Gate Valves or Stop and Waste Valves

Rich

Working on the bathroom plumbing. I want to add shutoff valves for the mains into the bathrooms (2 full baths) and to the feeds for the bathtub/shower for each bathroom.

Picked up valves at the two Home Improvement stores. I picked out ones with red and blue handles (hot and cold). I was dry assembling the fittings and pipe and I noticed that the blue handle ones I picked up are "Gate" Valves and the red handled ones are "Stop and Waste" Valves. I can look in the valve and see the difference between the two openings.

Question is: Which should I really be using? :confused: :confused:

BTW - The only 3/4" valves that I could find for the mains are "Stop and Waste" valves.

Rich

I've finished the job, for the most part, just need to cut off some stubs and put the angle valves on and then the Master bath will be back to normal. Need to run some new pipe over to the new bath fixture in the guest bath, but all of the new valves are in (ended up using the Stop and Waste Valves all around).

New question: How likely is it for leaks to develop over time? And will they develop quickly or over a long time?

When I turned everything on, everything is looking good, no leaks (right now). I just dont' know for sure how much to trust my solders not to leak down the road.

Any thoughts?

hatchet

Most sweating of copper will develop leaks right off the bat. Typically it's due to water in the line and when you heat it the steam pushes the solder out of the way.. instant leak. I'd be more worried if you have any compression connections. Get good pipe dope for that.