Soldering Water Valves
Hi Tim,
Do I leave the valves open or closed when you solder them in the line?
David Griebel
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Hi Dave,
It depends upon the type of valve! If you are soldering a traditional valve that has a rubber or plastic washer, then you open it. It you are soldering a ball valve, you keep it closed.
Once the solder is set, you should try to slowly cool the valve body to stop the heat transfer towards the actual washer and ball.
Column QA
Tim built custom homes and did ultra-custom remodeling for 20+ years before launching his Ask the Builder media presence. He was selected as one of the Big 50 by Remodeling magazine in 1993. This award gave birth to Ask the Builder in October 1993. Tim also operates https://DrawPlumbingPlans.com. His @askthebuilder YouTube channel was the first home improvement channel on YouTube.