Toilet anglestop valve problem...HELP!

[Deleted member 83859]

I am replacing the old toilet in my condo with a new one. Condo was built in ’01. The previous toilet valve shutoff was soddered on to the copper pipe but wasn’t totally shutting off the water so need a new shut-off valve installed.


1st attempt:

Cut the soddered shutoff with my angle grinder & installed a Sharkbite. Turn water back on to condo but had a drip…drip..drip coming from where the copper met the insert hole of the Sharkbite. Thought maybe it wasn’t in far enough so tried everything I could to push it further & same issue.


2nd attempt

Cut off the Shark using angle grinder & tried a second Shark…same issue.


3rd attempt

Cut off Shark using actual pipe cutter – cut was very clean and even. Used plumber sandpaper to clean off the cut and ensure no burrs, etc. This time I installed a multi-turn valve like the following: https://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCr...et-Multi-Turn-Angle-Valve-OCR19X-C1/202047058

After tightening I am finding its not very tight around the copper pipe and I can basically pull the entire valve off. Is the issue that I am not tightening tight enough? Is it possible the copper pipe is smaller than ½”?


I am literally loosing sleep over this thing

 

[Reach4]

Is the issue that I am not tightening tight enough?

Very probably. It takes a lot of torque, and access is often awkward.

If you added a little pipe dope or plumbing grease or WD40 to the ferrule and threads, turning would be easier. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....remove-old-ferrule-and-compression-nut.62278/ The right tool for tightening the nut is a good 15/16" open end wrench. You will also need to hold the valve body, and your adjustable wrench may be good for that.

Rather than pointing the output directly to the toilet input, I would prefer turning the valve a little clockwise. that gets the flex line to dip toward the toilet rather than to the left.

A 1/4 turn valve would have been a better choice. The Dahl mini-ball valves are well-liked, but harder to find.

I am not a plumber.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Mliu]

First off, throw out that crappy multi-turn valve and buy a 1/4 turn valve like this one:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCr...let-1-4-Turn-Angle-Valve-G2CR19X-C1/202047059

Next, do NOT put pipe dope or anything else on the threads. A compression fitting needs the pipe to be clean and smooth (no scratches or nicks) to achieve a good seal. You should never put anything inside the compression fitting other than the clean pipe. Hold the body of the valve with one open-ended wrench and you turn the nut with another open-ended wrench. Do not use pliers! If everything is assembled correctly and you use proper wrenches, it should be a piece of cake to get a tight seal. Are you sure the beveled brass compression ring is in place inside the compression nut?

Based on your multiple attempts and trying to use a shark bite, I honestly think you're working outside of your expertise and skill set. You really should hire a plumber.

 

[Terry]

The multi-turn is fine to use. On a cold water supply it should last years and years. You just need to snug it up more if it's that loose. Sometimes on a shutoff that still weeps around the threads, I have used pipe dope. Normally I install clean, and 99% of the time that works.
Having two Sharkbite fittings that don't seal is very unusual. It makes me wonder about the pipe too. By the way, a Sharkbite fitting can be removed without cutting it off. They have a tool for that or sometimes I just use a small adjustable wrench for push in the keeper that releases the ring that holds.

 

[Mliu]

Yes, a multi-turn will work. And they often will last for years. However, I have encountered many which have failed either at the stem packing (causing a drip that can cause serious water damage if not discovered early) or at the seat (which prevents a complete shut-off). Considering a 1/4 turn valve is only $1 more, are much easier and faster to shut off in an emergency, and never seem to leak (in my experience), I see no reason to ever install a multi-turn valve.

I suspect the copper nipple may be out-of-round. This commonly happens when someone grips the pipe with pliers (or worse, with vise grips). It doesn't take much pressure to squash a copper pipe out-of-round, especially Type-M which is commonly used in indoor residential plumbing. If the pipe is out-of-round, then a fitting will have to be soldered on to the stub-out.

 

[Jadnashua]

If the end of the pipe is not smooth and fairly even, you likely damaged the O-ring in the Sharkbite valve when you tried to put them on. When the pipe end (and pipe) are smooth, Sharkbites work quite well, but are a lot more expensive than most other types...faster, assuming you do the prep work, though. Sharkbite sells a pipe end reamer that smooths the end off, but it needs to be square to work. It's unlikely that you got it both square and smooth with an angle grinder.