Re: can\'t shut water completely off to install valve

Posted by Dave R. on April 10, 2004 at 08:19:28:
In response to Re: can't shut water completely off to install valve
There is an age old plumbing trick for soldering copper pipe when a trickle of water keeps flowing into the joint. Take a piece of white bread and ball it up n your hand. Force the ball of bread into the pipe where the water is leaking from. The bread will temporarily hold the water back until the joint is made. After completing the job the bread will disintegrate when the water is turned back on. If you have an aerator fiting at the spigot, take it off to allow all of the bread particles to flush out. I don't see why this shouldn't work for a glued joint just as well. Good luck! : : i am trying to install a new valve for my bathroom sink. i will require me to glue together some pvc pipe. the problem i am having is that with the main supply shut off in the garage and all the faucets open water keeps dribbling out so i can;t glue : Reply: : I hope you meant CPVC instead of PVC (CPVC is for inside the house). : When you shut off the water, open any and all faucets on the system to drain it down completely. If you have any outside hose bibbs, drain them also. If the valve you're trying to replace is on the cold side, disconnect the toilet supply line and drain some water from there, it should be lower than the stub-out for the lavatory basin. : e-plumber

Posted by Dave R. on April 10, 2004 at 08:19:28:

In response to Re: can't shut water completely off to install valve

There is an age old plumbing trick for soldering copper pipe when a trickle of water keeps flowing into the joint. Take a piece of white bread and ball it up n your hand. Force the ball of bread into the pipe where the water is leaking from. The bread will temporarily hold the water back until the joint is made. After completing the job the bread will disintegrate when the water is turned back on. If you have an aerator fiting at the spigot, take it off to allow all of the bread particles to flush out. I don't see why this shouldn't work for a glued joint just as well. Good luck!

: : i am trying to install a new valve for my bathroom sink. i will require me to glue together some pvc pipe. the problem i am having is that with the main supply shut off in the garage and all the faucets open water keeps dribbling out so i can;t glue

: Reply:
: I hope you meant CPVC instead of PVC (CPVC is for inside the house).
: When you shut off the water, open any and all faucets on the system to drain it down completely. If you have any outside hose bibbs, drain them also. If the valve you're trying to replace is on the cold side, disconnect the toilet supply line and drain some water from there, it should be lower than the stub-out for the lavatory basin.
: e-plumber

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