Loosen Stuck Water Valve
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- čas přidán 24. 04. 2017
- Tips on how to free a stuck water shut off valve. If a stop valve on your plumbing system won't turn there are a few things that can be tried to unstick a valve.
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czcams.com/play/PLvce66kQTjJRuwqmH0S5Shjfj5HeRdbMr.html
I am doing my best to help you, consider helping me. There are hundreds of videos at Know How Now, subscribe so you can always find the channel…. It’s free. I always respect your time and do my best to keep the videos brief, but informative.
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@ 1:20 "Patience is your friend, not brute force" ....so very true in so many applications, thank you so very much !
You are welcome.
Omg I've watched about 152,000 videos trying to figure this out AND FINALLY someone explains it without saying shut off the main water supply lol. THANK YOU.. You are appreciated
You are welcome. Best wishes for getting the valve unstuck.
Thanks so much! For time homeowner here and I don’t think the main shutoff has ever been cycled. This video helped this guy out! Thank you so much.
You are welcome. It's my pleasure to help. If you haven't already checked out the videos on the channel, there are a lot of videos that a first time home owner may appreciate.
Thank-you for your video. I had almost called a plumber but watched the video, grabbed some wrenches and a can of oil and headed outside to the stuck water valve on the side of the house. Less 20 minutes all was working!
You are welcome, Tim.
Thank you! A plumber wanted to charge me $500 or more to replace two stuck valves. Penetrating oil alone wasn't working so I took your advice: I turned off the water supply, loosened the big nut above the knob, and sprayed the oil inside. A few hours later I was able to move it just a bit. I rocked it back and forth a bunch of times until I was able to turn it fully.
You are welcome. Thanks for taking the time to describe your experience. Penetrating oil has saved my day many times. I turn my valves to times a year to prevent them from getting stuck.
I can't express how valuable this video was in my time of need lol. Thank you.
Sincerely,
First Time Home Owner
You are welcome, Chris. Keep learning, you can save yourself a lot of money in repairs. The trick is to know which repairs you can do and which ones you need to hire a pro. I always do some research, even if I don't tackle the job, I can talk intelligently when I interview the repair person. If you are knowledgeable, you stand a better chance of a fair deal. There are great people you can trust to do work for you, find them and treat them fairly in return. There are over 200 how to/repair videos on the channel, click on the channel name to check them out.
Can I just say I LOVE you! I am replacing my sink and disposer. Valve was stuck & I could not turn off the water. Then I found you! Your instructions worked!! So grateful to you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
You are welcome, Audrey. It's my pleasure to help. When you are done with the sink project, you might want to give the other valves in your home a turn. To prevent them from sticking I "exercise" mine 2 times a year by opening & closing them.
Patience was the key. I took the packing nut off yesterday and sprayed around the stem with WD40. I gently rocked it back and forth several times. I then let it sit for 24 hours. I came back to it. I had rubber coated garden gloves for a good grip. I started rocking it again back and forth and wallah! It broke open. It probably wasn’t used by the previous owner for 4 to 5 years. 🎊 🎉😅
I'm so bummed out. This all looks easy enough but just about every valve in my house is stuck, and just about every valve is behind other things that don't allow room for a wrench. I can't fix a single valve without taking out other pipes and beams and drywall. I can't do this. Yes I'm venting. This is still a great video. I appreciate it. :-D
Sorry to hear that the builder didn't care about servicing the valves and that no one turned them a couple of times a year so they wouldn't get stuck.
Same...valves are behind pipes. Limits my room for working.
Did you find a way to unstuck. Mine are all hidden too.
A long shot. But try cutting strips of paper towels add vinegar, and wrapping this stem, packing nut, to soak the metal in vinegar. When the vinegar dries, use a sponge soaked in vinegar to again add vinegar to the paper towel strips. Over night, it will dry and then try the rocking method of turn the valve in any direction it can turn, and reverse the direction until you feel it loosing. If the internal metal is either corroded or caked with mineral, then this isn’t going to work.
