Replacing valve at waterline shutoff to house

[MikeKenmore]

my main water shutoff valve has a small leak; my garage floor near the garage door is constantly damp now for the past 3 weeks after i had to turn the valve on/off a few times.

also, the water shutoff has never fully shutoff the water to the house - there has always been a trickle.

i assume i need to replace the full valve and handle to fix this issue. right?

if so, is it possible to use sharkbite connections and PEX for a short stretch?

 

[Dj2]

I would replace the shut off valve (with a 1/4 turn ball valve). May need to replace some of the piping as well. I would also use copper connectors and parts only.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Terry]

You are much better off doing that by soldering the fittings. Soft copper may not be entirely round either.

The house pressure was too high, so a PRV was added.

An old solder joint that had been pulled out.

 

[DaveHo]

Terry,

Which PRV do you tend to use for residential use? Thinking of putting one in as my pressure is around 85psi. Hoping to eliminate some water hammer from the washing machine valves. Already have arrestors on the back of the washer, but they are having minimal effect.

 

[Dj2]

Out here in the west, we use Wilkins-Zurn a lot. I've used Cash Acme too on some occasions.
In your area plumbers may use other brands.

 

[Themp]

If you add a PRV and the usual ones make your house water supply now a closed system. Then you will need to add a thermal expansion tank near the water heater also.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Watts-2-...el-Water-Expansion-Tank-DET-5-M1-HD/205556413

 

[CountryBumkin]

If you add a PRV and the usual ones make your house water supply now a closed system. Then you will need to add a thermal expansion tank near the water heater also.

Or get a pressure reducing valve with an " internal thermal bypass" then you don't need the expansion tank. All of the major manufacturers offer a valve with this feature. http://www.mifab.com/Catalog/Library/PRV_Product_Information_Guide.pdf

 

[Themp]

Or get a pressure reducing valve with an " internal thermal bypass" then you don't need the expansion tank. All of the major manufacturers offer a valve with this feature. http://www.mifab.com/Catalog/Library/PRV_Product_Information_Guide.pdf

How would this work on a city water supply that is at 100psi? My thinking is that it would only be able to dump thermal pressure higher than 100psi back to the city. So the house pressure would be stuck at 100psi till relieved by someone turning on the water in the house.

 

[Reach4]

How would this work on a city water supply that is at 100psi? My thinking is that it would only be able to dump thermal pressure higher than 100psi back to the city. So the house pressure would be stuck at 100psi till relieved by someone turning on the water in the house.

If the water pressure in the house rose to 110, the PRV would let the water out to the pipe. If keeping the pressure lower than 80, even when you are not using water, is important to you, get a thermal expansion tank that is properly sized. There are tables and calculators that you provide with the water heater size and the temperature rise, and they will tell you how big of a tank you need.

 

[CountryBumkin]

On the subject of expansion tanks on "closed systems" - There is also a "toilet tank fill valve" that lets excessive pressure escape. So if no water is flowing in the system and there is an increase in system pressure (from water heating), the toilet tank valve will release this pressure so you won't need an expansion tank. I assume the PRV and toilet tank valve need to be set/matched to maintain the same pressure.

I'm not a plumber, I just read about plumbing here and share the info I learn (if I misunderstand something - someone please correct me).

 

[Themp]

Good thread on the toilet ones.

https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/thermal-expansion-valve-in-toilet.61905/

And the Watts one is discontinued.