How to Choose a New Electric Water Heater

Earlier this week we wrote about how to install a new water heater. To accomplish that job, the first thing you’ll need to do is pick out a new heater.  All electric water heaters are not created equal. Here’s some things to consider the next time you’re in the market:

Tankless vs. Traditional Water Heaters

A traditional tank-based water heater stores pre-heated water in a resevoir. When you turn on a hot water spigot, hot water flows out of the tank and cold water flows in. The tank slowly heats water up the new water to the desired temperature. The downside to tank-based systems is that there is a cost to keeping an inventory of hot water on hand. Even if you don’t use any hot water in a month, you’ll still be paying for the electricity to keep the water in the tank hot. Tankless water heaters heat water on demand… they don’t keep any reserve, and so you don’t pay for them while they aren’t in use… sounds great, but as usual, there are potential drawbacks:

• All tankless heaters have flow rate limits, which directly correlate to the power supplied to the heater… This means that you must make sure that you have sufficient amperage coming into the tankless heater, which is usually higher than the standard service to a tank-based model.
• When over flow-rate limits, some tankless heaters osscilate between hot and cold… this means that instead of getting warm water in your shower, it could be worse: you could have scalding water for 5 seconds, and freezing water for 5… back and forth…
• Tankless systems can be installed in parallel to achieve better results, but this requires purchasing two systems, and paying for additional electrical installation.

Large vs. Small Tank Systems

In our household, bigger is better in the water heater department. The larger the tank, the more hot water you’ll have available. That said, the bigger the heater, the more expensive to buy, and to run. Consider how much hot water you’ll actually need to meed your water demands. For a family of four, a 50 gallon tank is sufficient for most. If you’ve got a big family, consider an 80 gallon. Either way, make sure the tank will fit in the space you have available.

Materials – Heating Elements and Tank Walls

More expensive heaters will be constructed with stainless steel elements (instead of copper), which won’t corrode over time, and thus will last longer.  Expensive heaters are also built of thicker-grade steel, which reduces the liklihood of rust.

Green Energy Features

Some water heaters will have more sophisticated electronics that can help make your heater more efficient.  For instance, if you’re installing a tank-based model in a vacation home, you may be able to set the heater to a “vacation” setting, which will detect when the water isn’t used for a long time and will lower the average tank temperature until flow is detected again.

Energy Consumption – Check the Label!

Whether you choose traditional or tankless, do your research. In the U.S., all tankless and tank-based systems will have energy guide stickers to help you estimate the total power consumption of the water heater over a year’s period.

Fix Stuck Doors That Won’t Close or Open (A quick and dirty solution…)

As part of our recent townhome renovation, we removed all the doors throughout the house and painted them outside (thanks in large part to help from Andy, our handyman).  When we reinstalled the doors, many of them were sticking closed or wouldn’t easily shut.  The problem wasn’t a new one, since the doors stuck a little bit before.  But with the new coat of paint, now they really stuck, and we’re also hard to shut.

Rather than go through the hassle of removing the doors and reinstalling them (which would have been difficult and time consuming), we decided it best to sand the doors in place.  The doors stuck so badly, that we opted to use a hand held grinder to speed the process.

The steps we followed below work well if the door is sticking at points opposite the hinges or at the top of the door.  If the door is sticking on the hinge side, you may need to add very thin shims behind the hinges.  Sanding the hinge side of the door may also work as a solution.

Here’s the easy-to-DIY steps we took:

How to Sand Down Doors

Step 1: Ensure the door is properly installed.  Make sure all hinges are countersunk properly and installed in mortises. You shouldn’t try to sand the door until you’re sure the door is properly installed. You should also check to make sure the strike plate is aligned with the knob. Sanding the door won’t fix a misaligned door.

Step 2: Identify the area on the door that sticks. Mark the beginning and end stick points with a pencil. Sand (or grind) down the spot and feather edge the sanding into the other parts of the door. The key is to not oversand.

Step 3: Work around the door and find all the sticking locations.  Grind or sand down the spots until the door opens and closes easily.  Do not oversand.  Instead, continually try to open and close the door and sand only a little bit at a time.

Step 4: Finish sanding using a fine grit paper to smooth out the doors edges and feather the sanding into the remainder of the door.

