O.T. Water Heater Replacement.

Got a call late last evening. Son had leaking water heater. I made a list of tools to take and loaded by midnight. Went to Church this morning and then drove 90 miles to pick up heater and go to his place. I swapped it out with only 1 trip to hardware store for copper fittings. I hate cutting into "old work" copper plumbing. I had to take 2 joints apart because of leaks. The one joint I put a paper towel in, to absorb the dripping water from above. I got it soldered and did not leak. However the paper towel moved far enough to plug the kitchen sink shutoff valve. I told him to let the water run while he was home to watch. Hopefully it would abrade the paper towel and move it through in small pieces until cleared. Otherwise there is a gate type shutoff valve under the sink where it is probably stuck. I told him that he may be able to disassemble the valve and pick the towel out with a tweezers. I have used bread this way in the past, and it did dissolve enough to move the burnt particles of the bread to the diffuser in the valve. Any other ideas? Unfortunately I probably took the pipe wrench home that I loaned him long ago and he probably does not have another tool that will do the job. Thanks Roy

Kinda late advice, but instead of paper towels, use pieces of bread.

Sorry, didn't see that you had already used bread in the past. It's been a long weekend and I'm too tired to see.

You might also suggest that when running the kitchen faucet, to make sure the faucet screen is removed.

To get the towel out your way is good as any. In the future,if you don't own the right tools to sweat with water in line,barrow them or find a way to shut water off. Makeshift process seldom stops water and joint wind's up iffy.

When I had service trucks on the road and it was way before Shark Bites, I had two sets of compression adapters on each truck, a 1/2 and a 3/4. Now I have a set in a bin in my shop, along with a couple Shark Bites. In the past few years I have done two major plumbing projects with all sweat joints, but you never know when you will need to make a repair and a valve won't seal or the problems virtually impossible to get at.

Do they still sell tankless heaters. I noticed you don't hear about them anymore. I was in Lowes the other day didn't see any.

Need to find a drain point lower in the system to get the water drain in the system to that point, and/or, a drain between the operation point, and the leaky water source, to prevent additional water heading to your operating zone.

For your situation, bout all you can do for now is let the water run, with the aerator removed from the faucet. Else, a tear-down is needed.

I did plumbing for several years while in High School and College. Next time use white bread (no crust) instead of paper towel. It will disintegrate when the water is turned back on.

I tried one a few years ago. Showers were an adventure. Scalding and then freezing depending on the well pump running or not. Gave it away and went back to the tank, something that works. TDF

(quoted from post at 15:08:53 10/30/17) Do they still sell tankless heaters. I noticed you don't hear about them anymore. I was in Lowes the other day didn't see any.

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We’ve got a tankless heater. Love it. In 10 years we’ve had the igniter fail once, otherwise no problems. We can run 3 showers at once.

Tankless is the only way to go, you can wash a load of laundry and run two showers at the same time. Also if someone flushes the toilet while you are showering you don't get scalded! Another advantage is you are not paying to keep a big tank of water warm when you are not using it. Disadvantages are when the power is out you have no hot water and they require good soft water or they will plug up. I installed one two years ago and love it. When I was younger I watched my dad try and fail to solder pipes with much cussing. I have soldered quite a few joints on new and old copper and have yet to have one leak. Just make sure the pipe is clean and dry. I let it drip while banging on the pipe for 10 minutes or so. Then heat the pipe to drive out all moisture. Use plenty of flux and sweat it together.

An air compressor works very good for clearing water from pipes for soldering.

(quoted from post at 19:05:10 10/30/17) Tankless is the only way to go, you can wash a load of laundry and run two showers at the same time. Also if someone flushes the toilet while you are showering you don't get scalded! Another advantage is you are not paying to keep a big tank of water warm when you are not using it. Disadvantages are when the power is out you have no hot water and they require good soft water or they will plug up. I installed one two years ago and love it. When I was younger I watched my dad try and fail to solder pipes with much cussing. I have soldered quite a few joints on new and old copper and have yet to have one leak. Just make sure the pipe is clean and dry. I let it drip while banging on the pipe for 10 minutes or so. Then heat the pipe to drive out all moisture. Use plenty of flux and sweat it together.

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Travis, what do you do if after 10 minutes of banging, the water is still dripping quickly? That is what the original post is about. RE: tankless water heaters. There are two very different types. First are the true tankless that are propane fired and are supposed to come on instantly when the hot water is turned on, but don't if you open the faucet just a little. The second type is a boiler side arm, or the more modern "Boilermate" These both have a coil that winds through a tank of water that is kept hot by hot water circulating from the boiler. These are virtually impossible to overdraw.

There is NO "right tool" to sweat copper lines with water in them. The water will keep the joint too cool to either melt or flow almost no matter how much heat you put on them. Been there, done that.