I am an amateur plumber and have done many non-solder plumbing over the years. Now I am re-modelling a bathroom shower. I installed shut-off valves for hot & cold lines, so that I can work in the shower without getting soaked. The 1/2 inch supply lines in the wall are vertical. I cut open an access hole in the back side of the shower wall. I bought ball-type valves. I kept the valves in the open position while soldering.
QUESTION: How do I keep the valve from leaking at the stem? I have tightened the nut on the valve stem 5 or 6 times over the last 2 days, but there is still a slow drip, every few seconds. Is it possible the valve was damaged due to heat from soldering? I sweated the top side of the valve first, then the bottom. It took several minutes to get the joint hot enough to melt the solder, and I had to do this twice, for top and bottom. Also one joint had a slow leak so I had to re-heat it again and add more solder.
I do not mind cutting out the valve and starting over, but I am not sure what I would do different. If I do start over, I suppose I could sweat the valve joints before installing them, and then solder a mating coupler at the top and bottom which takes less heat to solder than the cast alloy body of the shut-off ball valves.
QUESTION: How do I keep the valve from leaking at the stem? I have tightened the nut on the valve stem 5 or 6 times over the last 2 days, but there is still a slow drip, every few seconds. Is it possible the valve was damaged due to heat from soldering? I sweated the top side of the valve first, then the bottom. It took several minutes to get the joint hot enough to melt the solder, and I had to do this twice, for top and bottom. Also one joint had a slow leak so I had to re-heat it again and add more solder.
I do not mind cutting out the valve and starting over, but I am not sure what I would do different. If I do start over, I suppose I could sweat the valve joints before installing them, and then solder a mating coupler at the top and bottom which takes less heat to solder than the cast alloy body of the shut-off ball valves.