Step 5: Repaint the sanded areas. Be careful to avoid drips which are likely to cause the door to stick.

Voila! Unstuck doors.

Thoughts on Sanding vs. Planing

We also own a handheld planer and considered using it as an alternative to grinding.  Either solution will work, and planing may give a more uniform look.  That said, grinding is very fast and a little easier to work in very tight areas.

What do you think? Do you have your own solution to unsticking doors?

Pressure Treated Wood / Lumber

Pressure treatment protects wood from moisture and decay. It’s a great choice for outdoor projects like decks but there are a few things to you should keep in mind. This post will discuss how pressure treated wood is created, what chemicals are involved, and a few helpful reminders.

What is Pressure Treated Wood

Pressure treated wood refers to dimensional lumber or plywood that has undergone chemical treatment to resist rot, insects, fungus and more. Pressure treated wood is very durable and has a much longer lifespan (20 years+) than untreated wood. This process makes it an ideal choice for ground-contact or high-moisture projects like decking.

The term, pressure treated, applies to all measures taken to ensure the long life of wood. The standardized process involves placing wood inside a large, airless tank. The tank is filled with the chemical preservative under high pressure forcing it deep into the wood core.

Chemicals Used for Pressure Treated Lumber

There’s a large variety of chemicals that can be used as wood preservative. Wikipedia has an extensive list, but basically there are three main types: water-borne, oil-borne, and creosote. Here’s a list of the most popular chemicals.

• Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) – CCA was a very common chemical to treat lumber; the copper acts as a fungicide, arsenate as an insecticide, and chromium to bind the ingredients to the wood. But in 2003, the EPA restricted its use due to concerns about the wide-spread use of arsenic, a known human carcinogen. It has not been shown that CCA poses an unreasonable risk but it’s better to err on the safe side.
• Alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) – ACQ is a popular, copper based alternative to CCA. It works in a similar fashion but without the arsenic and chromium.
• Ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (ACZA) – ACZA is generally used for certain marine applications.
• Copper azone (CA) – CA is similar to ACQ but requires much less chemical to be effective. Wood treated with CA takes on a slightly greenish hue.

Guide for Using Pressure Treated Wood

Pressure treated wood is used for lots of projects like decks,  framing a basement, mailboxes, guardrails, picnic tables, docks, and utility poles. Regardless of what chemical is used, the wood is measured in pounds of preservative per cubic foot of wood. Be sure to select the right level of pressure treatment for your project.

• 0.25 lbs./ft³ for above ground usage
• 0.40 lbs./ft³ for wood that comes in contact with the ground
• 0.60 lbs./ft³ for permanent wood foundations
• 2.50 lbs./ft³ for wood in contact with salt water

Special Considerations for Pressure Treated Wood

Here are a couple helpful reminders when working with pressure treated wood.

• Pressure treated saw dust can irritate your eyes, nose and skin. Wear a gloves and a mask for protection. Wash thoroughly after working with pressure treated wood.
• Don’t burn pressure treated wood. The ash contains arsenic and is very toxic.
• Don’t put pressure treated wood in contact with food (i.e. cutting boards). There is some debate online about using pressure treated wood for vegetable gardens. It seems the leach-off is minimal but I still recommend against it.
• Use galvanized screws, nails, and brackets. Un-galvanized screws and nails corrode because of the chemicals in pressure treated wood.
• Wait before staining or weatherproofing. Pressure treated wood needs time to dry out. Manufacturers generally recommend waiting at least 6 months.

What do you think? Any tips for working with pressure treated wood?
Image courtesy of Miki James

How to Install an Electric Water Heater

Installing a new electric water heater (or replacing an old one) may seem like a task reserved for a seasoned plumber…

But for the motivated do-it-yourselfer, this project is actually relatively simple and can be accomplished in less than half a day with tools and materials available at the local big box. Not only will you feel great about doing it yourself, you’ll save about $150-200 on installation, which you can roll right into your next tool purchase!

If you’re about to tackle this project yourself, read on for the complete list of what you’ll need and the instructions to get it done.

(A quick disclaimer: we’re not professional plumbers. Use this advice at your own risk. Your jurisdiction may require a licensed plumber to perform this work. Check local regulations before starting the project. Follow all instructions with the new heater).

