# end caps on copper tubing



## stubborn1 (Oct 24, 2008)

The easiest way to deal with this is leave the caps in place and cut the tubing just behind the cap with a tubing cutter. Solder your new valve in place and you are set.

You could remove the cap, but it's not worth the time or effort.


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

Normally you'd cut them off with a tubing cutter. Then clean the pipe with emery cloth and solder on the valves or use compression valves. 
You'll definately need to turn off the water supply before doing this.


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

nolankyle said:


> I am remodeling my bathroom. A plumber capped off the copper feed lines. I am trying to finish the job myself. How do I remove the caps?


If this is a bump in your remodeling road, you had better be sure what you're doing once you cut the caps off. As stated before, you need to turn off the water to the whole house to do this. If you don't do it correctly, you can't turn the water back on.
Ron


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## bradnailer (Nov 13, 2008)

If you have room, cut off the caps with a tubing cutter then rather than soldering on a new valve, solder on a threaded adapter, then screw the valve on to the threaded adapter.


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## shadow0000 (Feb 12, 2009)

stubborn1 said:


> The easiest way to deal with this is leave the caps in place and cut the tubing just behind the cap with a tubing cutter. Solder your new valve in place and you are set.
> 
> You could remove the cap, but it's not worth the time or effort.


I agree with you man, but i think there's a one way to removed the cap of tube... But i am not for that way to removed the cap..maybe try to find an answer in copper sink manufacturer what is the easy way to remove the caps on copper tube!!!



__________________
Copper Sinks


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## bwalley (Feb 10, 2009)

nolankyle said:


> I am remodeling my bathroom. A plumber capped off the copper feed lines. I am trying to finish the job myself. How do I remove the caps?


Since you don't know the basics of plumbing why would you attempt to remodel your bathroom?


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## Chemist1961 (Dec 13, 2008)

You should not only turn off the water but try to drain any presure in your line by opening the lowest tap in the house after the main lines are shut off. 
IF you really need to reuse the joints, reheat them and GENTLY grip the caps *after* they are heated with a set of vise grips and give them a turn. You will know they are heated when the solder at the joint liquifies.
It is often better to start with a fresh cut clean joint.


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## buletbob (May 9, 2008)

nolankyle said:


> I am remodeling my bathroom. A plumber capped off the copper feed lines. I am trying to finish the job myself. How do I remove the caps?


 if your going to use the soldered type of shut offs make sure you break them down, you don't want to expose the washer assembly to the extreme heat. once cooled reinstall them . BOB


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

bwalley said:


> Since you don't know the basics of plumbing why would you attempt to remodel your bathroom?


This is a DIY site, and a lot of our visitors and members don't know the basics of plumbing or other trades. Yes, there's a lot to learn but lots of people learn it by doing it. No reason to make discouraging statements or questions.


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## bradnailer (Nov 13, 2008)

buletbob said:


> if your going to use the soldered type of shut offs make sure you break them down, you don't want to expose the washer assembly to the extreme heat. once cooled reinstall them . BOB


That's one of the reasons I suggested sweating on a threaded adapter rather than sweating on a valve directly.

If you don't have room to cut the cap, then after you shut off the water and before you try to heat and remove the cap, drill a hole in the lower face of the cap to relieve the pressure and drain any water that might be in the line. A line free of water is much easier to sweat.


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## buletbob (May 9, 2008)

bradnailer said:


> That's one of the reasons I suggested sweating on a threaded adapter rather than sweating on a valve directly.
> 
> If you don't have room to cut the cap, then after you shut off the water and before you try to heat and remove the cap, drill a hole in the lower face of the cap to relieve the pressure and drain any water that might be in the line. A line free of water is much easier to sweat.


 :huh: I didn't see that mentioned in your post. Thats why I brought it to the posters attention, My preference is if your going to sweat a fitting ! you might as well sweat the shut off on and not worry about possible leaks.


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## bradnailer (Nov 13, 2008)

buletbob said:


> :huh: I didn't see that mentioned in your post. Thats why I brought it to the posters attention, My preference is if your going to sweat a fitting ! you might as well sweat the shut off on and not worry about possible leaks.


Out where I live, the water is sort of nasty and shut off valves only last a few years. With the threaded adapter, it's a lot easier to swap out the valves. Other reason for my suggestion of using a threaded adapter.

Either way is OK though.


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## skymaster (Jun 6, 2007)

quarter turn ball valves last a very very long time :}:}. Both compression and sweat are made


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## bradnailer (Nov 13, 2008)

skymaster said:


> quarter turn ball valves last a very very long time :}:}. Both compression and sweat are made


I just installed a couple of those about a month ago. We'll see how they last. I have trouble with the old valves leaking around the stem due to corrosion.


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## bwalley (Feb 10, 2009)

thekctermite said:


> This is a DIY site, and a lot of our visitors and members don't know the basics of plumbing or other trades. Yes, there's a lot to learn but lots of people learn it by doing it. No reason to make discouraging statements or questions.


My point was, if the guy has no clue what to do with pipes that are capped, he obviously is in over his head.

Dealing with removing the sweated on caps is the easiest part of the job, if he can't figure them out, what is going to happen when he runs into something more difficult?

I have been hired by some HO's who started a project, screwed it up and not only does it cost them a bunch of their time and wasted money on the work they did, I charged a premium for cleaning up their mess.

I have seen HO's build a fireplace and have the chimney terminate below the soffit of a second story roof, want to guess what happens when they use the fireplace?


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Jun 17, 2008)

bwalley said:


> My point was, if the guy has no clue what to do with pipes that are capped, he obviously is in over his head.
> 
> Dealing with removing the sweated on caps is the easiest part of the job, if he can't figure them out, what is going to happen when he runs into something more difficult?
> 
> ...


You're missing the point, BWally.

The point is that trying and failing and picking one's self up and trying again is the very essence of learning any new skill, whether it be playing tennis, playing the piano, playing chess or installing a carpet.

You may see someone who's in over his/her head.

I just see one more new homeowner who's about to take the "Rite of Passage" into DIY-dom; which is learning how to solder.

Learning to solder is the North American equivalent of jumping out of a tree with a vine tied to your ankles. But, instead of it being the rite of passage of a boy into manhood, it's the rite of passage from the carefree life of an apartment dweller into the burdens and responsibilities of home ownership and maintenance. It's scary, but we all eventually go through it. NolanKyle will too.

See, that's the way ya gotta look at it.


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

A lot of people have learned how to solder by visiting this site, and have successfully completed projects that people told them were over their head. This is DIY.com, not gohireaprofessional.com. 

Nobody's going to get killed by making mistakes when learning to do a little plumbing. We're not talking electrical, we're talking soldering. 

Nolankyle, if soldering is too intimidating you can cut the caps off and install a compression-type valve, which only requires a couple crescent wrenches to install. Very DIYer-friendly option.


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