@@tonymanero5544 Thank you all for responding. I am acknowledging receipt of your responses, three years after I posted this. And it's fine, I still have the same problem. Much appreciated. I'll try this next time I have an issue.
Yes ... plan on trying those suggestions just shortly!! Stuck water cutoff valve on water heater inlet line ...
This video really helped me. Thank you. I love how you give just enough new information and technical terms without being overwhelming.
Thanks to you, the bathroom sink valve is turned off, and the water to the house is back on.
You are welcome, Carmen. As many others have done, please consider supporting the channel and subscribe. It's free and it will allow me to continue to add more videos. Thanks for watching!
This really helped! I'd brute forced about as much as I dared, with no joy, so did a quick search and this video came up. The back and forth, with patience, approach got it done in about a minute. Thanks!
You are welcome, Alan.
You are awesome! I need to replace my washing machine hoses and the hot water valve has been stuck for years. My much stronger brother tried to loosen it once and it wouldn't budge and he feared breaking it with force. So I've left it alone until now. I loosed the packing nut just a bit, and it worked like a charm! Thank you sooo much!
Way to go Desiree! I like to think that the internet is the collective knowledge of the world. If you haven't already changed the hoses, I have a video for that: czcams.com/video/1Xa9KtQ3K58/video.html
Had a stick valve last night, rocking got it going, thanks so much!
You are welcome!
Patience is a friend. Yes. Thank you for this helpful post.
You are welcome, Christopher. Have a great day.
You speak so clearly and your video is well edited. Well done!
Thanks for the compliment. I don't have any formal training on how to make videos. I'm learning as I go and try to make improvements to any new videos I make..
I’m a plumber, and just clicked to see what advice you were sharing, YOU GOT SOME PRO TIPS HERE!
PD- you are gonna makes us loose jobs jajajajaja. Just kidding. Jajajaja
God bless your home and family!!!
Thanks for the compliment, Alejandro. Sorry to take some business away from you. Prior to CZcams, the adventurous home owner wanting to make a repair had to ask their plumber friends or get a book from the library.
So informative and helpful, your techniques finally made me able to loosen my main valve. I had no idea it should be turned a couple times a year to prevent if from being stuck. Didn't even think about it...ugh! Anyway, I can now install my new kitchen faucet now that the water is shut off. Thank you so much for this video! Editing to let you know I'm so glad I discovered your channel and of course subscribed :)
You are welcome, Jane-Marie. Thank you for taking the time to comment, the compliment and subscribing. I am always trying to improve the quality of the videos. The newer ones are a little more polished. If you haven't noticed they are organized by playlist on the channel.
Thanks for the tip. That quarter turn on the packing nut worked! Saved us a bunch of time. Thanks again!
You're welcome!
Thank you very much. Worked like a charm. And like you said, and I cannot stress this out enough, BE PATIENT!
You are welcome. Thanks for watching the video and taking the time to comment.
Thank you so much for your sage advice. I did exactly as you said, was gentle and patient, nudging it a tiny bit further now and then, and after a couple hours (with a little WD40 in the mix and a walk of the dog to rest my hand) the valve turned all the way through and I was able to shut off the water. Didn't need to mess with the packing nut.
You are welcome, Louise. Thanks for taking the time to write about you experience. Way to go on getting the valve free.
I turn my valves (open & close) twice a year to prevent them from getting stuck. If the valve has a packing nut, you'll want to have a look at it closely after turning it. Sometimes they will drip after they are moved. I have a video that shows how to adjust the packing nut and over 200 other videos that help with home repairs..... click on the channel name to find them, they are organized by playlist. Link to adjusting the packing nut: czcams.com/video/HYS_6_dkkYE/video.html
@@Know-How-Now Thanks!! PB Blaster did the trick!!
@@davidrobinson4012 You are welcome!
