Packing Washer For Shut Off Valve

The packing washer in my circa 1976 all brass valve was solid and 3 8 quot.

Packing washer for shut off valve.

Over time though this packing material can harden or disintegrate. Toilet supply line connector hose. Fit an adjustable wrench onto the flats of the packing nut at the base of the stem for the handle. The packing nut is the part of the valve that provides a watertight seal around the valve stem and usually a leaking shut off valve is the fault of a problem with the packing nut.

First shut off the water to the leaking water valve. However the packing nut on a shut off valve can leak something you may notice when you turn the handle on and off. Measure first to avoid issues later. Appliance supply line connectors.

Here s how you can make a simple fix. First try tightening the packing nut one eighth to one quarter turn with a wrench. Shut off valves partially or fully stop flow. Replacing it with the 3 32 quot.

Thick flimsy rubber washer in the kit led to leaks between the packing nut and the stem. You may need to shut off water to the entire house if there is no cut off. Reassemble the shutoff valve turn the main house valve back on and check for leaks. Depending on how the lever is turned allows you to visually see if the valve is open or closed.

And yes if your faucet has a washer under the packing nut it should be taken to the store and matched up to a replacement. White teflon packing string is preferred. Shut off the water supply to the line that feeds to the leaking valve. The point of valve packing is to get a good seal.

Avoid gumming up the inside of the shutoff valve. When tightened the packing nut on your main water shut off valve binds down the packing material against the washer to seal off water. Sink clips screws. Remove the old packing and replace with new packing according to the manufacturer s instructions.

On a new water valve this almost always stops the leak. Clean the washers with a cloth and flex the neoprene to try to get it supple again. Don t use any pipe dope or plastic tape on the valve stem s threads. Faucet supply line connector hose.

If the handles are spewing liquid they need a good packing. The stem will fit but do not attempt to replace the packing. These include ball valves a type designed with a ball that s connected to a lever. Shut off the leaky valve using the handle.

I made that mistake. They re also durable and great for situations where you want easy on off function and no loss of pressure. Tighten the packing nut. If it doesn t the packing washer is probably damaged and will need replacement.

And when this happens it won t form a solid seal and will cause leaking.