Removing a water line to a non-existant ice maker

[DrumComputer]

First off I should say that this will be my first ever plumbing project of any kind whatsoever, so any help is greatly appreciated.

I recently bought a house and even though there were no appliances, there was a flexible copper line coming directly out of the main that was tagged "ice maker". A few days after moving in I noticed some water coming out of this line and every day it got worse, to the point that I had to reroute this line to the drain in my furnace/water heater closet next to my kitchen. Since this is wasting water AND because the stop valve for this "ice maker" line has started to drip onto my water heater (and has been doing so for weeks without my knowledge), I want to KILL this water line forever.

The setup off of the water line looks like this:

So the rigid copper pipes come out of the main and go down into the water heater, but not before getting diverted to the "ice maker" line via what looks to be a compression fitting that leads to a stop valve. Since I just want to kill this line forever, this is my current plan:

Shut off water at the main and turn on faucets to clear out the system. Unscrew that nut that holds the compression fitting in place, remove the compression fitting so there is nothing left but a copper line - and cap it with a sharkbite end cap (I will decide which size to use after removing the fitting and measuring the copper pipe).

Is this is the easiest and/or best way to go about this?

Some questions I have:

What is the best tool for removing this compression fitting nut? It is such an awkward angle, would a flare nut wrench be best for this? Should I just use an 8 inch adjustable wrench? Which way do I turn the nut to loosen it up so I can remove the compression fitting? I know "lefty loosey" but which side should I use as a reference? That is, looking at it from the angle of the photos, should the top of the nut be turned towards me or away from me? Anything else I should keep in mind? I am worried about removing this compression fitting - they seem complicated.

I know some people demand "sweating" it shut, but this is a closet with my furnace and water heater in it - there is a hint of a gas smell, my inspector said this is nothing to worry about but I do not want to bring flames into the equation! Also maybe someone will suggest cutting the pipe and installing ANOTHER compression fitting on it - but the sharkbite solution seems to much easier and they seem to be built to last.

Thanks again for any help!

 

[Redwood]

I see a potential problem with removing the valve and using a sharkbite end cap...

The point where the compression ferrule lands may be crimped by the ferrule.
The ferrule will need to be pulled off or, cut off.
The surface under the ferrule will be rough and may not seal to the sharkbite end cap. There is also excessive solder that if you cut the pipe at the compression fitting the excess sold may also prevent a sharkbite from sealing...

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Basement_Lurker]

why not just unscrew the valve, leave the compression nut and ferrule in place, and use a compression cap (or makeshift cap fitting) in place of the valve?

 

[Jadnashua]

If you know how to solder, just take the valve off and solder on a cap. If not, after removing the valve, you could probably put a new valve on in its place. Choose one that is 1/4-turn. While it will come with a new nut and ferrule, you can probably reuse the one that's on it. On 'normal' threads, CW is referenced from the side of the nut and would tighten it. Since you are looking at it backwards, CW would loosen it (when looking from the valve handle end).

 

[DrumComputer]

If you know how to solder, just take the valve off and solder on a cap. If not, after removing the valve, you could probably put a new valve on in its place. Choose one that is 1/4-turn. While it will come with a new nut and ferrule, you can probably reuse the one that's on it. On 'normal' threads, CW is referenced from the side of the nut and would tighten it. Since you are looking at it backwards, CW would loosen it (when looking from the valve handle end).

Like I said I don't want to do any soldering in my furnace/water heater closet. I'm probably just being paranoid about that but it seems I can solve this problem without soldering.

I really like the idea of just leaving the compression nut and ferrule in place and just replacing the current valve with a better, new valve. In my limited understanding 1/4 turn valves and ball valves are expected to last longer than the trash valves I currently have.

I am now thinking of just turning off the water, unscrewing the current valve, and bring it to my local Home Depot and ask them for a higher quality valve with the same size and threading that will last longer, and then just hopefully screw the new valve into place and be done with it. There should be no issue with attaching the new valve to the existing compression fitting, right? I can't imagine why there wouldn't be a standard for things like this.

Thanks for the replies! Hopefully my first ever plumbing task will be easily solved!

 

[Jadnashua]

Many, not all, valves use the same threaded compression nut. If you can find one that does match, it should end up an easy, direct replacement. For further insurance, you could screw a cap on the outlet of the new valve.

 

[Jadziedzic]

Note that your local Home Depot probably carries the cheaper line of Brasscraft 1/4-turn valves that are not ball valves, but have a rotating sleeve (the G2 series). Brasscraft also makes "real" ball valves (the KT series), but you'll need to go to a place that doesn't focus on the cheapest solution - either a local hardware store or a plumbing supply business - to find something like that.

 

[hj]

A "faint gas smell" MAY be something to worry about, regardless of what an "inspector" says. And a good inspector would NEVER gloss over any gas odor.

 

[Bpetey]

What is the best tool for removing this compression fitting nut? It is such an awkward angle, would a flare nut wrench be best for this? Should I just use an 8 inch adjustable wrench? Which way do I turn the nut to loosen it up so I can remove the compression fitting? I know "lefty loosey" but which side should I use as a reference? That is, looking at it from the angle of the photos, should the top of the nut be turned towards me or away from me? Anything else I should keep in mind? I am worried about removing this compression fitting - they seem complicated.


An open end wrench would be better than an adjustable wrench although the adjustable will work. From your photos, the top of the nut should go away from you. The nut is on the pipe and tightens to the valve.

 

[Asktom]

Remove the nut & copper from the outlet side of the valve and replace it with a 1/4" compression cap.

 

[DrumComputer]

Super-Huge thanks to everyone that replied in this thread - the job is done and the line has been capped! I'm glad I asked which direction the nut should move in because the answer I got was the opposite of my intuition, but I turned it in the suggested direction and the fitting quickly became loose and I could remove the valve. After doing a little more research I'm glad I didn't turn it the wrong way as supposedly over-tightening a compression fitting can lead to leaking.

Oh and who would I consult about the possible gas leak? A plumber? The gas company? As I did my work I would occasionally notice that faint gas smell and now I'm a little worried. Might as well have an expert at least take a look at it for piece of mind - although I always thought it was natural to have just a hint of a gas smell around a furnace - I know this was the case in all my parents homes.

 

[Jadnashua]

Gas appliances should not smell of gas except possibly when they first ignite (it may take a moment for the pilot or igniter to do its thing). And even then, it should not be persistent. A little soapy water (they sell some nice thick stuff specially for this, but dishwashing soap diluted some works) and it's generally not too hard to find what's leaking. If you do call someone, they'll probably have a sniffer, and that may be quicker, but not necessarily better. Now, fixing it can be a pain as gas pipe is often built from one end to the other, and trying to fix something in the middle takes a bit of skill sometimes, it just depends on where and how that connection is made.