Thank you so much! Movers are coming tomorrow and I needed to disconnect the washing machine. It never even occurred to me that it would be a problem until I couldn't turn either valve. Loosening the packing nut worked on the hot, but not the cold. Fortunately I had some penetrating spray that I was able to get under the packing nut to the valve stem. I rocked it by hand, tapped it with a wrench, and kept at it in 15 minute cycles. Finally I grabbed the underside of the valve handle with a pair of Robogrips, and with the better leverage tried to ease it back and forth, hoping I didn't break anything. (Getting to our master water cutoff is hard...). First time it moved I was afraid I'd bent it, but I was also able to move it back. So I kept spraying and rocking and that finally did the trick. Thank you for the advice, and for reminding me to be patient.
Thanks for the detailed description of how you worked the valves loose. Good old BP Blaster has saved me many times. Best wishes for a smooth moving day!
Thank you. The second option fixed my problem. Thanks for the advice.
You are welcome, Cory. Way to go on getting the valve free. I open & close all my valves every 6 months to prevent them from getting stuck. If they drip at the stem after turning them, tighten the packing nut 1/8-1/4 turn (with valve in the open position). It should stop the dripping. There is also a video on the channel for that problem. You can find over 200 how to/repair videos that are organized by playlist by clicking on the channel name.
Thank you! You're great! So very helpful!
very informative short and to the point,thanks
This video is exactly what i need! I 'll try it.
Huge Help!
Super helpful!
GREAT INFORMATION: She's holding the camera and using one hand, but always hold the pipe and turn - never turn without holding and stabilizing the pipe. I do WD-40, let that sit overnight if possible. soak in super hot water if in a position to do so or soak a washcloth in hot water, wrap around, let sit a minute or so and try after WD40.
She literally says to hold the pipe twice
@@CasTro-ex6zi But she didn't actually hold it though. Somebody might think it doesn't matter and fick they shit all the way thousands of dollars up, you dum kunt.
Tapping and working back and forth worked wonderfully! Thanks!
You are welcome!
Another satisfied and happy commenter - thanks for the great video (subscribed!)! Using a cloth over my hand and following your instructions to gently rock back and forth worked perfectly. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
You are welcome, Miki. Thanks for taking the time to comment and for subscribing.
Thank you. You saved the day for me. The back and forth action of the handle worked.
You are welcome.
Great video ! Wish everybody did such a clear easy to understand explanation for fixes. I'm going to subscribe and see what other fixes you do !
Thanks for watching the video, the compliment and subscribing, Cathy. I do my best to make quality videos that are worth the time spent watching them. Have a great day!
The twisting and turning method worked for me. Thank you
You are welcome.
You're a lifesaver!
Thanks for the compliment! As many others have done, please support the channel and subscribe. It's free and it will allow me to add more videos.
Rocking worked quickly! Thanks
To prevent my shut off valves from sticking, I turn them twice a year. It the valve is a compression style (shown in the video's title picture), check it about 10 minutes after turning to see if it leaks at the stem. If it leaks, you'll need to tighten the packing nut. I have a video that shows how to do this: czcams.com/video/HYS_6_dkkYE/video.html czcams.com/video/g8ORORWGsWw/video.html
Worked like a charm....Thank you :)
You are welcome, Brian.
That tip worked perfectly. I'm happy I found this video first, I was about to go after the valve with tools. Thank you!
You are welcome, Sean. Happy plumbing.
Thank you so much!! New washer!! Lowes wouldn’t touch it! Watched your video and done within seconds!!
You are welcome, Christine. It's my pleasure to help.
THANK YOU!! This worked for me! You saved me money and another day of no showers!
You are welcome! As many others have done, please subscribe. It's free and you will be easily able to find over repair/how to videos on the channel. They are organized by playlist, click on the channel name to find the videos.
I tried loosening my packing nut and it worked like a charm!
Excellent, just excellent
Thanks for the compliment, Dave. Please consider supporting the channel and subscribe, it's free and it will allow me to continue to add more videos.
Thank you so much you just saved me a lot of money from calling a plumber!!
You are welcome, it's my pleasure to help.
Awesome video, thanks very much !!!
You are welcome, Nancy. As many others have done, please support the channel and subscribe. It's free and it will allow me to continue to add more videos. Thanks for watching!
