Help with removing excess piping above main valve

[uppie]

Hello everyone, I am new to DIY plumbing but confident enough I know what to do, but I need some advice. Just bought my house and the laundry room setup is a nightmare. The previous owners had a water softener that they took with them. And left a ton of extra pipes hooked up here in the pic. The main shutoff is at the bottom of the pic and I'm wanting to cut out the extra piping and make it a straight to an elbow that connects between the hot and cold for the washer. Is there any reason I wouldn't be able to do this? I have done plumbing work before but not on a main line. Any specivic valve or connectors i should look for?

Thanks

 

[GReynolds929]

That would be fine.

 

[MicEd69]

Is there any reason I wouldn't be able to do this?

It depends on how you are going to approach this. The main shutoff valve is a ProPress valve. So, if you try to solder a fitting to the stub after you cut off that excess piping, you will very likely melt the rubber seal in the valve to pipe connection. The fitting to the left of your picture where the water softener went, I'm guessing, is a SharkBite fitting. I personally don't like those, but that is what you will have to use unless you have, or can rent, or can borrow a ProPress press.

 

[Ed O'Connell]

The goon (& I'm bein' nice with that appelation) who installed that existing work-of-art obviously did not know how to solder; so more-'n-likely rented a pro-press and went all loopy-loop simply to make a 90° turn ... though I do give him/her credit for the setup actually working. // The give-away for this observation is the price tag from the hardware or box store still on the "compression" shut-off valve. (I'm about 100 years old so have seen this before.) // If, as you say, you know how to do some plumbing, I'd simply remove all the b.s. between the shut-off and the copper just under & left of the hot valve. Soldering will also easily eliminate the shark fitting. // This be a fairly straightforward job if you have the ability to solder. // Have fun.

 

[MicEd69]

I'd simply remove all the b.s. between the shut-off and the copper just under & left of the hot valve. Soldering will also easily eliminate the shark fitting.

I agree with what you propose, but I would be concerned about damaging the rubber seal in the "compression" shut-off valve connection to the pipe when trying to solder a fitting that close to the valve. Do you think filling stub up halfway with water will maintain the integrity of the rubber seal around the pipe connection of that "compression" shut-off valve?

 

[Ed O'Connell]

I double-checked the shut-off valve by enlarging the pic, and you're right, it's not a compression valve, it's pro-press. So, yep, if you fill the stub halfway up with water that'll do the trick. Good observation. // How-some-ever, you "might" have to drain the cold side by opening up the cold hose-bib and the cold side of a faucet above or the expansion caused by the heat of soldering won't allow a good joint. // Not difficult, just more annoying work. <Or>, & I know pros hate 'em, use a shark-bite fitting as your first connection, solder the rest, then tighten the shark-bite. // As an "old-timey" plumber, I'd drain the system, solder the connections, and refill ... leaving one cold faucet on during the refill to git all the air out. // Apologies for my "compression" mistake.

 

[Mitchell-DIY-Guy]

Once you remove all the BS (remove all the unnecessary) remember there appears to be some electrical wiring right there. That wiring needs to be buried in a wall, not exposed like that. If you are going to clean that area up--a laudable exercise--then do it ALL right. Locate the wire properly. If you cannot get it far enough away from the plumbing that needs to be fixed, then really don't try the solder route. Use the ProPress or similar.

 

[uppie]

Thanks for your replies! I was able to get the job done in about 5 hours and only two trips to home depot. Pretty good for a first timer if I do say so myself. I cut the pipe at the first elbow from the shut off and put a straight connector there, and reused the pipes to go to an elbow >straight> elbow to the original wall piping at the top. My soldering didn't hold at first, and when I turned the water on to test it, the water was taking all of the heat so I couldn't keep soldering. So I had to cut one of my pipes to drain, and redo the connections. A little sloppy but I learned a lot and I have a nice cleaned up piping configuration.

 

[Ed O'Connell]

Hey ... Post a pic!

 

[uppie]

Hey ... Post a pic!

The whole room is still a work in process, so ignore the wires we will be fixing that. The important part is now we can enclose these pipes into the wall!

 

[Ed O'Connell]

What a difference. Well done. Ever move to Kalifornikrazy I'd git you a job!