How to Install a Ball Shutoff Valve

Shutoff valves allow repairs to faucets without turning off the main water supply.

Ball shutoff valves install on water lines underneath toilets and sinks. The valve has a ball inside that fills the opening from pressure when the valve is turned off to stop the flow of water through the supply lines to toilets and sinks. Installing a ball shutoff valve to each hot and cold water line in a home makes plumbing repairs possible without the need to turn off the main water supply to the entire house.

Things You'll Need

• 4-in-1 pipe brush
• Solder paste
• Soldering gun
• Solder
• Pliers
• Water flex hose

Instructions

1. Shut off the main water supply line at the valve by turning it clockwise.

2. Insert a 4-in-1 pipe brush over the water line. The pipe will fit in a hole lined with metal brushes. Turn the pipe brush around in a circle to clean the end of the pipe.

3. Slide the escutcheon over the pipe and press it backwards to touch the wall surrounding the pipe. An escutcheon is a decorative metal ring that surrounds the pipe to seal the hole in the wall around the water pipe.

4. Insert the pointed end of a 4-in-1 pipe brush into the ball shutoff valve. Turn the brush in a circle to clean the inside of the pipe. The inside of the valve slides over the exterior of the water pipe so each portion needs cleaning first.

5. Dip a finger into a can of solder paste. Apply a thin coating around the water supply pipe. Slide the ball shutoff valve onto the pipe with the compression-fitting nut facing upward.

6. Plug a soldering gun into an electrical receptacle or extension cord and wait for the green light to illuminate showing the gun is hot.

7. Hold the soldering gun in one hand and squeeze the trigger. Hold a stick of solder in the other hand slightly above the junction of the valve and pipe. Touch the gun to the solder and direct it onto the junction. The gun will melt the solder and it will enter and fill the junction of the two pieces to hold them in place.

8. Screw a water flex hose onto the compression nut on the top of the valve and tighten with a pair of pliers. Attach the loose end to the bottom of the hot- and cold-water fittings under a sink or to a toilet for the water supply line.

9. Turn on the main water supply by rotating the valve counterclockwise.

Tips & Warnings

• Not all soldering guns have a green "ready" light. When the soldering gun is hot enough the solder will wick into the joint between the valve and the water pipe. If the solder runs in droplets, let the soldering gun continue heating until it wicks solder into the joint.

References

• HandymanHowTo.com: Finishing a Basement Bathroom -- Part 6