Thanks! Liquid Wrench did the trick but your advice on being patient and rocking back and forth got it done!
You are welcome!
Super information 👍
Thanks for the help. First time home owner in the 1st month.
You are welcome. Congratulations on the purchase of your home.
Thanks you saved me!
You are welcome!
Woohoo! Saved me from extra work or plumber cost! Thank you!
You are welcome!
Excellent video. Thank you!
You are welcome! Happy New Year!
This helped me out. Thanks!
You are welcome, Joe!
Awesome solution. Worked like a charm. Thanks!
Mark, it's great to hear your problem was solved, it always makes my day to hear the video was helpful. You are Welcome.
Thank you so much for this information. I thought for sure I would have to go out and buy some penetrating oil spray, but I tried rocking the handle back-and-forth and it worked perfectly. Thanks again!
You are welcome!
This worked! Thanks!
You are welcome!
Thank you so much. My husband was hospitalized and not being a handyman type of gal, I was able to turn on the back spigot on my house to water my lawn. Just using the cloth and back and forth motion was enough
You are welcome, Michelle. I hope your husband has a speedy recovery.
THANK YOU!!!!! We ordered a new washer and the installers wouldn't install it because the water valves were seized. I was able to free them both with your tips and they will be able to install it tomorrow. Only cost to me was the penetrating oil.
You are welcome. Way to go getting the valves unstuck. I turn mine 2 times a year to keep them from getting stuck.
Packing nut did it for me! Thanks so much! Subscribed!
Welcome to Know How Now. Thanks for watching the video and subscribing.
Great video - helped a bunch and got the job done!
You are welcome, Joseph!
Your approach and elocution are excellent. Attagirl! Also you sound like Rocky the English Setter's Mom. Best part is that following your advice worked, so I didn't have to break the valve at the meter, then watch the water company break the valve in the street, then wait for up to a week for them to shut off the water at the pumping station. My throat was getting parched just thinking about it! LOL! Your approach was a lifesaver. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words, Mike. It's always nice to hear the video was helpful. Some folks have said I sound like Jodie Foster, Rocky the English Setter's Mom is a new one. lol.
on youtube search for "rocky english setter where's your bone" or use this link: czcams.com/video/BvgTnXoY0ls/video.html This gal has to be your sister. Even my english setter enjoyed it.
Lol! I never heard anyone give their dog a lecture. Rocky looks so guilty.
She sounds like she's from Philadelphia or South Jersey. My whole family has that accent.
@@susanstutzman9745 As a King of Prussia native, out of the area for most of the last 50 years, couldn't quite place the very familiar accent. Rocky the setter and I are both mesmerized by it.
Thanks so much this worked like a charm.
You are welcome, Tom. It's my pleasure to help.
Loosening the packing nut a little will usually get the valve moving in all but the most stubborn cases. When finished, do not tighten the packing nut down too far as that will jam the valve again and possibly damage the packing material. Tighten the packing nut just enough to stop any water leaks. Then make sure the valve still turns freely.
Grateful for this video, which I viewed along with many others in pursuit of loosening my stuck water valve. It's a different kind than the one shown here: a "T grip ball valve," I've discovered. After two days of research, unhappy 1st world discomfort, and a grumpy husband who's afar, I was finally ready with a flashlight, tools, and solutions; whereupon I discovered that I was clearly trying to turn the knob the wrong way. I mean, I was even trying to turn it against an unnoticed metal piece that clearly will not let the "T grip" turn in that direction--I mean, if you just LOOK at it. So the kids and I have water again. I will NOT be telling my husband how I "fixed" it. I offer this to anyone out there who could be as ************ as me. PS I was SURE that I was turning the knob on in the opposite direction I had turned it off. I KNEW this was not the problem. Except it was.
Thank you!!! I did it!
Way to go Sandra! You are welcome.
Very helpful thank you!!
You are welcome!
That was a great help.. thank you so much !!!
You're welcome!
Thank you! I had the exact issue and was able to free the valve successfully.
You're welcome!
Really helped! thank you!
