- 1). Find the main water shut off for the house and use it to shut off the water supply to the house.
- 2). Look under the sink and find the shut off valve being replaced. It should have a hose connected to it with the other end of the hose connected to the bottom of one of the faucet stems.
- 3). Disconnect the water supply hose from the shut off valve. Use an adjustable wrench to remove the nut that connects the hose to the valve. Hold the water pipe with a pair of slip joint pliers to make sure it does not twist or bend.
- 4). Examine how the valve is attached to the water pipe. If it is held on with a nut, this is called a compression fitting. If the valve has a bead of silver solder around the connection between the valve and the pipe, it is a soldered valve. It is best to install a compression valve because they are more reliable and easier to work with.
- 5). Use a hacksaw to cut off a valve that has been soldered onto the pipe. Make sure to make a straight clean cut so the end of the pipe is sawed off square.
- 6). Remove the small brass ring and the nut on the pipe if the old valve was a compression fitting. You may need to use slip joint pliers to work the brass ring off the end of the pipe.
- 7). Slide the nut for the new valve onto the pipe. Slide the new brass ring onto the end of the pipe with 1/2 inch of the end of the pipe protruding beyond the ring.
- 8). Insert the shut off valve onto the end of the pipe up against the brass ring. Tighten the nut onto the threads of the valve trapping the brass ring between the nut and the valve. Make sure to hold the pipe with a pair of slip joint pliers while turning the nut with an adjustable wrench.
- 9). Reconnect the water supply hose and turn on the water supply. If there is water leaking from the valve tighten the nut holding the valve onto the water pipe a little at a time until the leak stops.
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