Toilet or Sink Water Cutoff Valve Fix Worth Trying

[MineralMan]

So, you had to shut of the water supply to a sink or toilet to make a repair, like replacing the toilet tank valve. Then, you turn the water supply valve back on after making the repair. It drips.

Happens all the time. Likely that valve has been open for years. Most often, though, you don't need to replace that valve. Behind the handle is a packing nut with a hexagonal outline. Take a wrench that fits, or use an adjustable wrench and tighten that packing nut, up to about a quarter of at turn. Clockwise, of course - "righty tighty." Don't over tighten, or you might break the valve stem. The packing nut is right to the left of the red arrow.

That should compress the packing material enough to seal the shaft and stop the drip. After tightening the nut, give the handle a little more of a counterclockwise turn to make sure it's fully open.

If this doesn't work, then you might have to replace the valve itself, a bigger job than you might want to do yourself, unless you have some plumbing experience.

Try tightening the packing nut before giving up and calling the plumber.

[TigressDem]

1. And/Or use some Plumbers "tape"

Especially since you don't want to over tighten, they have actual tape and a compound that can be used to fill the area to make the seal water tight.


https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-use-teflon-tape-2718712

[dalton99a]

2. This could be prevented by turning the valve off and on every six months or so

which few people do, of course

[MineralMan]

5. Yeah. Almost nobody does that. You should, but nobody does.

If you end up with a very small drip every few seconds, even after tightening the packing valve, it's worth waiting a day or two to see if it seals up. Often it does.

Replacing those valves can be a real PITA, depending on how they are connected to the supply pipe. My old house had them soldered directly to copper pipe. I called a plumber. If they're threaded, you can usually shut off the main water supply valve and unscrew them and replace them, but in a very old house, that could get you in trouble.

You can replace the packing in some of the valves, but not all. Besides those valves are always in a hard to see and hard to reach area. Unless you've done the job before, spend the money and have a plumber do it. You'll get your stuff working much faster and save yourself trips to the hardware store.

I had to replace a toilet valve this morning, which reminded me how much I hate residential plumbing. Replacing the toilet valve takes just a five minutes, really. Fixing a supply valve, however, can be a real pain.

[NutmegYankee]

3. Rather than replace the valve, the packing can be replaced.

You cut off the water supply to the house and remove the handle and packing nut and use a hook to pull out the old packing ring. Clean any deposits out of the way and put the new packing in and reassemble.

[MineralMan]

6. That's true, as well. Again, though,

tightening the packing nut is always worth a try.

[NutmegYankee]

10. Well yeah, I'll try that first.

But if it fails, I'm better at fixing the valve than I am at sweating pipe. Over the years as parts of the plumbing have needed work I've paid plumbers to install ball valves instead of globe valves.

[MineralMan]

11. I hate plumbing. Truly, I do.

Especially inside of vanities and kitchen sink cabinets. I do it, nevertheless, and have all the necessary tools for the jobs. But, I hate it more than almost any handyman job. Especially in old houses.

We'll be selling our 1954 rambler in the next few months and moving into a downsized place. I will be glad to say goodbye to old houses with old systems in them. I'm too old for that crap!

[SeattleVet]

17. You said it! Plumbing is the worst.

I had a bathroom vanity sink with a small leak underneath. The trap was rotted out. When I went to unhook it, the rest of the pipe from the sink drain was also falling apart. Then I discovered that the sink itself was corroded to the point of fragility around the drain.

What started out as a simple drip repair job wound up with me having to replace everything from the wall out, including the sink. What a mess!

[Throck]

4. I installed ball valves on the floor below.

In time the tank valve always goes to crap.

[MineralMan]

9. Yeah. There are many types of supply valves.

Typical contractors use the cheapest ones they can. They work for years, until they don't anymore. If you replace them, choose a more expensive valve and avoid later problems.

[Throck]

15. It's the fancy chrome where exposed.

Under my cupboards I put in 3/8" brass ball valves. They make threaded and compression connections.

If you ever have to replace a faucet, go MOEN. They minimized the inventory of replacement ceramic cartridges. I found they break a lot less to boot. Better materials, less corrosion problems. Worth the extra penny.

