Water Shut Off Valve Leaking At Stem

The packing nut is responsible for making a watertight seal where the valve stem meets the water line.

Water shut off valve leaking at stem.

Place a bucket or a thick towel on the floor under the leaky valve just in case some residual water leaks out during work. On a new water valve this almost always stops the leak. Turn off the water at the house s main shutoff then disassemble the problematic shutoff valve without disconnecting the valve from either the water supply line or the line leading to the toilet. You may need to shut off water to the entire house if there is no cut off for the line.

First shut off the water to the leaking water valve. For instance a standard stop and waste valve has three other washers that can leak in addition to the washer that shuts the water off. A water shut off valve leaking can make a mess and waste water. This valve usually is in the basement or a utility closet and it will be clearly labeled.

The first thing you should do to stop the leak is to tighten the packing nut. To tighten the packing nut follow these directions. Multi turn shut off valves have a handle that when tightened forces a rubber gasket onto a seat in the middle of the valve that restricts water. Remove the old washer and slide on the new one.

Step by step instruction showing how to stop a shut off valve from leaking at the stem. Turn on all the faucets and flush all the toilets associated with the main shutoff valve to empty the pipes of water. Next remove the handle from the stem and then loosen and remove the packing nut. Water shut off valves often leak at the handle or the stem after they.

So if there is a leak at the valve stem it most likely means the valve is not shut off all the way. Replacing old graphite valve stem packing with new teflon seal. Water shut off valves can also leak at various points on the valve. If the leak persists before replacing the entire valve try this.

If it doesn t the packing washer is probably damaged and will need replacement. Unscrew the handle the packing nut and the threaded valve stem photo 2.