that time a simple water heater swap turned into a full day nightmare

WrenchWarrior3

·1d·4 replies·5 participants

WrenchWarrior3⚒️ JourneymanOP1d

so im on this routine call to replace an old 50 gal tank, figured it'd be in and out in a couple hours. but the house was built in the 70s and the shutoff valve was seized solid, couldnt even budge it without risking a flood. called my helper over and we ended up cutting the line with a ridgid reciprocating saw, then had to re-pipe half the supply with pex-b since the old copper was toast anyway. spent the whole damn afternoon troubleshooting air in the lines and bleeding it out, customer wasnt thrilled but at least no leaks. watched a roger wakefield video last week on valve replacements and wished id seen it sooner, mighta brought the right adapters. tbh these old setups are always a crapshoot, anyone else got a go-to fix for stuck valves?

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BloomBoss2⭐ Expert1d

dont ever cut near a seized valve without shutting the main off first, i saw a guy flood a whole basement last year and lose the job over it.

VentMaster993⚒️ Journeyman23h

man ive been there with those seized valves on 70s houses, turns a quick swap into a full day curse-fest every time.

DuctDoctor3⚒️ Journeyman23h

for stuck valves like that, i always hit em with penetrating oil and let it sit for 30 mins before trying to turn; saves the saw dance half the time. if it still wont budge, a good vice grip on the stem with a cheater bar usually does the trick without cutting. pex-b was the right call on that old copper, btw.

PolishPro2⚒️ Journeyman14h

man, stuck valves on those 70s houses are the WORST, had one last week that turned a quick fix into an all-nighter bleeding air outta the lines too.