Tools & Materials Required to Replace a Water Heater

These tools are basically the same as those required for most copper plumbing jobs, including replacing a copper valve (which we wrote about last week).

Tools

• Propane torch with regulator & sparker
• Low profile 3/4-inch pipe cutter
• Fiberglass heat-stop pad (-not shown, but useful for blocking heat in tight spaces-)
• 3/4-inch pipe cleaner
• Abrasive plumber’s cloth

Materials

• New 3/4″ threaded, flexible water heater connectors (-shown in the pictures below-)
• Appropriate threaded-to-sweated connectors (3/4″ threaded to 3/4″ sleeve-size)
• Silver solder
• Plumber’s flux (& disposable brush)
• Teflon plumber’s tape.

Steps to Replace an Electric Water Heater

Step 1: Turn off the breaker or remove the fuse for the water heater.

Step 2: Disconnect the wiring from the water heater.  Usually, romex enters the heater and is concealed behind a plate. The picture below shows the plate removed.

Step 3: Close the valve close to the water heater on the cold line.  If there’s no valve or the valve is broken, you can turn off the main water to the house (either inside, or at the street, as a last resort).  You should also install a new valve on the cold line with the new heater.

Step 4: Drain the water heater.  You can connect a standard garden hose to most heaters and drain into a sump or outside.

Step 5: Unsolder or cut the nearest copper joints on the hot and cold pipes.  You can find instructions for soldering a copper pipe at that link. To unsolder, simply heat up the joint until the solder flexes, and then pull the pipes apart.  We prefer the low-profile cutter to cut away the pipes…

Step 6: Unsolder, cut, or unscrew the copper pipe from the overflow valve (pictured below)…

Step 7: At this step, the water heater should be completely disconnected from the existing plumbing and electrical infrastructure. Remove the old water heater.  Now it’s time to get ready for the new heater!

Step 8: Place the new heater in the old heater’s spot.  Make sure the hot and cold lines are aligned with the existing plumbing.

Step 9: Measure and cut new pipes to plumb the new heater in place.  Flexible hoses will give you some leeway here.  Make sure you consider the threads when measuring the length.  Dry fit all components first!.

Step 10: Solder all connections after successful dry fitting. Follow the instructions in these two articles for installing new copper plumbing (how to sweat solder copper pipes) (how to replace a copper pipe valve).

Here’s a shot of the copper pipes during soldering (you can see we decided to install a new ball valve joint on the cold water line to replace the old one).

Step 11: Connect the flexible pipes to the new copper and to the heater.  Notice that we used the Teflon Plumber’s Tape to make the final connections from the flexible hoses to the water heater and the pipes above.

Step 12: Reinstall the copper pipe on the pressure release valve.  If possible,  avoid soldering near the water heater.  If it is impossible to avoid close-proximity soldering, be sure to use a fireproof pad as a backstop for the flame.

Step 13: Connect the wiring the the heater according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Some fancier heaters have settings that can be adjusted to achieve maximum energy savings and comfort for your home.  If you don’t have the instructions or are looking for some generic instructions, our friends over EZ DIY Electricity have a great tutorial for wiring an electric water heater.

Step 14: Open the cold water valve (and all valves) and allow the tank to fill.  Check for leaks.

IMPORTANT! Make sure the tank is completely full before turning on the power. Starting the heater dry can seriously damage the heater and potentially render it unusable.

Step 15: Install pipe insulation on the hot water pipes close to the heater.  3/4″ pipe insulation usually ships with new water heaters, and can be purchased at the local home improvement store.

Step 16: Flip the breaker to begin heating water.  You’re done!

What do you think? Got a question, leave it in the comments below!

Before & After: Cape Cod Upstairs Bedroom Conversion

This Summer’s fifth Before and After is a real treat: a 1950s cape cod bedroom gets a much needed improvement from Michael Vigneau at Better DIY.  I grew up in a cape cod and much of my childhood was spent in a bedroom just like the one that Michael improves in this episode… I sure wish my bedroom had a cave!

For winning this week’s contest, Michael gets a $25 gift card to Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon, and we’ll make a $35 donation to Habitat for Humanity in Michael’s honor.  Read below Michael’s submission for this week’s Habitat quick fact, and an opportunity to match our donation with your own.

