Remove broken stop valve

[ThePioneer]

Since I recently had 2 brass stop valves explode, I decided to replace them all with Stainless steel ones.

 

Of course, first valve I remove brakes right at the point where it screws into the water pipe.

 

How would i remove the part that is still inside the pipe?

 

 

 

 

[ThePioneer]

This doesn't look good.

 

Second valve broken off.

 

That is 1 bathroom out of order now

[eyecatcher]

What a nightmare.

I dread that happening tbh, or worse actuallybreaking the neck of the elbow which is out of sight.

 

After a fair amount of swearing I would see if i could spray lubricant around the thread hoping it penetrates, then try use a socket and wrench, wrapped with a sticking plaster or something to create friction and finally....keep your fingers crossed

[worgeordie]

What i have done when that has happened to me is,

get hacksaw blade, saw two groves top & bottom,not too far so goes

into threads,then get chisel or something like that,best

to spray WD 40 first,and unscrew ,hopefully.    you will need a grip to give 

some leverage on chisel ,

regards worgordie

Edited August 11, 2019 by worgeordie
add on

[eyecatcher]

If that fails, i would just remove the two tiles around the outlet and chisel out the pipe and cut the head off and replace it.

[ThePioneer]

Just now, eyecatcher said:

What a nightmare.

I dread that happening tbh, or worse actuallybreaking the neck of the elbow which is out of sight.

 

After a fair amount of swearing I would see if i could spray lubricant around the thread hoping it penetrates, then try use a socket and wrench, wrapped with a sticking plaster or something to create friction and finally....keep your fingers crossed

 

There is no way I can put a wrench or pliers on the part that is stuck in the pipe, because nothing sticking out.

 

I see on youtube pipe nipple extractors.

 

Any idea if that works and where in Thailand to buy? Lazada is a negative.

 

 

[ThePioneer]

1 minute ago, eyecatcher said:

If that fails, i would just remove the two tiles around the outlet and chisel out the pipe and cut the head off and replace it.

Look at the picture.

 

That would involve removing wall tiles and cutting a hole in the wall.

 

I have 17 Valves to replace. No way I'm gonna resort to drastic solutions

[bankruatsteve]

Screwdriver and hammer.  Gently tap the valve counter-clockwise until it unscrews enough to grab with a pliers.  Can also try opening jaws of pliers and try to unscrew with that.

 

You sure that was a brass valve?  I've had at least 3 of the crap valves from the "Home" places corrode and break off like that.  Get new one from Boonthavorn - safe bet for quality.

Edited August 11, 2019 by bankruatsteve

[Isaanbiker]

I see on youtube pipe nipple extractors. I hope it wasn't a particular website with a hamster that gave you the wrong ideas.

 

   Remove some pieces of the tile and you'll have some grip with pliers.

 

      You could either put the pieces back on, or put a Chrome ring around it. But I'm not a plumber, that's just what I'd try. And as already mentioned some WD 40. 

  

[ThePioneer]

10 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Screwdriver and hammer.  Gently tap the valve counter-clockwise until it unscrews enough to grab with a pliers.  Can also try opening jaws of pliers and try to unscrew with that.

 

You sure that was a brass valve?  I've had at least 3 of the crap valves from the "Home" places corrode and break off like that.  Get new one from Boonthavorn - safe bet for quality.

 

Yes they came from the " home' place. I have bought 17 pcs SUS304 valves from Lazada.

 

@Isaanbiker I see the nipple extractors on youtube, so need to find them somewhere in Thailand. Ebay has plenty but not intend to wait a month on delivery.

 

Also not sure if they will work with brass, as the youtubes are showing galvanized or steel pipes

 

I have now stopped the job until I have a solution. This is not a country job for old men.

[Artisi]

You have one big problem for a novice - wergordie has the best solution, initially I would just saw one groove - on the bottom as it's easier. Cut thru' as far as you can without cutting too far into the thread - get a sharp pointed gizmo, or make it yourself, maybe a hardened concrete nail ground to a sharp point - then try and get between the PVC fitting and the broken tap stem and GENTLY tap the pointed tool into and under the broken stem while apply some upward pressure - you are trying fracture the broken piece. The one cut might be enough to release it from the PVC fitting, if not repeat with a second groove. 

Cutting slightly into the PVC fitting although not the best isn't a real problem, there are plenty of thread sealing products available along with thread tape. 

Good luck

 

[Isaanbiker]

1 minute ago, ThePioneer said:

 

Yes they came from the " home' place. I have bought 17 pcs SUS304 valves from Lazada.

 

@Isaanbiker I see the nipple extractors on youtube, so need to find them somewhere in Thailand. Ebay has plenty but not intend to wait a month on delivery.

 

Also not sure if they will work with brass, as the youtubes are showing galvanized or steel pipes

 

I have now stopped the job until I have a solution. This is not a country job for old men.

If I were you, I'd ask my wife/gf/ Thai friend where a good Thai plumber is near you.

 

   They know how to do that and the labor is cheap, so is the material. 

