# Water Shutoff Valves



## shackdweller (Apr 25, 2016)

Over the years, I have tried to keep my water shutoff valves, under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and water closet to the commode, well maintained.

I think that the o-rings on some of the valves were deteriorated, or even dissolved entirely.

The water closet valve did not shut off the water at all, but after I replaced the o-rings in it, no problems.

And, under the kitchen sink, I also put in new o-rings and no problems since.

But, I am having problems under the bathroom sink.


----------



## shackdweller (Apr 25, 2016)

I will start with the left shutoff valve, to the hot water faucet.

It turns the water off completely, but after doing so, I get a slight leak around the valve stem.

This leak goes away after I open the valve.

Anyone have any idea what the problem might be?


----------



## oldognewtrick (Apr 25, 2016)

Have you tried tightening the packing nut on the valve stem?


----------



## jeffmattero76 (Apr 26, 2016)

Have you considered replacing the existing valves with ball valves? I have never had a ball valve fail and they require no maintenance.

By the way, I believe that what you are referring to as "o-rings" are actually washers. An o-ring is typically a thin rubber piece, about the same diameter as kite string, that typically seals the outside of a fixture to its sleeve.


----------



## shackdweller (Apr 26, 2016)

Thanks forthe post, jeff. I'll give it a try and then report back.


----------



## frodo (Apr 27, 2016)

oldognewtrick said:


> Have you tried tightening the packing nut on the valve stem?



listen to the olddog

he knows what for he speaks.

your packing nut is loose,  all it needs is to be tightened less than a 1/32''

THEN

when you turn your valve on..turn it off slightly


----------



## jeffmattero76 (Apr 27, 2016)

I was not disagreeing with the olddog. I have made it a habit that whenever a valve goes bad for whatever reason i replace it with a ball valve. Might be overkill i know but i want to eliminate maintenance items.


----------



## frodo (Apr 27, 2016)

jeffmattero76 said:


> I was not disagreeing with the olddog. I have made it a habit that whenever a valve goes bad for whatever reason i replace it with a ball valve. Might be overkill i know but i want to eliminate maintenance items.



whoa up my friend.....peace on your house !!!!!!!!


never said you disagreed with the dawg.  was just voicing my opinion


----------



## shackdweller (May 2, 2016)

Many thanks for the posts, everyone.

Last night, I did tighten the packing nut, after which the leak around the valve stem was gone, with just a little dampness.  So, carefully gave it another tightening, to make sure it was down to no dampness.

After these two tightenings, however, turning the shutoff valve clockwise as far as possible, still left a slight trickle from the open sink faucet, which was not the case before the packing nut tightening, which did cut the water completely off from the faucet, but with the leak around the valve stem.


----------



## shackdweller (May 2, 2016)

When I had my hot water replaced, the plumber tightened the packing nuts on the shutoff valves, with a pair of slip jointed plyers, until they sqeaked!

He was experienced, and knew what he was doing, but that is something that I just would not do, because I would not want to strip the threads on the packing nut, and have an even bigger problem.


----------



## slownsteady (May 2, 2016)

If you are not cross-threaded, you will not strip the threads. Frodo's suggestion about backing off the valve a touch would help prevent that little bit of drip in the future.


----------



## nealtw (May 2, 2016)

slownsteady said:


> If you are not cross-threaded, you will not strip the threads. Frodo's suggestion about backing off the valve a touch would help prevent that little bit of drip in the future.



Over torque would be the fear.


----------



## frodo (May 3, 2016)

levels of tightness,,,common since

loose
hand tight
snug
tight
good n tight
gorilla tight
damn tight
you busted the damn thing !!


----------



## shackdweller (May 3, 2016)

Thanks for all the great replies, everyone.

Below is a photo of one of the two shutoff valves that I have been telling all of you about.


----------



## nealtw (May 3, 2016)

You can replace the packing washer or replace that whole part.


