Faucet hot water valve won't

I'm trying to take off my old faucet and replace it with a new one in my bathroom's vanity. I had no problem shutting off the cold water valve, but the hot one is giving me a hard time. I have about 98-99% turned off and water still comes out of the faucet..albeit..its small steady and solid..its not dripping. I applied W40 a couple of times, waited and still can't shut it off completely. I am trying to avoid using my main shutoff just for this and was wondering if there anything else i can do. Would just taking off the handle help? Hate to call a plumber for a small yet nagging situation. Thanks

Reply to
Anthony
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Had that problem. The rubber gasket has broken up because of age and heat. You will have to shut the water supply off and then remove the shutoff and replace the washer. Be sure to turn off power/gas to the water heater.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Drahn

t and replace it with a new one in

What's going to happen to the water heater if he doesn't shut it off? As long as he has something open slightly somewhere for any possible expansion, nothing is going to happen. And it sounds like he has that at the moment, whether he wants it or not, without doing anything else.

Reply to
trader4

I've had similar problem. Water shut off, in a bathroom sink vanity. The answer turned out to be buying a new shutoff valve at the store, and replace the shutoff. Older house, galvanized pipe. I used a smaller pipe wrench on the pipe, and larger on the valve, thread it off. Don't let the force turn the galv pipe, just the valve.

Teflon tape, and then Recorseal #5 on the exposed threads, reassemble, hope for the best.

It may be possible to shut off the water, take the valve apart, replace the faucet washer, and put it back together. I've done that, also.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Replacing the valve comes after I try to install my new faucet...for now, I want to be sure that the water is off so I can do so.

Reply to
Anthony

Here's a chance to replace both, while the house water main is off. Of course, you can put a bucket under the leaky shutoff, and work fast.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Replacing the valve comes after I try to install my new faucet...for now, I want to be sure that the water is off so I can do so.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I've gotten lucky in the past where I would just replace the stem if the manufacturer is the same. I bought a new valve to replace a leaky one, but instead of replacing the entire valve, I just replaced the stem. Saves the trouble of removing the entire valve, (if the valve seat is still good).

Reply to
Mikepier

Wd 40 is not a penetrant, it is a water displacement product. Shut off your main water supply. Turn down the water heater thermostat. Disconnect supply lines to old faucet set. Disconnect lavatory drain. Remove entire basin assembly. Replace faucet set. Buy and install new quarter turn hot and cold shutoff valves. Reinstall basin and hook up supply and drain lines with any necessary new or better parts. Anything less that this will only cause more aggravation and frustration and rework . Do it right, do it once, and enjoy the results. Otherwise you will probably miss most of the Super Bowl.

Joe

Reply to
Joe

If you're doing the faucet yourself, why would you need a plumber? To close the main shut off? The only chance to close the valve is to work it open and shut until it works, or you figure it won't work. Sometimes it works. If it doesn't close you're going to have to shut the main valve. Or but a pail down and try to catch the water while you replace the faucet. There's always a chance the main shutoff won't fully close too. But if you have a lower faucet to open - basement or bath tub - that should take care of the leakthrough while you work on replacing the wash basin stop and faucet. Or just replace the faucet and kick the stop down the road. Your call on that. Depends on what plumbing work you plan to do down the road.

Reply to
Vic Smith

Anthony: Save your money until you have enough to replace the main water shut off valve to your house with a ball valve. These are very reliable and allow you to shut off the water to your whole house so that you can confidently replace the water shut off valves in your house. If you're alreadying starting to do plumbing repairs in your house, then having a reliable valve that you can count on to shut the water off to your house so that you can replace leaking water shut off valves is a real benefit.

Even if your main shut off valve leaks a bit, opening a faucet at a lower elevation than the faucet you're working on will ensure that any water that does leak into your piping leaks out that other faucet, and not the one you're working on.

Reply to
nestork

As they say, "what he said". I've had the situation where I turned off the main and it didn't work. It actually turned off about 95% but then wouldn't go either more closed or open. I had to call the water department to turn off the water at the buffalo box outside. Of course, it was on a Sunday. But, as luck would have it, they had an emergency crew working just a few blocks away, so they came right over and shut it off. I then replaced the main valve and called the guy's cell phone. He came right back and turned the water back on. BTW, when replacing the shutoff under the sink, be sure to use the better valves which are

1/4 turn ball valves. They are much less likely to have this problem ... and while you are at it, if they are not 1/4 turn valve, change them both.
Reply to
Art Todesco

WD40 was developed as a water displacement product.

It certainly is a penetrant, but not the best one.

It is a lubricant, but there are not a lot of applications where it is an adequate lubricant.

It can also be useful as a solvent.

Reply to
bud--

Are you saying that the shutoff valve has been turned 98-99% of the way and it won't turn further or that it is turned all the way and has stopped

98-99% of the water.