 

  

[Crossy]

18 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Screwdriver and hammer.  Gently tap the valve counter-clockwise until it unscrews enough to grab with a pliers.  Can also try opening jaws of pliers and try to unscrew with that..

 

With the stress off the threads (valve busted off) I find the hammer and screwdriver technique works well. The metal is often pretty rotten anyway and will crunch off with long-nose pliers. 

 

The hardest part is squashing 100kg of farang into the space under the sink ????

 

 

[rumak]

6 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

If I were you

somehow I got the same impression.   

[Artisi]

See pipe nipple extractors mentioned - could be a solution or could even make it worse - - with such a thin stem, driving the extracter into it could expand the stem - jamming it tighter into the PVC fitting. 

Make haste very slowly with this problem. 

[ThePioneer]

For what it's worth.

 

The pvc pipe has copper threading.

[rumak]

6 minutes ago, Artisi said:

See pipe nipple extractors mentioned - could be a solution or could even make it worse - - with such a thin stem, driving the extracter into it could expand the stem - jamming it tighter into the PVC fitting. 

Make haste very slowly with this problem. 

experience and a steady hand is your friend . Sometimes as someone mentioned a pliers (needle nose i would use in tight spot)  inserted and then exerting pressure outward and turning counterclockwise just might work . worth a shot

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by rumak

[Crossy]

If When you damage the threads (PVC) you can re-form them somewhat using a suitable galvanised fitting warmed in boiling water.

 

As usual loads of PTFE tape on the new (better quality) valve and you're good to go.

 

EDIT Just saw that the thread is "yellow metal".

[albertik]

Have just sprayed my stop valve threads with WD-40 but am timid to attempt stop valve extraction. Will wait a few days and spray again. ???? You have my sympathy and empathy.

[gunderhill]

28 minutes ago, ThePioneer said:

For what it's worth.

 

The pvc pipe has copper threading.

brass?

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

What i have done when that has happened to me is,

get hacksaw blade, saw two groves top & bottom,not too far so goes

into threads,then get chisel or something like that,best

to spray WD 40 first,and unscrew ,hopefully.    you will need a grip to give 

some leverage on chisel ,

regards worgordie

experience is everything....

[Andrew Dwyer]

Search for stud extractors on Lazada, quite a few options.
This is a handy set .

[Andrew Dwyer]

A screwdriver gently tapped into the hole and rotated anti clockwise is worth a try if you don’t want to wait.

Don’t tap it too hard or it will try and expand the pvc and get tighter.

[Toosetinmyways]

Just hope the "plumber" did not use 2 pack epoxy on the threads.

[wayned]

The last time it happened to me  I took a hacksaw blade and made a small grove in the top and bottom of the piece left in the pipe.  Not too deep so that it cut into the threads.  I then ground down a piece of metal bar to fit into and between the groves on each side.  I tapped it in gently and then twisted the piece out wit a pair of pliers.

[Artisi]

2 minutes ago, wayned said:

The last time it happened to me  I took a hacksaw blade and made a small grove in the top and bottom of the piece left in the pipe.  Not too deep so that it cut into the threads.  I then ground down a piece of metal bar to fit into and between the groves on each side.  I tapped it in gently and then twisted the piece out wit a pair of pliers.

Good one 10/10.

[Artisi]

37 minutes ago, Toosetinmyways said:

Just hope the "plumber" did not use 2 pack epoxy on the threads.

In that case, revert to post 5 ????

[ThePioneer]

Found a pipe extractor at Hardwarehouse Rayong for 88 Baht.

 

The first one behind the toilet came out easily, the one in the cabinet under the sink was another story.

 

As another poster warned, I think there was glue on the thread, as it didn't move 1 mm.

 

At the end everything came off, the piece where it was screwed into and about 10cm blue pipe that was glued into the elbow inside the wall.

 

This one gonna be a pita as you have little space to move inside a concrete cabinet with a single door.

 

This is the type of extractor i bought.

 

[Crossy]

Well done for finding the extractor, I will see if I can find too, always going to be useful to have.

 

If the pipe has come out of the elbow inside the wall cleanly you should be able to rough up the fitting in the wall (glue some glasspaper to a long drill to make a primitive flap-wheel) and glue in a new pipe and new female fitting ready for your new valve.

 

You could call a (small) Thai plumber ????

 

[ThePioneer]

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Well done for finding the extractor, I will see if I can find too, always going to be useful to have.

 

If the pipe has come out of the elbow inside the wall cleanly you should be able to rough up the fitting in the wall (glue some glasspaper to a long drill to make a primitive flap-wheel) and glue in a new pipe and new female fitting ready for your new valve.

 

You could call a (small) Thai plumber ????

 

I can't detect any glue on the pipe that came out, so maybe no glue used.

 

Problem is that the elbow sits loose in the wall, so not easy to get the pipe in again and expanding the hole is not easy due to limited moving space, though I hope to manage it.

 

Had a look at the other bathrooms, especially those in the under sink cabinets, and I consider to put the house up for sale instead.