[rickford66]

7. Tighten the least amount you need.

Not even 1/4 at first. Try a very little bit. Put a cup or bowl under the drip and wait a day or so to see if it stops leaking. Repeat every few days until it stops. You only get so many turns on a packing nut to stop a leak. I learned this many years ago working in a boiler room. MineralMan is giving great advice.

[MineralMan]

8. Yes. You'll feel resistance as you tighten it.

Stop before you overtighten. As you say, you can do it again, if necessary, up to a point. It's a matter of feeling when it's tight enough. That comes with experience.

[asiliveandbreathe]

12. Omg..if it hasnt been said..please turn water off at main..home

Is 10 years..had to shut water off at toilet..yep..angle stop fell off in hand..gushing ensued ..had all angle stops replaced..talk about cheap materials used..arrrggg

[CTyankee]

13. We had a "flapper on too long a chain which blocks the flapper from its function."

Too many chain links pile up where the flapper should fall. Result: the tank doesn't fill and you have to take off the back and reach in and manually take the chain out of the way.

This gets old really fast.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

21. My usual fix: a couple inches of plastic tubing. Run the chain through the tube.

Then use some silicone-based caulk/glue/sealant to keep the tube near the bottom of the chain. It should keep the links out of the way.

Or, stand and wait for the tank to fill, to make sure it's sealed. Use the time to contemplate the wonders of the universe.

[CTyankee]

22. I did that contemplation, talked to my plumber friend (now handicapped so he couldn't come out

and help) and he said "have him cut out some links." Which is what our fixer did. And that is that. Done!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

23. Excellent. Now you are flushed with success! nt

[EYESORE 9001]

14. While on the subject of that water supply valve...

Please be sure to close those valves when there's a possibility of losing water pressure to the house, like when a water main breaks in the neighborhood or the main supply valve must be shut off to perform repairs on a different water line in the house. Loss of water pressure will cause water, containing god-knows-what type of bacteria, to be siphoned out of the toilet tank into the water lines, contaminating drinking water. This can be prevented by installing an anti-siphoning flush valve in every toilet, but why take a chance? Additionally, it is wise to shut off the water supply valves when leaving the house unoccupied for a length of time, like when going on vacation. You may not know if there had been a loss of water pressure during your absence.

[doc03]

16. They tell you to drain your water heater every month or

so. But the drain valve is plastic then the gritty sediment from the tank damages the valve and it leaks. I got the leak stopped finally by putting a cap on the end of the valve. Now I am afraid if I flush it again it will even leak worse. If you think plumbing is a pain now old threaded steel pipe would drive you nuts.

[nilram]

18. Thanks for this, I'll try that on a problem valve. Next edition, talk about flexible braided

appliance supply lines (steel reenforced). A supply line to the washing machine broke in my partner's basement and it was amazing how quickly we had an indoor swimming pool. Random litter blocked the floor drain, so there was water above my shoes, to my ankles. He has a vast amount of stuff in his basement, so the lower levels of junk got wet and a bunch of the rest had to be removed to allow the area to get dry.

(And actually, iirc, he had steel reenforced supply lines--but they had plastic fittings. )

Good insurance company, though, and they quickly got a restoration company out. They took a vast quantity of stuff to a drying room, removed a lot of other stuff to allow the room to dry, and brought in big dehumidifiers. (The BF had to go to the airport for a red-eye, so guess who had to oversee the process till 4am?) The basement was a maze of shelving and stuff and wetness, but the workers were glad to be there since the other job that night was a downtown business's basement with a huge sewage leak.

If I were an insurance company, I'd send these to all of my customers. https://www.plumbingsupply.com/braidedstainlessflexes.html

But back to cutoff valves. Even though I have the stainless steel reenforced appliance supply lines, I want to turn off the water to my appliances when I leave town. (Who knows what's hidden inside the washer that might bust open.) I don't, because there's a problematic valve that drips when it's turned off, so I'll try your suggestions on it. Thanks

[MineralMan]

19. I turn off the water to my washing machine

as soon as I am done using it. I always have.

[nilram]

20. Perfect