3. Make sure you shut off water at the main if there is no other shutoff. On older houses, lots of times the valve is threaded. Take your time and wrench it off.

Wipe off the threads, clean out the line if it's got crud in it. Careful not to push the deposits back into the wall. The last valve I did was 90% closed with deposits. Pays to check.


Sweating a fitting:
If it's soldered, cut using the right size pipe cutter, Cut as close to the valve as possible, sand the cut area with plumbers mesh, clean it up good, no water trickling out, hit it with flux, heat up your torch.

I got tired of the mapp gas BS, haven't used it in years. I have an acetylene tank, and turbo tip. Heats to 1000-1200 degrees, watch your hands. Please don't use a setup like this if you've never used one before unless someone gives you some pointers first.

Wait till the pipe gets hot, run the solder around it, let the flux suck it around the fitting. They key is heat and working quickly. Have a wet rag handy to wipe the fitting while hot. You can tell a lot about someone's skill level by looking at the joints they sweat. Learn to do this well and you'll never have a leak, or redo.