Replacing a Globe Valve

[kendice]

I need to replace a globe valve that shuts off the water to one of my outside sillcocks. I believe the valve is the problem because when I shut it this winter and then opened up the outside sillcock, there is a small but persistent drip coming out of the sillcock.

The current globe valve seems to have two female ends. One one side (the side going to the sillcock), a 7/8" (approximately) diameter pipe is screwed into the valve. This is not copper, it's silver in color with a rougher texture...I'm assuing it's galvinized? On the other side is a thin (approximately 5/8") copper pipe that fits into an adapter bit with screws on nthe end, that's then screwed into the valve. This smaller copper pipe comes off of a larger, more normal run of copper piping.

I took apart the globe valve to see if I could simply replace a washer, but it's old and the whole thing looked like it was time to get a new valve.

I assume I have to cut out a bunch of pipe around the valve, and then replace the valve and refit the two ends with copper, using the soldered fitting to the copper side, and some sort of adapter fitting to the galvanized (?) side.

Here are my questions:

1. How do I cut the non-copper pipe? I usually use a simply turning pipe cutter for copper, but I've never had to cut anything like this other stuff.

2. I've soldered copper together before, but how do I connect the new valve to the other type of piping?

3. Should I replace with a similar globe valve? Or should I use the ball valves that I see in newer systems (by the way, I'm working on a 1920s house).

Thanks for any help.

Ken

[alankulwicki7]

Do you have the old type sillcocks with the shut off built into the faucet or is it the newer type with the shut off about 10" inside the house?

If you have the old type and have access, I would just replace everything past the globe valve. This way you can use a new sillcock that has is now required in most state so you don't have to worry about your piping freezing.

If you don't have access, you should be able to find the necessary parts at the local hardware store.

Hope this helps,
Doug

PS If you have screws holding the sillcock to the housem you might want to remove them so you can rotate the pipe easier.

[DIY Guy]

It sounds like the copper transition piece is a dielectric union. If so, it unsrews into two parts. This is the natural place to separate the pipes. On the other side it sounds like galvanized pipe. If you cut it, you have to rethread it, something you undoubtedly don't have the equipment to do.

I agree that the best course of action is to replace the valve through to the sillcock. This way you take care of future problems pre-emptively and bring it up to code. If you don't have access to the pipe then I suggest you separate the galvanized from the valve and then reattach the new valve to the galvanized and then reconnect the dielectric union to the new valve.