Old House Plumbing Problem.

[N80]

Chicago still requires all copper water lines, drain lines are to be copper or cast iron...no pvc other than fixture traps...at least that's how it was about 5 years ago

Sounds like some serious graft going on there.

 

[tractorshopper]

Like someone else mentioned, I'd be really tempted to get the valve wrenches (pretty cheap kit that comes in different sizes) and pull the entire thing. Take it to a plumbing supply store and get the whole replacement (or a couple extra as was also mentioned because they will not last 90 years like your current one). The newer ones will have rubber and/or Teflon seats and won't stand the test of time, but the last time I replaced them at my last house they were only like $5 or $7 each. I think you're somewhere in the lower part of the state or I'd loan you my kit or probably come give you a hand. I live near the Clemson area (which sucks because I'm a Gamecock).

 

[N80]

David, I did pull the whole thing, see picture number two up above. Or do you mean the valve body too? That would involve disassembling the whole thing in the wall. (See picture number two in my initial post) If I go that route I'll just replace everything from the supply pipes up.

I'm in Rock Hill, and also a Gamecock fan. If there are too many more issues like this I might just move.....(not really, my grandfather built this house.)

Edit: or do you just mean the valve assembly (already out) plus the seat? I may end up doing that depending on what my wife finds out at the plumbing supply store (Ferguson) this afternoon.

 

[tractorshopper]

I was thinking the seat assembly too. I actually got one of the deburring tools when I did mine before. Anyway, with the access you showed in the earlier pictures, you could redo the entire supply pretty easily since you have such good access. That all looked threaded to me. Or you could easily cut it all out and convert to PEX. You'd just have to do a little framing to set your new valve assembly, etc even with the holes to the shower side.

 

[N80]

Or you could easily cut it all out and convert to PEX. You'd just have to do a little framing to set your new valve assembly, etc even with the holes to the shower side.

That's what I'm thinking.

 

[MossRoad]

Sounds like some serious graft going on there.

In Chicago??? NAAAAaaaahhh!

 

[Egon]

That's what I'm thinking.

Might be quickest and easiest??

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Where the washer sits looks like it is brass and it looks like it is held in place with a stamped rivet or something. I wonder if this washer has come loose from the brass disk which is still in place in the valve. Looking at images on the internet it looks like most compression washers are held in place by a screw. There is no screw in this valve. If this is the case I think I'm pretty much up the creek.

I'll post a picture of the valve end with the washer cleaned off of it when I get home this afternoon.

There is a way to replace that washer, my bet is the guys at the plumbing supply store will know. I think worst case you have to replace the whole valve stem. If it's available they're typically not that expensive, probably less than $20. The problem is there's a gazillion styles.

Are there any identifying marks that tell you what the manufacturer is?

 

[ultrarunner]

1921 Original Shower fixtures... the stem and seat were bad.

Brought both in to the supply house and the counter guy asked how many I want?

Said it was very common around here so they keep them in stock... it was $45 total... hot, cold and two seats... works like a charm and no walls needed to be opened.

 

[ultrarunner]

Here is a temporary work around when I didn't have the time to do the legwork...

Installed a 1/4 turn ball valve at the shower head... 100% off with a 1/4 turn.

The tenant liked it so much it stayed that way for a couple of years.