by DerbyDad03 on May 2, 2008, 11:44 am
>
> > A ball valve would accomplish what the OP wants to accomplish:
>
> > The ability to shut off the water after each use without messing with
> > the current gate valves, for fear of them leaking due to not being
> > used for many years.
>
> > I don't think that restricted flow is anything that the OP is
> > concerned with.
>
> Correct. =A0I'm not worried about reduced flow.
>
> How do these recessed "washer boxes" get installed? =A0That's what I've
> got, it's a WaterTite brand. =A0I gained visual access in the basement
> to see what's down there. =A0It's two 1/2" copper (hot and cold) going
> straight up through the floor and into the wall beneath the box. =A0The
> existing valves sit flush on the bottom of the plastic box, they have
> a flange at the base of the valve with flats for a wrench. =A0The drain
> goes down in the middle. =A0The pipes are rigid in the vertical
> direction (they don't move vertically at all). =A0I see what appears to
> be a piece of flattened copper pipe shoved up next to each pipe where
> it enters the floor, not sure what that's for. =A0The valves do seem
> free in a torsional manner, ie I can force the valves to rotate
> slightly about the axis of the vertical pipe meaning I'm twisting the
> pipes themselves. =A0The thing that really confuses me though is that
> the relatively large PVC drain pipe enters the box inbetween the
> valves, and exits through the floor co-planar with the pipes but NOT
> inbetween them. =A0Somehow inside the wall, the drain pipe is routed
> past one of the copper pipes. =A0I would hope the copper doesn't do a
> dogleg in all that, because that might complicate doing anything with
> this.
>
> I'm not sure how I would even go about removing the existing valves.
> If they are threaded on, I won't be able to remove them because the
> pipe flexes torsionally and I can't access the pipe itself to prevent
> that. =A0I'm open to suggestions on how to do a proper remove and
> replace. =A0But I don't want this to turn into a major project, hence my
> desire to just thread ball valves inline before the rubber hoses ;-)
re: But I don't want this to turn into a major project
You may not have a choice. I see 2 possible routes to follow:
You can rig something together by putting mupltiple valves in line
with each other or...
When mentioning the original gate valves, you said: "they are often
seized open, or the packing nut starts leaking
once you turn them, etc). "
It's time to man-up and try the valves. If they're siezed up you'll
know right away. Packing nuts are a piece of cake to replace -
probably easier than all the trouble your going to go through to add
new valves in line. If the valves work, you're problem is solved, if
not, it's time to replace them, regardless of how much work it will
take.
Even if they do work, but you really want ball valves for ease of
operation, it's time grab the tools, open the wall and do the job
properly. Install one of those single handle washer shutoffs like you
would for a new install.
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap