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Fitting an Isolation Valve
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Oct 20, 2023
How to fit an isolation valve in copper pipework using a compression fitting valve. All the tools are shown and clear instructions given on how to isolate appliances such as washing machines, dishewashers, toilet cisterns, bath taps, basin taps and even outside taps. You can click on the video to buy a beginners plumbing kit which is suitable for fitting isolation valves and other types of compression joint. More tips and help can be found in our project here: https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/isolatingvalves.htm
View Video Transcript
0:00
Okay, we are going to look at how we install one of these little chaps. This is an isolation valve
0:29
commonly called a ball fix valve and as you will see from the close up they're called a ball fix valve
0:37
because when we turn this slot it operates a thread which operates a little ball inside
0:45
with two flat sides and that opens up and closes the valve so you can see that as I speak
0:53
but what we're going to do is install that in this run of pipe and that will allow us to isolate
0:58
whatever it is at the end of this pipe whether it's a cold or a hot water tap a toilet
1:03
system a bath water whatever it is at the end we'll be able to isolate the water to
1:08
that particular tap without going back to the kitchen and turning the mains off
1:14
so that's what an isolation valve does and the first thing that we're going to do is
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we're going to undo the nap at the nut at either end and make absolutely sure
1:24
there's an olive in the fitting. Yes there is, so we've got two nuts and we've got two olives
1:33
That leaves us with the valve itself. The next thing that we're going to do
1:38
before we measure for cutting the pipe, we're going to give the pipe a good clean with some wire wool
1:45
Even with compression fittings, just as importantly as with soldered fittings, we need to make absolutely sure that the pipe itself is clean because one tiny little bit of grit in between the olive and the fitting will stop the compression fitting working properly If you want
2:04
to see how compression fittings work, go and have a look at our video on
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compression fittings. So we have an isolation valve and now what we're going to
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do is take a tape measure and I'm going to start on the hundred so that you can
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see it more clearly and we're going to measure between the threads. And as you can
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see on this particular valve that's 20 millimeters. So that tells us how much we have to cut out of the pipe
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to allow this to be in position. And as you can see if I can get the camera to do the close up here
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you'll see that the pipe sits into the isolation valve by a few millimeters, meaning that we have to cut at one end
2:52
The other thing to note, of course, is that on the isolation valve itself
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and this requires another close-up, you will see an arrow on the side
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and that will tell you the direction of flow. In this case, the arrow is going upwards
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So we will pretend that the water is going along this pipe
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away from the camera, so that's how we're going to fit the isolation valve in there
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So we know we measured 20 millimeters, so 20 millimeters is going to come out of the pipe
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So we go to our clean section of pipe and we mark off 20 millimeters
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So that's the 20 millimeters we're going to cut out. Using a pipe slice, again this is another video if you want to see how to use one of these
3:48
Using a pipe slice we can now cut that pipe We might find that the clips that the pipes are secured to the wall with or the floor or the joists or whatever
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aren't quite deep enough for a pipe slice. So we can release the two nearest clips
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and that gives us a little bit of play on a pipe. All copper pipework's got a little bit of play
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As long as you don't start wrenching it from the wall, it will give you a little bit of play
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and now we can push the pipe slice into the pipe and make sure it clips into position
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and make our first cut. So as we turn the pipe slice
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we can be absolutely sure that we will cut that pipe. Okay, so having cut
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our 20 millimeters, We need then double check that the arrow is going in the right direction
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and we need to insert our isolation valve. Now very often we will not have the play that we need
5:00
to be able to get this isolation valve in that small opening
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So we're going to have to disconnect the pipe, undo the clips, disconnect the pipe at one end
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so it will allow us, as you can see here, I've already done that
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it will allow us to move the pipe back a little bit to drop the isolation valve in
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But before we can connect that, we'll push our nuts on, and then the olive
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then the nuts, then the olive. Double-check the arrow again. Push that end home first
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and then slide our pipe back into position, making absolutely sure we've got it
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all the way So we pushed into and that will allow our fitting then to sit as it should in the
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centre of the hole that we created, the gap that we created
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Push the olives into position again if you watch our compression joint video you'll see how that works
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and then tighten up on the compression nuts. Now always with any compression joint, it's a good idea to hold the fitting steady while we tighten the nut
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And isolation valves have two flattened sides to allow us to do just that
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So we can hold that in position as we tighten the nut
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And once we finish doing that, we will have. an isolation valve
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it is before you start tightening the nut really worth thinking about
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how we're going to access our on-off slot when this is in position
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so it might be in this case this is pointing directly upwards but it might be that we
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need to have it so that the slot is pointing towards me or whatever so that
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we know that we can get a screwdriver in at the very least one of the short
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stumpy screwdrivers, but position the isolation valve so you can always get at this slot
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because if you can't, it's a complete waste of time. So that's how we fit an isolation valve
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Now we've fitted it, we can turn the water on, connect the fitting at the other end, back to the tap
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and simply turn the valve on. So that's how we fit an isolation valve. Good luck with your plumbing
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