You are welcome!
Very helpful thx
You are welcome!
Thanks a bunch it worked valve is leaking but That procedure unstuck the valve thanks again.
You are welcome. I have another video that shows what to do if the valve leaks at the stem: czcams.com/video/HYS_6_dkkYE/video.html
It worked. Thank you!
You're welcome!
I subbed because you helped me ,thanks
You are welcome, Miguel. Thanks for subscribing.
Thanks!
You are welcome!
Thank you for mentioning that it could become stuck if you don't open it once or twice a year. I will be replacing a water filter that my brother in-law can no longer do. He has done this twice a year for many years, so hopefully I won't have any problems turning the water off under the sink. I plan to do this within the next few days. You get a sub and a like from me,
You are welcome. After you turn them, check to make sure they are not dripping at the packing nut. If they are dripping, just give the packing nut a slight clock wise turn (from the view point of looking at the top of the handle). You likely only have to turn it 1/8th of a turn. Do not turn the packing nut while the valve is closed, you can break the valve. Turn the valve again after adjusting. Don't make it so tight that it makes the valve difficult to turn. There's a video on my channel that tells you how to do this. The videos are organized by playlist.
@@Know-How-Now Thank you so much for your tips, but I haven't gotten to it yet. LOL. Maybe this weekend? I'll keep you posted.
This worked for me, thank you
You're welcome, Victor.
Great video!
Thanks for the compliment. Best wishes for your repair.
It worked!!!! Yay!!! THANK YIU!
You're welcome!
Excellent
Thanks for the compliment, Michael. There are hundreds of videos that a home owner might find helpful on the channel. If you haven't already done so, click on the channel name to check them out. Subscribe, it's free, you'll always be able to find the videos. They are organized by playlist or you can search for a keyword in the channel page's search box. The videos don't always make it to the top of the search page.
Fantastic explanation
Thanks for the compliment. I do my best to make quality videos. If you are a home owner, you might want to click on the channel name and check out the videos.
Thanks for the video! It was very helpful. 10/10, would recommend
You are welcome, Calvin. Thank you for the compliment!
@@Know-How-Now Of course! I wish you had a video on how to install drywall! The stuck valve you helped me free up was going to the dishwasher. It had to be turned off because there was a leaking pipe underneath it. Destroyed the wood floors around it (trying to dry it up with silica gel packets now) and the ceiling directly below. Cheers!
Thank you so much! Your advice helped us get our valves unstuck.
You are welcome. Way to go on getting the valve unstuck. To prevent them from sticking, I close & open (exercise) mine every 6 months. Check for drips at the stem after turning them. Snugging up the packing nut should solve the problem. Here's a link to a video that I have on how to do that: czcams.com/video/HYS_6_dkkYE/video.html
The builder broke the "pipe" trying to open the tap and guess what he ran away!
Thank you! 😁 I got it at the packing nut 1/4 turn step, And I didn't know not using it would cause the problem.
You're welcome!!
Thank you!!!!!
You are welcome, Christa!
My sock worked. I was dealing w/ main valve after tightening packing nut. TY!!!
You are welcome!
Okay...this is a bit OT. I shut off the internal gate valve to my front yard garden spigot to winterize it. With some lubrication, and a plumber's wrench, I was able to turn it all the way clockwise. When I went outside, however, and turned on the outside spigot, the water continued to gush out.
A plumber replaced the valve to the backyard spigot with a ball valve, a few years ago (as well as replacing the spigot itself.
THAT-of course-works Flawlessly.
And, I'm pretty sure I found the correct gate valve.
It's on the other side of my basement, diametrically opposed to the backyard valve, and the pipe penetrates the outer wall.
Sounds like the gate valve is not closing all the way. They are problematic. Compression valves and ball valves (better than compression) are better. You might try opening and closing the gate valve several times. Maybe it will clear out any debris that is preventing it from closing all the way. It's worth a try.
@@Know-How-Now THANX. I need to look up some of the differences between those. We already KNOW gate valves SUCK! It's an Earsly sixties house.