Cape Cod Upstairs Bedroom Makeover by Michael

We recently remodeled many areas in our 1950s Cape.  When we bought the house, the structure was solid, but it was in desperate need of updating.  There was one owner who lived there for 50 years; so you can imagine the style that we saw (paneling, linoleum, lime green paint, etc..).  But it also had great features like hardwood floors throughout and plaster walls (great for durability, not for patching).  We have owned it about 2.5 years and have remodeled 90% of everything…

The Upstairs Bedroom

First off – We are still happy with this remodel after months of completion.  My daughter loves her new bedroom which is the greatest accomplishment.  People that look at it love how we used the otherwise wasted space behind the knee walls.  But we are now expecting our 2nd child in October – a boy.  My wife has already started talking about finishing the 2nd bedroom upstairs.  My back still hurts from working in the the cave and bed area

My daughter was turning 1 year old, and her downstairs room was getting a little crowded with all of her toys, so we decided to finally make the outdated spare bedroom into her living space.

Before:

Collar Ties:

Closet – New:

Chest of Drawers/Closet/Cave/Bed:

Electrical:

Window:

Floor:

We added 2 lights and a fan/light combo into the ceiling.  Since the fan is so close to the ceiling, it doesn’t provide much circulation.

The only part I didn’t do myself was tape, mud and sanding of the drywall.  I have done enough DIY projects to know that I hate sanding drywall.  That was about 5% of the whole project.  I did hang the drywall myself.

You can check out her blog at http://tmvigneau.blogspot.com which contains her daily blogs and pictures of projects that we have completed.
I started my own blog recently for the recent deck remodel that we finished.  Located at http://betterdiy.blogspot.com.  Contains much more detailed information about how I do my projects than just pictures.

Thanks from One Project Closer

Michael, thanks so much for sharing your amazing transformation, and helping us sponsor Habitat’s mission.  Your remodel is truly inspirational!

Habitat Quick Fact

Did you know that volunteering for Habitat is as simple as entering some information on their web site?  You can find your local Habitat chapter and get to work next weekend, or next month!  Check out Habitat’s Local Chapter Finder Tool to get started today.

We’re making a $35 donation to Habitat in Michael’s honor.  Want to match our donation?  Visit Habitat’s online donation page and make your contribution today!

Submit Your Project?

Are you proud of your latest home improvement?  Submit the before and after photos and a story to beforeandafter@oneprojectcloser.com.

Replacing a Toilet Flapper and Flushing Mechansim

My toilet was leaking a tiny amount of water from the tank into the bowl. No water was escaping the “toilet system” but I’d hear the tank quickly refill every 30 minutes or so. It was wasteful and the noise really started bothering me so I bumped this project to the top of my list.

What is a Toilet Flapper?

A toilet flapper is located on the bottom of the toilet tank. When you flush, the handle pulls a chain, which in turn pulls the flapper open. Water pours into the bowl, flushing everything away. The tank empties and the flapper closes. The tank refills and it’s ready for another go. The flapper on my toilet wasn’t creating a water-tight seal causing a small leak.

Purchasing Replacement Toilet Parts

Toilets don’t have very much to them. There’s a mechanism to fill the tank, the handle, the flushing mechanism and some nuts and bolts holding everything together. Whenever I have a problem, I swap out the defective part and pickup a new set of nuts / bolts. Here’s my thinking:

• Parts are cheap and available at most DIY stores. I’d rather replace a flushing mechanism than try and figure out why the flapper is not fully closing.
• Toilets require some work to take apart and reassemble. I feel that replacing parts means I’ll be doing it less often.
• Getting a new set of nuts and bolts means that I won’t have to work with the disgusting, older set and I can be more confident that they won’t leak.

Check how many bolts secure your tank in place. Some toilets have two, others have three. Many times you can purchase packages that include all the necessary washers, nuts, rubber washers, and bolts.

How to replace the Entire Flushing Mechanism

Step 1: I always start by cleaning the toilet. If I’m going to have my face that close to a toilet, it’s got to be clean. I also clean as I work. It helps ensure good connections and water-tight seals.

