Any Plumbers on SMC

[George Bokros]

I will be installing porcelain tile on my bathroom floor soon and my challenge is that t6he water supply for the toilet comes up from the floor. The shut off valve is a compression fit to the 1/2" supply line. I want to take the valve off so I can slide the tile down over the pipe, I plan to leave the compression nut on the copper pipe. I bought a compression bead puller but it would not pull the compression bead. I want to cap off the water line while I am installing the tile, I prefer not have the water turned off that long.

Question is this, is there some kind of fitting that would cap off the line using the compression nut and bead? I have no objection to purchasing two items such as compression to pipe thread and using a cap to cap off the pipe thread end.

Home Depot was no help they wanted to sell me a Sharkbite cap and that was pricey for a one time use.

Thanks for your help.

[Mark Bolton]

If you cant get the nut and ferrule off your only option may be a compression x male or female adapter and a plug/cap. The only real solution if the stub is very small would be to take a dremel and very gingerly cut a slice in the ferrule, stick a screw driver in the slice and pop the ferrule off, remove the nut, and sweat on a cap. This would give you a small hole in the tile. Then you could un-sweat the cap, wipe the molten solder off the pipe with a rag, and use a new compression stop when you put it back together. A bit of work, but cheap.

[Mike Lassiter]

I will be installing porcelain tile on my bathroom floor soon and my challenge is that t6he water supply for the toilet comes up from the floor. The shut off valve is a compression fit to the 1/2" supply line. I want to take the valve off so I can slide the tile down over the pipe, I plan to leave the compression nut on the copper pipe. I bought a compression bead puller but it would not pull the compression bead. I want to cap off the water line while I am installing the tile, I prefer not have the water turned off that long.

Question is this, is there some kind of fitting that would cap off the line using the compression nut and bead? I have no objection to purchasing two items such as compression to pipe thread and using a cap to cap off the pipe thread end.

Home Depot was no help they wanted to sell me a Sharkbite cap and that was pricey for a one time use.

Thanks for your help.
Sharkbite push on fitting is not a one time use (but I realize you may only be considering using it this once) you can remove it and replace it multiple times if you wanted or needed to. Without seeing how much pipe you have sticking up it's sort of hard to say with certainty but you could possible cut the pipe (copper tubing?) just below the ring and then place the push on sharkbite fitting on it. If the ring puller did pull it off or you cut it if there is a groove mashed into the tubing the sharkbite fitting likely will not work as it needs a nice smooth and straight wall for the oring to seal against and the lock to work right. Out of round tubing creates problems with the oring sealing good and being able to get it on and off easily. I have several of those installed right now on water lines in a single wide mobile home that I have replaced all the water lines in and have ran the tubing under cabinets and vanities too long so I can cut them off later and install cutoff valves. I have used these several times each already as I had to cut the water lines in one area at a time then pull them out through the floor as I worked because like you I needed to leave the water on as I worked. So I cut the water off at the meter, cut the old gray lines under the sinks and capped them with the sharkbite fitting caps then turned the water back on so the toilet worked and so on. Seems like $6-$8 each for 1/2" and more for 3/4" which I had to get 7 1/2" and 2 3/4" one I think. They will serve me time and again.
Not that much of an expense when you are doing what you are already and the convenience and reuse they offer.