Submitted by Apprehensive-Egg374 t3_10lfuwo in DIY
Apprehensive-Egg374 OP t1_j5ylkzj wrote
Reply to comment by its8up in How can I add a second 1/4 inch water line to under my kitchen sink? by Apprehensive-Egg374
Thx! I’m also gonna take the bottom Tee for the dishwasher and move it to the hot water side. Once I take the tee out, how do I put the pipe back into the bottom shutter valve? Do I just put Teflon tape on the pipe and then push it into the shutter valve?
its8up t1_j5z553t wrote
The tee you're talking about has npt threads. Always use thread sealer, such as Teflon tape, on npt threads.
Looks like a close (short) nipple going from valve to tee, then of course a longer nipple used as a riser. I can't tell what material the supply lines are made of, tho. If they're galvanized, find another way to perform this surgery. If the supply is pvc, just be careful. If it's copper you'll still have to be careful, though it's far less prone to snapping off in your hand and causing a mess.
Suggestion: Since you don't trust the original shutoff, install a shutoff valve on the existing tee for the fridge cold water supply line and add a 3/8 x 3/8 x 3/8 stop tee to the hot side for your dishwasher supply line. Some day you may find it very useful to shut off the water supply to the fridge for a couple days and still have a cold water supply. Your local hardware store should have all those parts, but often the bastards don't.
its8up t1_j5z67lg wrote
Fuck. You're in an apartment? Definitely do the suggested route instead of moving the npt tee. You don't want to do anything that could break stuff and cause water damage. Your deposit is at stake.
Edit: swypo
Apprehensive-Egg374 OP t1_j60c7fh wrote
I own the apartment. I’m hearing the water line pipes may not be suitable for water. What do you think?
Here are some better pictures of the pIpes:
Do you have any advice based on these pictures? Like does the pipe need to be removed? Or is it fine as is? If it should be replaced, what do you think I should use to replace it with?
Apprehensive-Egg374 OP t1_j61s18n wrote
Turns out the bottom shutter valve actually does not work. So I’ll have to replace it. Would replacing it with this shutter valve work? (I own the apartment.)
1/2-in Compression x 1/2-in Compression Brass Quarter Turn Stop Angle Valve
All I need to do is turn off the main water line, make sure the water is actually off, take off the old shutter valve, stick the new shutter valve on the pipe, tighten it with a wrench, (no pipe dope and no Teflon tape since it’s a compression fitting right?), then add another 1/2 inch pipe (copper or brass?) and I’m good?
its8up t1_j63zmk2 wrote
Compression valves like the one you linked will work fine on naked copper, but are useless on threaded pipe.
The major issue will be getting the old valves removed without snapping anything off. If the pipes coming out of the wall are galvanized iron they are a ticking time bomb, but the pipes they are connected to would most likely also be galvanized iron. Ergo, wrenching on those valves could snap off pipe in the wall. You'll have to be very careful, and even that may not be good enough.
Back in the day, I helped out an old man whose bathroom shutoff valves were leaking at the galvanized threads. Was going to try to tighten the valves onto the pipe, but as soon as I bumped the cold valve with a pipe wrench it shot off like a rocket. Water was everywhere in an instant. Oops. Learned that day to shut off water before sneezing on galvanized pipe. It was 1/2" galvanized pipe. Luckily I had some 5/8" fittings which fit well enough into the remaining threads to stop the leak. Considered myself very lucky that the pipe didn't break in the wall while installing.
If I'm seeing things wrong and that's brass coming out of the wall, removing the old valve may not risk snapping the pipe off at the threads going into the valve. However, that piece of pipe is threaded into something and odds are very high that the pipe within the wall is galvanized. I simply cannot tell.
Any surgery involving old galvanized pipe risks opening a pandora's box of plumbing issues. Attempting repair of one bit can lead to the next bit farther back breaking. Attempting to fix that next bit can break the next one back.
I totally get your determination to remove that jackass bandaid job, as redundant nonfunctional valves are stupid and the whole thing looks like shit. I'd definitely handle such an issue myself, as I have all the tools and skills to handle the repair and deal with any resulting damage. However, I fear you may lack a few necessary tools and skills. I encourage getting the tools and earning the skills rather than calling a price gouging vulture in nearly all cases, but this particular mission carries a lot of extra risk and may not be the ideal situation for breaking your plumbing cherry. Adding a valve for the drinking water and dishwasher is much simpler and less prone to causing major issues, albeit another jackass bandaid of a repair.
If you must do this surgery, secure the pipe coming out of the wall with a pipe wrench to make sure the only thing that turns is the old valve you are removing. The new valve must have the appropriate npt threads to fit the old pipe. I'm guessing its 1/2" npt, but it could be 3/4" or an oddball size. Assuming it is 1/2" npt, I would use this type of valve to accommodate the sink and dishwasher/ fridge and add a stop tee on the cold side for drinking water. Obviously longer lines or extensions would be needed to connect the faucet.
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