There is a very slow leak from the handle of one of our water shutoff valves in the basement.
I was able to almost completely stop it by really tightening the packing nut but it seems that the real root cause is probably that the washer has gone bad.
At Home Depot, they only carried teflon string which the guy claimed you would use instead of a washer. Alternatively, I could go to a plumbing supply house and track down the right replacement washer.
Questions:
- Is the teflon string as good as a replacement washer or should I try to track down the right washer?
- Is the teflon string really used in place of the washer or in addition to it?
Thanks