My stopcock started dripping. No biggie: turn off the water at the mains, drain, replace stopcock, right?
Except I’ve removed the stopcock but I can’t get the olives off the pipes. They won’t slide off. How do I get them off?
I assume you are talking about the compression ring. These are soft copper, and when the nut is tightened, they sometimes create a depression in the copper pipe so that they are restricted from coming off since they are now sitting in a groove in the pipe.
I assume you have a new stopcock…
Often, if they are not on real tight, you can take an adjustable plier such as a ChannelLock, or a Vise Grip, and work them off. Be VERY careful not to crimp the pipe, which is soft and pliable. Another alternative is to cut the pipe proximal to the compression ring if there is room (Use a miniature pipe cutter). You might even be able to cut the pipe distal to the compression ring; this is harder to do but leaves less pipe to get the ring past. A ring cutter leaves a clean cut, which is important when you are getting the compression ring on as you do the repair portion.
It’s not unreasonable to try using the existing compression ring without removing it if the leak is in the stopcock and not the fitting.
As a temporary solution, you might try wrapping the compression ring with pipe tape (teflon tape) and putting the stopcock back on.
Hope this helps. If you are new to plumbing, I would not try opening the wall and re-seating a new pipe unless you have access to an emergency plumber on Sunday. It’s easy, but it requires a bit of experience to weld joints properly and in my opinion, decent equipment like a real plumber’s torch to sweat copper joints.
One last thing: A very fine hand-held metal blade can cut the ring, but it’s tricky and you have to be careful not to damage the pipe since this will prevent the next compression ring from seating properly.
Best. It’s really an irritating problem.
“Metal blade” equals hacksaw blade…there are holders for these which only grab one end if you are working in a tight spot.
“Proximal” means the water-source side; “distal” means the open end side.
One last thing; I believe there are commercial compression ring pullers if you have access to the hardware store.
Well, I’m just babbling on here, aren’t I.
I should have said, “pipe cutter” not “ring cutter.” We use ring cutters in the ED.
In looking over my post, I realized I should have mentioned that compression ring ferrules are often made of brass. Doesn’t make much difference to the approach, but
This being the Dope, and all…
I’m currently giving the penetrating oil - WD40 - another go.
OK, just as long as you realize the problem is probably the way the ring is seated into a groove in the pipe, and not a function of being stuck to it, per se.
A compression ring works by being compressed by the nut into the soft copper pipe. It’s now a smaller diameter than the pipe and sitting in a shallow groove. This is why you can’t really get it off just by loosening it within the groove…
Since right now you can’t turn your water back on, consider a temporary fix using either teflon tape or pipe-sealing compound and reassemble using the same compression ring until you have more resources. You may even be able to put a new stopcock on and use the existing compression ring without tape or pipe thread compound if you haven’t chewed it up too much.
If Chief is right in what the OP is talking about, replacing a valve with a compression fitting, depending on what exactly was wrong with it, there may be no need to actually remove the old ring. If it wasn’t leaking on the water source side, I would just leave the old ring and nut on and use them with the new valve.
i agree, if the leak is in the stopcock valve then the compression ring might not have to come off. if you mangle that end of the pipe you will have a bigger problem.
if you see the leak on the pipe side then you might loosen and retighten the compression nut while holding onto the stopcock.
Also, I see you posted the OP rather early on a Sunday morning. As a rule of thumb (and I’m being utterly serious here, not trying to sound snarky), you genearlly don’t want to do plumbing work unless the big box store is open since you tend to find yourself in situations where you can’t turn your house water back on until you get new parts.
Granted, early on Sunday morning is probably fine since, at least by me, Home Depot is open on Sunday. But a dripping valve at, say 4:00pm on a Sunday afternoon, gonna wait until I can get home from work early sometime during the week (with the parts I think I’ll need already in hand).
Another rule of thumb. Plumbing projects always require a minimum of two trips to the hardware store.
It’s leaking on the supply side. I’ve decided to call in a plumber. It’ll probably take him all of 5 mins…
Probably a good idea. Plumbing is really annoying.
Here’s a doctor joke to make you feel better (you may know I’m a physician by trade).
Plumber to homeowner: “That will be $250 for the emergency house visit.”
Homeowner to plumber: “Said what?! I’m a Neurosurgeon and I don’t make that kind of money for 15 minutes…”
Plumber: “Neither did I when I was a neurosurgeon…”
If it makes you feel any better, I had the exact same problem and the exact same resolution when I was in my early days of remodeling. Not only a Sunday, but a holiday Sunday as I recall. But I watched him like a hawk and that was when I first learned how to sweat copper properly. Haven’t paid one since. 
The plumber came and has effected a temporary fix. The pipe had been damaged. There’s still a small weep. He says that the real problem is the position of the stopcock and since I’ve got the appropriate tool, I might as well use the stopcock in the street.
The stopcock is positioned in my bathroom, under my bath, and is not fixed well. When I adjust it (so it doesn’t get stuck), it stresses the piping, and that has apparently caused the problem.