Leak

My water heater has a shutoff valve that has a leak. The valve has the standard red, circular, metal handle that you turn to open or close and it is leaking by the threads. It has a steady drip. Is it possible to replace the washer or do we replace the whole thing?

quickstep said:

My water heater has a shutoff valve that has a leak. The valve has the standard red, circular, metal handle that you turn to open or close and it is leaking by the threads. It has a steady drip. Is it possible to replace the washer or do we replace the whole thing?

Click to expand...

What threads?, if this is the pipe coming into the valve you will have to remove the valve and repair or replace. Lots of luck.

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"If all else fails, read the directions"

gate valve? leave it 95% open and leave it alone.

Red handle? Circular like "almost circular, with a lot of bumps to give your fingers some grip"? Must be a gate valve. They are last century's technology, and they have two big problems. One is they leak often, by a little amount. The other is that they can get stuck permanently in the open position.

Did you recently turn it off and open it? That can cause a short-term leak that might go away within a matter of days. Leave it in the open position without forcing it to the end, and then don't touch it for several days. Don't fiddle with it. Tape it so no-one else can "adjust it" If the water in the bucket is still rising after a week, you have a long-term leak, not a temporary leak.

assuming your red handle valves are like mine were and my information is accurate. My building was built in 1982 and there were hundreds of these installed then, and all the other condo owners have discussed this with me and others.

David

Are you talking about the threads that the valve screws onto or something else?

Sounds like a "Red & White" valve.

Are you sure it's not at the packing gland?

Geniescience pretty well nailed it. Yes, I did recently fiddle with it and it looks like it has been there quite a while.

Chunk it and put in a ball valve.

Which of these 2 valves does it look like

#1 http://www.azpartsmaster.com/shopazp/images/catalog/ishop/7308.jpg

Or more like this

#2
http://images.orgill.com/200x200/2017945.jpg

valve

We don't know which thread you are referring to. If it is the one under the handle, just tighten the nut a little bit. If it is where the pipe screws in, then you have a bigger problem and something has to be taken apart and repaired, or more likely, replaced.

hj, it was the one "under the handle" and tightening the nut was a fix.