Sweating Shut-Off Valves

Climber · Jan 21, 2006

I have a various assortment of 1", 3/4", and 1/2" Ball Valves I am installing in my plumbing project. I can sweat fittings with relative ease, but I would think ball valves would need a different approach because of the teflon seats. I know teflon begins to deteriorate around 450 F and solder melts around 430 F (I think). Is simply wrapping the valve portion not being sweated with a wet rag sufficient, or are there other trade secrets I should be aware of?
Thanks!

Cass · Jan 21, 2006

For $1,500.00 cash / gold I'll tell you the trade secret.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

hj · Jan 21, 2006

valve

I have installed thousands of them and have never used a wet rag.

Climber · Jan 21, 2006

Cass, ummm...I think hj's reply might be a little less expensive...I'll think about it

Terry · Jan 21, 2006

Ball valves? Just solder them up.

For lavs and kitchen shutoffs, you can go with compression fittings.

Jimbo · Jan 21, 2006

Start with good prep.....everything squeaky clean, dry, and fluxed. Use a MAPP torch with a good tip. The secret is to heat quickly, solder, and done. If you have to keep the heat applied too long, then the valve body absorbs heat too long and damage can occur

Finnegan · Jan 21, 2006

I always soldered ball valves with the valves open, but I just read an article which suggested keeping them closed to keep the shape of the seat.

Cass · Jan 22, 2006

Many times when you solder a ball valve one side will be a closed system if you solder the valve in the closed position. The air in the closed side will expand and pop the valve off the pipe or force it's way out through the solder and cause a path way leak. Solder in the open position unless you can open the closed side. Always have the system open somewhere.

SteveW · Jan 22, 2006

Great tip!

Cass said:
Many times when you solder a ball valve one side will be a closed system if you solder the valve in the closed position. The air in the closed side will expand and pop the valve off the pipe or force it's way out through the solder and cause a path way leak. Solder in the open position unless you can open the closed side. Always have the system open somewhere.

I'm getting ready to put in 3 ball valves to isolate various parts of my plumbing, and am glad I read this! Makes perfect sense, but I would not have thought of that. I can just imagine watching a valve jump off the end of the pipe, and me scratching my head, saying "What the...?"

I just re-read the post above, and now wonder if some of my prior leaking joints may have been due to trying to solder on a closed system...Again, something I never even considered...

Cass, we should all chip in and give you that $1500...

Terry · Jan 22, 2006

That's basic plumbing, not soldering in a closed system.

You've seen a ballon put on a tea pot, right? It fills right up.

Years ago, I was running a crew that was installing a 350 gallon tank for a water tempering system in a retirement home.
We had two inch pipes going in and out of it.

I had a nice argument with one of my "TOP" plumbers about that.
Just to prove me wrong, he soldered a valve into the system, with it closed on both sides.
His theory, was that if he heated it slowly and eveny, there wouldn't be a problem.

Needless to say, when we put the water back to all those old people,
BAM!
We had water spraying out of that fitting, and we had to drain everything down again, and resolder the fitting.
We all looked like idiots because one plumber wouldn't listen.

SteveW · Jan 22, 2006

I think Mark Twain said, "Common sense isn't so common."

Lithnights · Mar 18, 2006

finnegan said:
I always soldered ball valves with the valves open, but I just read an article which suggested keeping them closed to keep the shape of the seat.

I had thought open as well, but the guy at HD (says he is a plumber by day) said for ball valves, to solder in the closed position. Other valves use the open position but not ball. Maybe he saw the same article that finnegan did.

Well, I'm going with what you all say and solder it open.

Great site by the way. A couple of hours of browsing has given me tons of knowledge and will have saved me thousands of dollars by the time I'm done my house remodeling..

hj · Mar 18, 2006

Hd

I could say I am an astronaut by day, but that doesn't make me one. But he could also be a plumber that does specialized things, such as install drain lines in new buildings, so he would seldom solder ball valves in place, and when he did the conditions would be far different that what you are trying to do in your home. And I would be suspicious of any HD advice until I checked it out with some other source.

Sweating Shut-Off Valves

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