Step 2: Turn off the water. Remember, righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Flush the toilet to remove the majority of the water in the tank. Scoop out the remaining with a plastic cup or use a sponge.
Step 3: Disconnect the water supply hose. Remove the nuts holding the tank to the rest of the toilet. Now you can lift the tank.
Step 4: You’ll see another set of washers and nuts on the underside of the tank. Also remove these along with the bolts inside the tank.
Step 5: Remove the black gasket from the underside of the tank. This will reveal a large plastic nut. Undo the nut and remove the flushing mechanism. Be sure to disconnect the refill tube. Now it’s time to start assembling the new parts in the opposite order.

Step 6: Start with the flushing mechanism. Make sure that the new plastic nut is tight. Add the new gasket after it’s in place.
Step 7: Insert the new bolts with the rubber washers threaded onto the bolts inside the tank. These prevent water from leaking out.
Step 8: Slide on the metal washers outside the tank and begin tightening the nuts. DON’T OVER-TIGHTEN the nuts, or you’ll end up with a cracked tank and a lot more work.
Step 9: Place the tank back onto the rest of the toilet and secure with another set of washers and nuts. Again, don’t over-tighten.
Step 10: Attach the flapper chain to the handle. Reattach the fill tube and the supply line.

What do you think? Any toilet tips to pass along?

Ryan Homes Shenandoah Colonial Floor Plan & Marketing Materials…

Are you ready for a blast from the past?  We recently came across the original (from1984!) marketing slick sheet for our Ryan-built colonial home dubbed The Shenandoah “A”… Take a look at what you could get back then for (a penned-in) $149,900:

Front

Back

The text on the second brochure is quite amusing:

The elegance of yesteryear is tastefully combined with modern spaciousness and luxury in this two story Colonial which features Western Reserve styling.

The Shenandoah offers a master suite and your choice of 3 or 4 additional bedrooms.

Downstairs you’ll find a powder room, with large living and dining rooms and a paneled family room.  Fireplaces are optional in family and living rooms.  And, there’s wall-to-wall carpet to enhance the luxurious atmosphere of this home.

The kitchen includes a breakfast room, a pantry and handsome custom cabinets.  In addition, there’s a laundry or mud room, a full basement–and options for a one- or two-car attached garage.  Ryan’s Standard Energy Package super-seals and insulates your home against the elements.*  And we conduct presettlement and six-month service inspections to assure complete satisfaction.

Good Stuff…

Some of the elegance of yesteryear included dark wood paneling and matching spindles between the rooms (both are now gone)… and isn’t it interesting that wall-to-wall carpeting added to the luxurious atmosphere?  Sounds like pretty good salesmanship to us

SKIL RAS900 Smart Design Router Table Review

On the heels of their recent lithium ion drill driver combo release, SKIL is back at it with two brand new offerings in the woodworking / capentry department: the RAS800 and RAS900 Smart Design Router Tables (official site).

SKIL let us test drive the nicer of the two tables, the RAS900.  After using the tool for one Sunday afternoon, we think their design is, indeed, smart. It’s so smart, in fact, that it made us feel a little more like professional carpenters even though we don’t do woodworking jobs on a regular basis.

Both of SKIL’s router tables were designed for the junior and mid-level woodworker–someone who wants the capabilities of a router table without the usual $300-500+ price tag.  As a bonus, for those of us without much tool storage space, both tables fold to less than 10 inches high and store neatly on a workbench or garage shelf.  Keep reading below for our full review.

SKIL RAS900 Router Table Review

Getting started with SKIL’s RAS900 table was a pretty simple task.  Total setup time was about 30 minutes, and most of that time was spent understanding all of the components that ship with the table and how they work together to perform various routing tasks.  The first major step after unpacking: mount the router.

Mounting a router: To mount a router, the table features a quick clamp mount and mounting plate designed to be compatible with all major routers (we used a 1-3/4 HP fixed-base SKIL Router).  The picture sequence below shows the mounting plate on the router and the quick clamp bracket on the underside of the table.  Once you get the hang of router installation and removal, the task can be accomplished in under 10 seconds.  Installing and removing bits requires the router to be removed from the table due to the plastic and metal skirting, so the quick-change mechanism is much appreciated.

Adjusting Router Height – Once the router is in place, the height of the router bit is adjusted using the router itself (rather than the tabl).  The SKIL fixed-base router includes both a rough and fine adjustment mechanism to get the bit to the correct height.  Some more expensive tables include an automatic lift mechanism, which is a nice feature but costs hundreds more.

