Hi everyone. thanks for looking. I am completely new to plumbing, so please bear with me. i am trying to replace the bath tub. and my question is how can i turn the water off to the tub? i read up about integral stops and such, but unsure about it. am i just better off shutting off the main water for the whole house? I think it won't take me more than 8 hours to install the new tub. does this make sense? thank you.





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There's no internal stops in your set up. I'd turn the main water off, and install a couple of ball valves in the lines feeding the faucet. That way you can turn the main water back on and not be rushed to finish the job. You may need to make an access cover so that you can get to the valves at a later date if necessary .

That is a nice picture of a wall, but shows us nothing about the tub or valve. It is highly unlikely you have integral stops or any method of shutting off the tub's water, other than turning the water off to the whole house. Eight hours may be doable for a DIYer, depending on what kind of tub you are installing.

thank you! there is a plywood covering up the wall on the back side of the plumbing wall.

how do i install ball valves?

your last question would indicate that the replacement project is well above your skill-set


you cut the supply pipe/tube - then you install the valves into the pipe/tube


if PEX you crimp then on

if CPVC you solvent weld them on

if Cu you solder them on

==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

hj: thank you for your input. so i have to shut off the whole house. yea sorry the picture isnt the best, i am doing more research at this point. i am trying to just replace it, so the new one will be the same size. nothing fancy. by doing this, all the existing plumbing should line up right?

here is another picture if it helps




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hi bernabeu. thank you for reading. yea, i have never done plumbing before. i am trying to DIY it because it seems like i can do it. the hardest part for me is this. can i watch youtube and figure it out? what do you suggest? thank you.
i am pretty sure the pipes are copper, not pex. so i need a solder gun

either:

take a class in plumbing

or

hire a pro


there is no longer (for hj) a use in plumbing for a solder gun

we use a 'torch' of various types to solder and braze

? do you know acetylene gas ?

? propane ?

? Mapp ?

? Bernz-o-matic ?

? .5 silver bearing solder ?

? 95-5 solder ?

? water soluble vs. 'old time' flux ?

do you know:

? bathtub 'nailing flange' ?

? how to 'nail in' a tub ?

? ledger board ?

the above is merely the tip of the iceberg

the new tub may OR MAY NOT align with the old

you WILL hire a pro who WILL charge you to 'tear out' your attempt


HIRE A PRO NOW

==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

That posting implies that 8 hours is not going to be anywhere near enough. It may take you 8 hours just to get the old tub out, and maybe the new one in.You do not solder copper tubing with a soldering gun, or iron.

I NEVER used a soldering gun in plumbing, that is for electrical work, but have used soldering coppers very often.



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quote; , all the existing plumbing should line up right?

VERY unlikely unless the tub is the same make and model as the old one which is also highly unlikely.

thank you. what about this then. can i just leave the water off for the project? the hardest part would be to connect the new drain and overflow to the existing right? why would that take more than 8hrs?

thank you. can you explain why it would tkae 8 hours just to take out old tub? all that is needed is do disconnect the drain and overflow, and tear it out. why would that take 8hrs???? the drain you unscrew, if it doesnt unscrew you can just cut it from the t. the overflow you unscrew. then you just take out the nails holding the flange, and lift tub out. or am i missing something

Quote: "or am i missing something"
Yes. Experience.

I cannot tell you the number of times someone described a "simple" problem on the phone that turned into an all-day job. There's no telling what the previous guy did that you might have to work-around or re-do. Ditto the condition of the existing details. Then there's the issue of having the right tools at your fingertips when you need them.

The devil is always in the details.

I keep a set of sharkbite caps on hand just for such occasions. Clean and cut the copper supply pipes and cap them with the sharkbites.. then you can turn the water back on to the rest of the house, and can take your time to plan and execute the new tub install. My 2 cents.

This forum does not show dates of posts.

As I write this it is August 2014 ----

However - not being a professional - I am thinking that this OP originated in very-very early April. If that is not the case then I recommend a LOT of googling and youtubing before doing anything. There is a lot of info out there.

Fixitangel:

thank you so much!!! this is great tip i did not know.



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By yourself, as a novice DIYer...Eight hours will be spent traveling back and forth getting things you forgot, and tools. Have you considered the tile, wallboard and possibly baseboard that must be removed to get the tub out?

1. The new drain will probably be "close" to the old locations and making "small" adjustments can sometimes be more difficult than major ones.
2. Do you know what materials the drain is. Cast iron can be daunting for a DIYer
3. Getting the tub out is a major process, unless you break it up.(If you do not break it up you will have some idea how to insert the new one.
4. If you break the old tub, then you have to figure out how to get the new one in.
5. add the time to remove the old faucet first, because the tubs will NOT remove or insert with it in place.
6. Do all of this while you are learning HOW to do it, can take more than 8 hours.

Why do you want to replace the tub? Looks like you have a cast tub which you wil probably replace with a cheep fiberglass and acrylic one the tle looks like it could need a good cleaning

I believe that's the same color I had in my downstairs bath. It's from the 70's, called goldenrod? Like mine, probably dated and tired. Like the pumpkin orange Formica counters that were in my kitchen.

thanks for everyone's thoughts. i know this is a big project, but i lost my job in june and money is super tight. i would love to hire a plumber if i had money. as it is, i am going to try to do as much as i can. hope this makes sense. hence me posting here for help.


Looks like i got shut off valves for cold and hot water line. so i can go ahead and take my time with it right. also, i was able to reach down and touch the drain easily. it's about 7 inches or so under the tub. so i can install the new drain and overflow on the new tub, then slide it in place. the only thing is i dont know what the subfloor looks like. anything i am missing???





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As I stated, it is a good picture of the wall. EVERYTHING else is so indistinct or missing that it is useless for an evaluation, or even color.

Yes, assuming they shut the water off completely, which that type of valve seldom does after they are a few years old.

The thing that was "missing" is that you did not tell us it was a fiberglass bathtub.

hi hj
thank you. so you can tell its fiberglass tub? whats wrong with that?

i know the picture isn't the best, but it shows inside the wall, the pipes, the tub itself. what else do you need to see??

i guess i have to test the valves before starting then.