ball valve blew up

GregO · Sep 14, 2008

Installed a new water heater yesterday and had an unbelievably slow leak coming from a brass ball valve/copper connection - cut out the offending valve and, for fun, tried resoldering it to see if any more solder could have been taken up.

Nope! Solder kept melting and sliding off the pipe without anymore uptake. And eventually...BOOM! Sounded like a gunshot coming out of the pipe (~10" assembly including the ball valve). Blew the nylon seal out of valve. Had never done that before, but it was interesting.

Greg

Gary Swart · Sep 14, 2008

I'll let the pros comment on why the valve blew up, but I can tell you why the solder didn't take. What makes solder draw into a joint is flux. Once the flux is gone, to add solder you must disassemble the joint completely, clean it so they will fit back together. Then start over with flux, heat, and solder. Anytime water seeps through the joint, I can not be just resoldered.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

hj · Sep 14, 2008

valve

The valve blew up because there was water trapped inside around the ball. First it became super saturated steam, and then when the pressure reached the proper point, it exploded, just like a water heater will except on a much smaller scale.

Redwood · Sep 14, 2008

Its a good idea to sweat with the valve in the open position...

NHmaster · Sep 14, 2008

Just one of the hazards of plumbing, except you don't get the purple heart.

Next time leave the valve open when you heat it up.

Rombo · Sep 14, 2008

Your lucky you didn't get that valve or the steam in the face you could of killed your self

Wrex · Sep 14, 2008

When soldering the pipe won't come up to sweating temperature unless the pipe being soldered is purged of water.

If a copper joint leaks as others said the proper procedure is to disassemble the joints sand the ends of the pipes. Using a wire brush clean out the fitting or valve apply flux and resweat.

If you blew the ball valve then the pipe definitely had water in it and yes as the others said it's best to leave any valve open when you are soldering both to reduce the chance of heat related valve damage and to prevent the situation you had.

GregO · Sep 15, 2008

ball valve

There's some misunderstanding here...

The ball valve was open - in addition, I tried resoldering that joint only after I cut it out to test. In the past, I've added flux to external joints and have had them "wick" some small amounts of solder, but this was simply experimental, and like I said, interesting in that it was a 10" loose section of pipe cut away and heated with the valve full-open.

Greg

Wrex said:
When soldering the pipe won't come up to sweating temperature unless the pipe being soldered is purged of water.

If a copper joint leaks as others said the proper procedure is to disassemble the joints sand the ends of the pipes. Using a wire brush clean out the fitting or valve apply flux and resweat.

If you blew the ball valve then the pipe definitely had water in it and yes as the others said it's best to leave any valve open when you are soldering both to reduce the chance of heat related valve damage and to prevent the situation you had.

GregO · Sep 15, 2008

ball valve

rombo said:
Your lucky you didn't get that valve or the steam in the face you could of killed your self

To your point, definitely keep your face and other parts away from opened pipe ends just in case...

hj · Sep 15, 2008

valve

Enen when the valve is open, there is water inside the body outside the ball. If it is half open, then the water can boil away without become superheated or building up destructive pressure.

ball valve blew up

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