If the latter, try tightening the packing nut (the nut the stem goes through). Only tighten 1/8 - 1/4 turn at a time and hang on to the valve so you don't bend anything.

Reply to
dadiOH

The general situation is that lavatory faucets and kitchen sinks and commodes get their supply line via an angle stop, which angle stops are notorious for their various failures and weaknesses.

Most/Many old angle stops which are multiturn and integrated with the supply line to the faucet should be replaced with a 'better' design which is a quarter turn instead of multi- and which has a separate (rather than integrated/connected) supply line which attaches to the faucet.

Of course you have to turn off the water to remove and replace that angle stop which isn't working properly anyway to turn off the hot water supply to the faucet. Also, if you are planning on doing it yourself, the anatomy of the connection of the angle stop you are replacing needs to be appreciated.

If you think that it is inconvenient that this little 'failure' (weakness) of your angle stop to turn off the hot water properly, just think about how inconvenient it would be if the angle stop failed catastrophically some time and resulted in flooding the house, especially if you weren't home.

Those faulty/failing angle stops can do bad bad things.

Reply to
Mike Easter

I interpreted that part as meaning that you can shut off the cold water at its angle stop which was necessary to replace its faucet, but that you cannot completely turn off the hot water at its angle stop which would be necessary to replace the hot water faucet.

Reply to
Mike Easter

I am not sure why you are trying to avoid using the "main shutoff valve", and I am not sure if by "main shutoff valve" you mean the water shutoff valve outside at the street or the "main shutoff valve" near where the water comes into your home.

Sometimes, if the "main shutoff valve" doesn't completely turn off the water, you can turn it off as much as possible, then open all the valves in all the sinks and tubs etc and leave them open while you change the hot water valve for the bathroom. But having everything else open, the pressure drops in the system and you may be able to get whatever small flow there is to only come out in the sinks, outside faucet, etc. that are below the level of the bathroom vanity that you are working on. And, if you replace the bathroom vanity hot water valve with another screw-on type (if that is what happens to be there), or you replace it with a shark-fitting slip-on type that requires no soldering, you can probably change out the hot water valve that way. Then go ahead and do the work on the faucet change.

Good luck.

Reply to
TomR

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 10:35:12 -0500, "TomR" wrote:

As often happens, not enough info has been posted. There are many variables. Nobody mentioned, including me, that water heaters commonly have in inlet valve. If that closes well you've shut off all hot water even with the main entrance valves open. Even city-owned Buffalo box service valves can be inoperative. I replumbed my last 2-flat because the 50 year-old galvanized was limed up and I had real bad flow from all the faucets. Worked the entrance valve open/close repeatedly, but never stopped the flow, which was maybe .5 GPM from the basement laundry tub faucet, which was lowest and closest to the entrance valve. Worked the Buffalo box valve repeatedly, and when bottomed it didn't perceptibly change the flow. Since I never got many turns on it I figured it was bad, but didn't know how bad. Since I wasn't about to call the city and possibly get into permitting, inspections, etc. I just forged ahead, Never been a licensed plumber. Made up a new entrance valve with taped nipple in, valve open. Had a buddy hold a washtub under the union and prepare to catch the water when I removed the old main entrance valve from the lead service line. Broke the union and moved the pipe aside. A bit more than the .5 GPM coming out of the open laundry tub faucet. But that was only what the closed valve was letting through. Put the wrench to the valve and removed it. A gusher shot clear across the room. My buddy got soaked trying to put the washtub in front of him. The gusher hit him hard. Since I had the new valve open and fitted, I got it on real quick, closed it, and tightened everything down. I got soaked by spray too. Probably let a few gallons of water loose in the 10 or so seconds it took to get dry connected "Closing" the Buffalo valve did hardly anything. The limed up pipes is what fooled me. Almost completely closed in some places.

Reply to
Vic Smith

Wow, I didn't even think about that. Good suggestion.

I don't know what a Buffalo box service valve is, but I may have one. I have a property where I need to have the water shut off at the main valve at the curb so I can replace the main valve on the inside by the water meter. I have a shutoff key for the valve at the curb, but it won't turn. So, I asked the town to turn it off and it won't turn for them either. They tried pouring some penetrating oil in and letting it sit for a few days and then came back and tried it again. Still no luck -- it won't turn for them. So, the latest is that they are going to come back this week and dig it up and "replace the box" -- that's the term they used. Maybe that means I have a "Buffalo box", I don't know, but they are going to "replace the box", whatever it is.

Very funny story! I could easily see myself doing that in similar circumstances. In my case, it's no problem to get the town to turn off the main at the curb -- no questions asked -- even if it means they have to dig it up and "replace the box".

Of course, now I have to Google "Buffalo box".

Reply to
TomR

What the town is proposing to replace is commonly called a buffalo box. No idea why.

Reply to
hrhofmann

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