Off Topic: Plumbing question

hucker

Active Member
I have a seized valve under our house that controls an external hose bib. The valve does not turn and I'm not calibrated to how much torque I can put on the thing, but I'm turning pretty darn hard. I've put a bit of WD40 on it and it hasn't helped. Any tricks to try before I call the expensive backup guy...
 
I have a seized valve under our house that controls an external hose bib. The valve does not turn and I'm not calibrated to how much torque I can put on the thing, but I'm turning pretty darn hard. I've put a bit of WD40 on it and it hasn't helped. Any tricks to try before I call the expensive backup guy...

I assume it's stuck in the ON position and you're trying to turn it off for the winter. You need to turn it clockwise to turn it off, or couterclockwise if trying to open the valve. (I can't help you if you only use digital and don't know what clockwise means. ;) ) I'd suggest turning off the water supply, taking off the faucet handle and loosening the packing nut located just under the handle on the stem. The PDF you refer to clearly shows the packing nut and the packing just below it and then the screw portion that actually opens and closes the valve. With the water supply turned off you should be able to loosen it up all the way and shoot some WD40 well down along the shaft of the valve and maybe even down past the packing into the screw part deeper in the valve. Put it back together and give it a try. Good Luck!
 
well if you are going to call the "expensive backup guy" i would 1 confirm you have another way to turn off the water. 2verify the other valve works! 3 attack vice grips to the handle and hit it gently with a hammer in the close direction to see if it will loosen with the tapping. and if all else fails hit it harder! be sure to get to that other valve if something should go wrong and call that other guy like you would have done before you got out the wrong tools....



OK, Im not an expert just giving an opinion do not come back yelling to me if it broke!....
 
Yes,
Turn off the water supply, and remove the nut and then remove the assembly.

Heat from a propane torch can be your friend with a stuck anything. AGAIN WATER OFF FIRST!!!

I'd try the other methods first, I usually use heat as a last resort, especially if their might be parts that you could damage from heat, such as seal or solder joints.
 
Back
Top