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Is the pipe in the picture copper piping? House is from 1962, I assume this is original piping. The valve is leaking and I want to replace it with a sharkbite valveenter image description here

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  • Where exactly is it leaking from? Have you tried tightening the nut on the valve stem?
    – JACK
    Jul 17, 2020 at 17:48
  • @JACK it's leaking from around the bonnet nut area. I already tried tightening the nut but to no avail. It's on there pretty tight and still leaks. I thinking of replacing it with a 1" sharkbite valve. I think it's 1" in diameter
    – DMR
    Jul 17, 2020 at 17:58
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    You should be able to remove and repack the gasket material that seals the stem in the bonnet. Used to be done with a twine impregnated with wax(?), IIRC.
    – SteveSh
    Jul 17, 2020 at 19:05
  • Your problem with a sharkbite is that the system expects a clean/round pipe. You've got solder drool and paint. So, I'd suggest a repack/rebuild, learn to solder, or pay someone to do it.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Jul 18, 2020 at 16:52
  • Oh, and if you're in the US, that's probably 3/4 copper.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Jul 18, 2020 at 16:52

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Looks to me like the fittings are soldered, so that would mean copper. Can you gently scrape some of the gray paint off - it already appears to be flaking off in places - and see if the copper color shows?

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    A wire brush should shine up the horizontal run as an additional confirmation.
    – FreeMan
    Jul 17, 2020 at 16:18
  • Or a magnet, because the other option is iron.
    – Willk
    Jul 17, 2020 at 19:01
  • I'm seeing copper colour in the tool mark 2" above the valve.
    – Jasen
    Jul 18, 2020 at 1:53

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