----------



## slownsteady (May 3, 2016)

time spent on this thread = replacing with new ball valve


----------



## shackdweller (May 18, 2016)

jeffmattero76 said:


> Have you considered replacing the existing valves with ball valves? I have never had a ball valve fail and they require no maintenance.
> 
> By the way, I believe that what you are referring to as "o-rings" are actually washers. An o-ring is typically a thin rubber piece, about the same diameter as kite string, that typically seals the outside of a fixture to its sleeve.



Jeff, thanks for the post.  The condo association has encouraged owners to install ball valves on the master cutoffs to our units.

Don't know if Dollars and cents are Taboo here, but I have never been given any estimates of how much it would cost to install 2 ball valves on the master cutoffs to my condo.

Yesterday, I saw a truck for an outfit titled "affordable" plumbing.

Condo rules are that only a licensed plumber is allowed to cut off the water to a condo building, which would be necessary for me to have the ball valves installed.

My last, and only use of a plumber was for a new hot water heater, and I have still not recovered from the high expense of that!


----------



## shackdweller (May 18, 2016)

Are ball valves used only for water cutoffs, or are they also used for regular faucets on the sinks and bathtubs?


----------



## shackdweller (May 18, 2016)

jeffmattero76 said:


> Have you considered replacing the existing valves with ball valves? I have never had a ball valve fail and they require no maintenance.
> 
> By the way, I believe that what you are referring to as "o-rings" are actually washers. An o-ring is typically a thin rubber piece, about the same diameter as kite string, that typically seals the outside of a fixture to its sleeve.



Thanks for pointing out the differences between o-rings and washers.

Am I correct in assumng that washers are flat and o-rings are round?


----------



## nealtw (May 18, 2016)

shackdweller said:


> Thanks for pointing out the differences between o-rings and washers.
> 
> Am I correct in assumng that washers are flat and o-rings are round?



Yes...................


----------



## shackdweller (May 18, 2016)

Right now, I am getting things fine-tuned in the bathroom.

Main problem was a leak around the stem of the hot water faucet.

Being very careful, I was able to get the shutoff valve to that one closed, and get the problem corrected.

I think that I will need to turn off the hot and cold water master shutoffs,  and find out what I have done wrong that out of 5 of the shutoffs, 2 in the kitchen, and one to the water closet, no problems, and they work great, but the two shutoffs under the bathroom sink have had so many problems.

I'm sure that I will determine what the problem under the bathroom sink is, and get it corrected.


----------



## nealtw (May 18, 2016)

shackdweller said:


> Thanks for all the great replies, everyone.
> 
> Below is a photo of one of the two shutoff valves that I have been telling all of you about.



Your picture is missing the rubber washer on the end.


----------



## frodo (May 19, 2016)

i am not understanding the whole condo assocation thing.

if it is a condo,  you own it,  of you own it.  any damn one you want to work on it can,  if the condo assoc. wants you to use a certain person,  they are welcome to pay the difference between who you pick and who they want.

just my opinion


----------



## jeffmattero76 (May 19, 2016)

First, ball valves are for the main incoming line as well as for valves under sinks and below toilets. The ones for under a sink are usually chrome finish. They are typically labelled "1/4 turn ball valves" and are available in straight configuration (where the supply line comes into the cabinet floor) and angle (where the supply line comes into the cabinet back). They are also available as "shark bite" which is a brand name so no soldering or threading is required. You simply turn off the main, open a faucet high in your house and open a faucet low in your house (doing both drains the water from the pipes), cut the pipe, and push the new valve on. If you have angle valves, this is an easy job to do. If you have straight valves it is a little more difficult since you need some play in one or both pipes to get the new valve on.


----------



## shackdweller (May 20, 2016)

nealtw said:


> Your picture is missing the rubber washer on the end.



Thanks for the post, nealtw.  That photo you attatched is very helpful to me.

Yes, you are right.  The valve I took the photo of, is missing the washer on the end.

It has been so long since I have worked with those shutoff valves, I can't remember if  the washer on the end was held in place by a screw or not.

When I next work on those 2 shutoff valves under the bathroom sink, I will give everything a good look, and take some more photos, and find out just what I did, or didn't do, that caused the problem.


----------



## nealtw (May 20, 2016)

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7mXlcf412Q[/ame]


----------