Performing a Channel Route – From opening the box to performing our first route took about 45 minutes.  We set up the table to cut a channel using a 1/4 inch straight flute routing bit.  The RAS900 includes vertical and horizontal guides that ensure the wood is held tightly in place.

For our first route, we held the board only vertically and had acceptable results. The 1/4″ channel was uniform throughout most of the board. That said, we saw sway of about 1/32″ in some places, and the edges were not smooth.  To gain better results, we could install the horizontal guides.  Had we been working a real project instead of a test, we certainly would have done this.  Here’s an up-close look at the results:

Trying Various Edge and Channel Routes Together – We swapped bits in and out and turned a 5 ft. piece of maple several times to see how complicated of a look we could create with a few simple edge and channel routes.  We were pleased with the results, which were very uniform.  Smoothness was not perfect; however, that has much to do with the bits we employed.

Making Simple Edge Molding: Finally, we decided to try our hand at putting a simple Ogee edge on a piece of 5 ft. stock.  The results were very good for the pretty simple route, resulting in a smooth, uniform cut.  Note that we had the bit lowered too far down into the table, so while the results were uniform, we effectively highlight the need to try a test board to confirm the router settings before routing your boards!

Performing More Complicated Routes: We’re planning to use the router table to make more complicated channels and routes, including building a coffee table and designing some custom molding using larger, fancier bits.  After test driving the RAS900, we’re confident it will be up to the task.

Storing the Router Table

Perhaps the smartest part of SKIL’s RAS900 Smart Design Router Table is how the system folds up for storage.  The router guides and accessories store in the leg-based compartments, and the guide rail stores underneath the folded legs.  This keeps everything in one neatly-organized place for your next job, while the entire folding frame fits on a cabinet shelf.  Take a look:

Overall Evaluation

We think the SKIL RAS900 makes a great addition to an amateur or occasional woodworker’s shop.  It offers a great combination of affordability and capability that is tough to beat in the router table market.

Other Features of the RAS900 We Didn’t Review:

• Dust Collection / Vacuum Hookup
• Integrated Power Strip (to control router and dust collection power from the table).
• Manufacturer’s Warranty
• Easy Setup Instructions

What do you think? Do you own the RAS800 or 900?  Leave a comment below and let us know your experience!

Before and After: 70′s Kitchen Renovation by Renee and Sean

This weeks Before and After comes to you from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Renee and Sean took an outdated, 1970′s kitchen, and gave it a fabulous new look.

As always, Renee and Sean will receive a $25 gift card to Home Depot, Lowes, or Amazon, and we’ll make a $35 donation to Habitat for Humanity in their name. Check out the Habitat Quick Fact for ways you can get involved too!

1977 Kitchen Renovation

This is the kitchen of our first place located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This house was built in 1977, and although the previous owners of this house did a pretty good job maintaining everything, still we have been planning on renovating the kitchen ever since the day we moved in.

The Before:

Finally we got a chance to do a kitchen reno two month ago! This used to be a standard 10×10 L shape kitchen with old cabinets, white appliances and a 70′s service window looking into the dining and living rooms. We knocked out a whole wall used to be standing between foyer and the kitchen, by doing so we are able to create a simple/modern looking breakfast nook inside the kitchen.

In addition, we enlarged the service window (to the biggest possible size) to create an airy and open feel of the entire space. By replacing all cabinets and appliances we gave our first-owned kitchen a brand new look.

The Beautiful Afters:

Habitat for Humanity Quick Fact

We’re making a $35 donation to Habitat for Humanity in honor of Renee and Sean. To make your own donation, simply follow this link to Habitat’s online donation page. From Habitats site:

Cars for Homes – Habitat for Humanity’s car donation program

By donating a car to Habitat’s Cars for Homes™ car donation program, you help your local Habitat for Humanity affiliate build houses in partnership with families in need of decent, affordable shelter.

It is quick and easy to donate cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, construction equipment or other vehicles — running or not! Plus, when you donate your car, your vehicle donation may be eligible for tax deduction purposes if you itemize. (Consult the IRS or your tax adviser for details.)

To donate a car, truck, boat or RV, call (877) 277-HFHI (4344) or donate online.

