Removing soldered water pressure regulator?

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ToBeFrank

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My water pressure regulator is old and worn out, and I am attempting to replace it myself. The nut on the bottom loosens with no problems. The top, however, appears to have been soldered. You can see the big glob of solder in the picture below. I already hit it with a propane torch for several minutes and got nowhere. The solder didn't even get soft. How do I get this thing off? Or do I have to cut it off and solder on a new threaded end?

 

ToBeFrank

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I opened the hose bib to drain the water, but there was still a small stream coming out. Does it have to be completely dry before it will desolder?
 

ToBeFrank

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Actually, now that I think about it, I would have to disconnect the bottom of the PRV to fully drain the water. Back out I go.
 

ToBeFrank

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Success! Next question... how do I clean the solder out of the threads so I can put the new regulator on?
 

hj

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The PRV is essentially a check valve so the water on top will NOT drain out when you loosen the nut on the bottom. It MIGHT drain if you unscrew the big hex nut on the bottom, but probably not. Use a hacksaw to cut the end of the PRV off, then heat the remaining piece and unscrew it. Clean the threads by heating it and using a wire brush to wipe the solder out of the grooves.
 

Gary Swart

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You can not heat solder to melting point with any water even close to the joint. The fact you seem not to realize this makes me think you do not have the expertise to DIY this job. Before you waste you time and perhaps ruin or damage the new PRV, hire a plumber.
 

ToBeFrank

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Ok, on to the next problem. The old PRV's union gasket is in a recess. The new one just sits on top. The added height of the new gasket makes the old union nut one thread short of being able to engage no matter how hard I try to bring the pipes together to squish the gasket. The new union nut is about one thread taller so I need to use it. When looking at removing the tail piece, they soldered it on. My problem is my main shutoff valve doesn't completely shut off my water so I can't remove the water from the pipe, which means I can't desolder the tail piece. Is my only solution at this point to cut the tailpiece off?
 

ToBeFrank

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Baby steps... I found the curb water shut off. I didn't find it the first time because it was buried under 6 inches of rock and dirt. Tomorrow I'll shut the water off at the curb, remove the PRV, suck the water out of the pipe to below the main gate valve using a tube, and then desolder the gate valve. I will replace it with a ball valve. Once that's done, I can desolder the tail piece and replace it.

Final question... is it safe to use a sharkbite ball valve for the main shutoff ball valve or should I solder the new one?
 

Jadnashua

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The hassle with a Sharkbite in-line valve is that if you apply some force, it can rotate around the pipe. If it didn't have that shutoff handle on it that becomes a lever, you probably couldn't turn it, and it may never become an issue. What's holding it in place is a SS ring with teeth on it on each end, and the seal is by an o-ring. They work, but a compression fitting for a valve would work, too, and that is locked onto the pipe and won't turn if it is installed properly. A compression fitting valve would likely be less expensive, too. Nothing against the Sharkbite, but they have their place.
 

Terry

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We most often find it's quick and easier to cut out the old valve and start over. If you don't have the exact same length, there will be a modification anyway.
Like mentioned above, it's hard to heat when there is water present. If the valve is in-line, I sometimes use a repair coupling on one end. That's a coupling without stop that allows it to be slid out of the way for installation and then dropped back down into place and soldered.
 
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hj

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I am curious how he even removed the valve, unless the piping is loose enough to spread apart when the valve was unscrewed. But, having a valve that used the same unions as the old one is about a one in a hundred shot.
 

ToBeFrank

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Finally it went to plan. I went with a soldered ball valve, and the new PRV is installed. How much difference should I see between the static and dynamic pressure? I've got 75 PSI static, which I've verified I can set to whatever I want with the PRV. With one faucet open it drops to 60 PSI, and stays within 2-3 PSI of that no matter how many faucets I have open. A 15 PSI drop seems excessive. If I set the PRV to 60, the dynamic pressure is 45 so it's definitely the PRV causing the drop.
 

Terry

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Even 45 PSI is fine. There will always be some pressure drop with a fauce open. Most of these units come factory preset to 50, which I like to tweak up to 60.
 

hj

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Usually not that drastic, but it depends on how the valve is constructed. As long as the static pressure reduces, you know it is not the valve leaking pressure by it.
 
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