Replacing a faulty faucet in plumbing is a type of routine work. Usually it is performed after a complete shutdown of the water supply in the house or riser during vertical wiring. But what to do when it is not practical to disconnect the entire house from the water supply, and the tap needs to be replaced?
Let's see how one of the master plumbers got out of this situation. We would like to warn you right away that this method is not a panacea and has a fairly serious degree of risk. But you shouldn’t reject it either. So let's get started!
Description of the problem
A ball valve, despite its improved structure compared to a valve valve, can also become unusable. There may be several reasons for this:
- Formation of scale on the ball, and as a result, abrasion of fluoroplastic sealing gaskets (seats);
- Broken rotary rod;
- Deformation of the internal parts of the crane;
- Breakage of the shutter ball itself.
Of course, there may be various reasons for this, for example, low-quality thin metal or savings by the manufacturer on components. But in a critical situation, when the tap does not work and needs to be replaced, you need to find the right way out, without flooding yourself or your neighbors.
Changing the pressure tap
First, you should prepare some containers to fill with water in case of the most unexpected event. If there is a toilet nearby or an inspection hatch in the sewer riser, you can use them to drain the water through a suitable hose.
Preparing the seal
Various sealants are used to seal threads in plumbing fixtures. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Linen tow is considered one of the most universal and ancient sealants.
Recently, tow has been commonly used in combination with sealing pastes, such as Unipack. It is easy to use, non-toxic, resistant to corrosion and temperatures up to +140 degrees Celsius. But the biggest advantage of this material is the ability to adjust up to 45 degrees. For complex assemblies where several elements are involved and the position of each of them matters, this property can be extremely useful. Unlike, for example, a fumlenta, you no longer have to disassemble the connection if you suddenly accidentally twist a tap or a coarse filter in front of the meter. It dries very slowly, so if it is necessary to dismantle assembly elements, this work can be done without much effort.
We unwind several fibers of tow and twist them into a tight braid. We calculate the length so that it is enough to wrap the entire thread under the tap. We collect some sealing paste and thoroughly saturate our seal.
Dismantling the crane
This procedure is very risky, since the faucet body, when untwisted, may crack or simply burst from the pressure of water. We adjust the adjustable or gas wrench to the size of the faucet collar. The valve handle (lever or “butterfly”) can be removed by unscrewing the brass Euro-nut.
By adjusting the pressure, turn the tap counterclockwise, holding the outlet of the riser. The last turns of the thread can be done by hand, since the resistance of the thread should be minimal.
Having removed the tap from the thread, we substitute a storage tank or hose to drain the water.
We wind the seal
We wind the tow braid prepared in advance onto the thread of the outlet clockwise. Thus, when installing the crane, unwinding of the seal will be prevented. Additionally, it can be ground into the thread by hand.
Installing the faucet
We install the new ball valve by hand, opening the water supply valve. After making several turns, the connection can be tightened from the key. We tighten the tap until it stops, setting its position relative to the other elements of the assembly, and turn the valve. Evidence of a high-quality connection will be a dry joint at the outlet of the riser and the tap.
Practical advice
In such situations, if possible, it is necessary to turn off the water supply at the riser or in the house. Since you cannot be completely sure that the tap thread on the pipeline is in good working order, you need to be prepared to cut it a new one, and this will take time. Yes, and under the pressure of water - it is very inconvenient to do this, and sometimes it is simply impossible.
In order not to cause the ball valve to malfunction or break, it is worth developing it 1-2 times a month, alternately closing and opening the shut-off rod.
Always try to take high-quality shut-off fittings, including ball valves, because a good plumber who can fix any breakdown may not be at hand!