Submit your Own Before and After

There’s still a lot of time left this Summer to submit your project for a chance to win our weekly competition for a $25 gift card, or the grand prize for a $150 gift card! Send your entries to beforeandafter@oneprojectcloser.com.

Replace a Main Water Valve on Copper Pipes | Plumbing with Copper

Just about every homeowner I meet has significant apprehensions about undertaking plumbing projects. Perhaps it’s the tools involved (you’ll need a propane torch and several other special purpose tools)… but we think more likely it’s the fear that a misstep will result in a flooded basement, or worse, a flooded basement while the family is on vacation.

The reality is that while plumbing can be a bit challenging for the beginner, with the right preparation, tools, and instructions, it’s a task that can be accomplished by just about anyone.

Are you inspired?  I hope so.  Because in this article we’re going to take on one of the most intimidating projects for first-time plumbers: replacement of the main water shut-0ff valve in the house.

Before we get started, there’s a few things you should know:

1. This article covers replacement of a gate valve with a ball valve in a standard 3/4-inch copper pipe.  Other plumbing setups (e.g., PEX) will require different steps.
2. In some jurisdictions, you must be licensed to perform plumbing tasks, even in your own house.
3. I’m not a plumber, just an avid DIYer who likes to tackle these jobs.  Use these instructions at your own risk…
4. And finally… the same basic steps can be applied to any copper valve replacement, so once you master this, you’ll be ready to tackle all types of copper plumbing tasks.

Tools & Materials Required to Install a Main Valve

If this is your first plumbing task, chances are you won’t have most of these tools.  Most of them can be purchased at the local Home Depot, Lowes, or plumbing supply shop.  Note that many (but not all) of the tools and materials are pictured below.  See the lists for the complete set.

Tools

• Propane torch with regulator & sparker
• low profile 3/4-inch pipe cutter
• Fiberglass heat-stop pad (-not shown-)
• 3/4 inch pipe cleaner and/or abrasive plumber’s cloth

Materials

• New 3/4-inch ball valve (-not shown-)
• 3/4-inch copper pipe (-not shown-)
• Sleeves, elbows, and other connectors for 3/4 inch copper (-not shown-)
• Silver solder
• Plumber’s flux (& disposable brush)
• Teflon plumber’s tape (not used in our example, but would be used if any of the pipes have threaded joints).

Steps to Install a Copper Pipe Water Main Cutoff

Step 1: Turn off the main water cutoff valve at the street or the closest upstream valve from the valve to be replaced.  You must be able to turn off the water reliably at another stop.  If the main valve is leaking or burst and you cannot locate the city’s water stop or it isn’t functioning, you should call an emergency plumber immediately!

Step 2: Depressurize water in the house by opening faucets and valves at the lowest possible point.  Usually this is a basement bathroom or a utility sink.  Open several faucets or valves and allow the water to drain until it stops dripping from the faucets.  As a last resort, you can use the drain valve on the water heater for the hot water line, although this is usually more effort than using a sink.

Step 3: Use the low profile pipe cutter to make two cuts — above and below the existing valve.  In some cases, you can make only one cut and then unsolder the other  joint.  In almost every installation you’ll have to make at least that one cut, since it is usually impossible to get the water out of the pipe so that you could unsolder both joints.  This picture shows how the pipe cutter attaches to the pipe.

Regardless of whether you cut or unsolder the joints, remove the segment of pipe that includes the valve.  Note that you want to minimize the amount of copper you remove, especially from the line coming into the house.  You don’t want to have to replace that line, so make sure you aren’t cutting too close to the entry point of the house.

Step 4: Dry out the inside of all pipes near the cut out.  Depending on the configuration, you may need to carefully stick a rag or paper towel down into a pipe to dry up standing water.  Make sure no water is in the pipe within 16 inches of the solder point.  If any water is near the solder point, you WILL NOT be able to get the pipe hot enough to melt the solder.  Be sure not to let any part of the rag or towel remain in the pipe, as it will ultimately create a clog somewhere in the line when repressurized.