THANK YOUUU
You are welcome.
Thanks for the advice! Sprayed the valve with JB-80 lubricant/penetrant, put on my vinyl-coated glove for better grip, and rocked the handle back and forth a couple of times and it closed right away. Had tried several times after spraying with the "blue can" without much success.
Hi Ted, thank you for taking the time to add your tip to the comments. I love when people contribute to the videos. I've never used JB-80, does it smell as bad as PB Blaster? I thought about trying PB Blaster on stuck valves, but wasn't sure if it would harm the packing material or be effective on mineral deposits.
@@Know-How-Now JB-80 has a slight smell - not familiar with PB B'laster. I just briefly sprayed the outside of the valve.
PB Blaster is penetrating oil. It's my go to for stuck rusty parts. I was even able to get a bike seat post that was stuck in the frame loose. It took a few days of spraying it and rapping on the seat, but it did come loose.
Thank you
You are welcome.
Spray WD-40 on it every night for a week, then wait a few months. Worked for me.
This was a very helpful video; thanks. The only thing i could think of doing was putting brute force on the handle, which of course you point out is NOT the thing to do. Loosening the Packing Nut was very helpful info and it did the trick. One thing I would suggest, and to someone working with valves regularly as you have seems second nature, would be to add which direction one needs to turn for the closed or open position. What made that question really baffling was that I was working on the shut off valve under the sink, so which way to turn to shut it off. I though, Oh, that's easy, I'll just see which way the faucets on the sink turn to shut the water off...it open and close must be universal, like screws (lefty=loosey, righty=tighty). Oh contraire, non fraire -- the hot water and the cold water handles on my sink both turn in opposite directions to open and close the water, so that was no help at all. Valves I am sure do have universal directions for open and close, but it would be good to include that in the video. The worse thing was me applying pressure to run off the valve but me applying pressure in the wrong direction!
Again, thanks for the video.
Thank you for taking the time to write the insightful comment. If you are looking at a shut off valve facing the handle, it works the same as turning a screw from the view point of looking at it's "head", left (ccw) is open (loosen) and right (cw) is close (tighten). Faucet handles as you have noted sometimes follow that rule and sometimes they don't.
that's "au contraire, mon frère"
Thank you! Lifesaver :) (Well, puddle and £££ saver.)
You are welcome! Have a great day.
Thanks! We need to replace some parts in an old toilet that is running. The water valve is stuck. Will try your suggestions and also check all of the valves.
You are welcome. I open & close (called exercising) all my valves 2 times a year, it keeps them from getting stuck. There a many toilet repair videos on this channel. Best wishes for your repair.
@@Know-How-Now yes we will be doing that. We bought a place that has been sitting empty for 5 years… so there are plenty of these little tasks to keep us busy.
Wow!! Just a little rock will do it. Amazing!!!
Thanks
You are welcome.
Subscribed :D
Thanks!
Worter valve :) my friends dad was from worshington and he says it that way too, i always chuckle a bit when i hear that. Worsh the car, turn the worter off lmao
Yep, that's how we say it here. I'm in southeastern PA.
Thanx.
U are amazing.
Thanks for the compliment, Peter.
@@Know-How-Now It is not compliment, it is true. :)
Love the Philly/South Jersey accent!😉
Thank you so much! The handle on the valve to the hot water line that goes to my washing machine is completely stuck so I can't move my washing machine to make repairs to or just concrete over the useless and unused p-trap floor drain that is only a delivery method for sewage when my sewer line backs up. Do you have a video on that too? Lol.
I will try these methods. I would also love to replace the spigot-style wheel handle with something easier to turn off and on because my arthritis is affecting my grip. Something like what you have on the pipe that is the water source to the valve you are working on. Not even sure if that is an option...Do you have any recommendations?
Ball valves are easier to turn. To prevent valves from getting stuck, open & close them a couple of times a year. This practice is called exercising a valve. Link to a ball valve:
www.watts.com/products/plumbing-flow-control-solutions/shutoff-valves/ball-valves/lfb6080g2