Step 5: Cut new pipe components to size and dry fit the new ball valve with appropriate sleeves and elbows into the gap created by the original valve removal.  Using the 3/4″ pipe cleaner (pictured below), brush clean the inside and outside of all pipes in the spots where they will be joined.  If any pieces cannot be dry fitted snugly, locate and sand off any burs using the abrasive plumber’s cloth.  DO NOT try to bend the pipes’ edges to fit together – this never works and will make the joint weak.  If you do bend the edge of a pipe, recut it.  The picture below shows using the pipe cleaner tool to clean one end of the pipe.

Dry fitting is important! This is your opportunity to make sure that there is plenty of overlap between the sleeves and the pipes they cover. You should also avoid using pipe pieces that are so short that two sleeves, or a sleeve and the ball valve itself sit too close together.  It may be difficult to get a tight bond in these cases.

Step 6: Double check the area around where you will be soldering the joints.  Ensure:

1. There is no water in the pipes close to the solder points.
2. You have brush cleaned all surfaces (outside of pipes, inside of sleeves and inside of the new valve).
3. Dry-fitting is successful, no components need to be forced, and the result looks “professional”

Step 7: Disassemble the dry-fitted components and prepare them for solder.  We’ve writte an extensive how-to article on sweat soldering copper pipe joints that is a good stand-alone reference for this step and includes pictures.  Note that you can assemble and solder a subsection of the pipe if you have a complex path and then install the subsection as a unit, as pictured below.  But remember, you have to physically install the subsection into the existing pipe, so you may need to leave one sleeve completely loose so that you can put the segment into place and then slide the sleeve up over the new segment.

Basic Steps for Sweat Soldering:

1. Brush plumber’s flux on the outside of the pipes and inside of the sleeves where the joints will be made.  Ensure that the flux covers all areas adequately and that no areas that are to be soldered are “dry.”  The flux will pull the solder into the joint as it evaporates under heat in a process known as capillary action.  This is a very important step and care should be taken to ensure full coverage.
2. Refit all the copper pipe components in place.  This should be exactly the same as dry-fitting, but all of the components should now have plumber’s flux on them.  Note that the ball valve should be open for soldering, not closed.  This is important for a number of reasons, one of which is that a closed valve will create unnecessary pressure in the pipes when you heat them up with the torch.
3. If anything flammable is behind the area where you will be soldering, ensure it is protected with a fireproof pad.  Home Depot and Lowes both sell fiberglass firestop pads that are rated up to 2500 F and are suitable for working with propane.  It may be good to double-over the pad, especially for beginners.
4. Ensure you’re working in a well-ventilated area and light the propane torch.  Apply heat to your first solder joint which is normally the lowest joint in the setup.  As it heats up, you will begin to see the flux boil on the pipe around the joint.  With a torch on full blast it will probably take about 10-15 seconds to reach melting temperatures.  Touch the solder to the edge of the joint and wait for it to melt.  When the joint is hot enough, the solder will melt and get sucked down into the joint by the evaporating flux. While you may see a rim of solder develop around the exterior of the joint, realize that the real seal is made in the joint itself, the full way up and down the pipe joint area.  This is what makes a copper pipe solder joint so strong.  Move the solder around the edge of the pipe to ensure a total seal.
5. Move progressively through the next few solder joints. heating up each joint and applying solder.

Step 8: Examine your work to ensure everything is tightly soldered and you are confident there are no leaks.  Once you turn the water on, if there is a leak you will need to recut the pipe to fix it (since there will be no way to unsolder joints once water is in the pipe).

The picture below shows the final installation.  Note that there were 3 solder points for final install: (1+2) The sleeve at the left that had to be slid down onto the incoming pipe before the segment was installed, and then slid up to cover the bottom of the segment, and (3) the final solder of the top sleeve to the outgoing pipe (that sleeve was built as part of the segment).

Step 9: Turn on the valve upstream from the joint.  Inspect your work for leaks.  One way we like to check for leaks is by using a dry paper towel. Sometimes a copper pipe can become very cold when the water is turned on and “fool” you into thinking there is a leak.  If there is, the paper towel will begin to get wet and it will be obvious.  If it doesn’t get wet, you’re all set.

Step 10: Relax and be proud of your work!  If you’ve followed the instructions and there’s no leak at your first inspection, your odds are very good that you won’t ever have trouble with your solder joints!

Questions? Feel free to post them in the comments… or leave a comment about your own pipe replacement story.

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