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Replacing shut-off valves (also known as supply valves), whether it's for a liquid or gas system, can be a simple procedure as long equally yous have the right tools and act logically and slowly. Familiarize yourself with the system yous're working with and ringlet upwardly your sleeves. You ready?

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  1. ane

    Obtain a replacement valve. The valve you buy should be an verbal match to the sometime valve in terms of size, thread and type.[1] Remember, pinch fittings and atomic number 26 pipage fittings are not interchangeable. If you are not able to close everything off and remove the valve to accept it with you to the hardware store, and so try to take some measurements or photos of information technology.

  2. 2

    Gather the proper tools. [2] Supply valves under the sink typically tin be removed with a crescent, open-end wrench or channel-lock pliers. Bigger valves will need a pipe wrench, also every bit some other wrench to hold the pipe and 1 to turn the valve. Proper tools volition foreclose yous from damaging the fixtures, or causing an injury. Take the fourth dimension to discover them.

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  3. iii

    Shut off the adjacent valve up the line. Locate the valve that is closer to the supply than the one you want to shut off. This might be the hot water heater, the house h2o shut-off in the business firm, or the primary close-off at the meter. Gas valves typically have some other shut-off in the proximity of the valve before y'all get to the main. Twist this valve into the off position. If y'all've located the right one, this should prevent water or gas from gushing out of the valve you wish to supervene upon.

  4. 4

    Drain and verify the water is off. If the valve y'all shut off is located in a basement or start floor of a two-story house, the h2o above you lot must bleed out. Nearly systems are not airtight enough to agree back the leftover h2o. Start draining the organization, and wait a few minutes for everything to go out. If the water is still gushing strongly later that, you haven't turned off the valve.

    • If y'all take a flooring above you, go exterior and open up an exterior faucet if those faucets come straight from the house. At present the h2o will run outside and not into your cabinet or floor.
    • If yous're replacing a valve on a faucet, open it up. This volition help become the h2o out of the pipes yous're working effectually.

  5. v

    Remove the former valve. With the proper wrench, remove the valve that you're going to replace. Watch the pipage you are threading it off of and brand sure the pipe doesn't twist. If it does, you need to put another wrench on the piping.

  6. half-dozen

    Use the proper pipe articulation compound to the pipe threads. [3] This volition vary depending on the pipe. Inquire for help at your local hardware store if you're unsure. Most valves don't crave pipe compound, only you lot should audit the o ring if it is a flexible line. If it is a gas flex line, a little pipage compound needs to be applied to the flare part of the fitting, just at the stop of the contumely fitting, higher up the threads.

  7. seven

    Install the new valve. Tighten with wrench until it is snug and in the proper location for the supply line.

  8. eight

    Plough the new valve off. Brand certain it'southward twisted deeply into the off position earlier proceeding to the adjacent step.

  9. 9

    Plow off any drains. Go dorsum to the faucets you lot opened to drain the arrangement and turn them into the off position. Yous don't desire h2o gushing from them every bit presently as you turn the h2o back on.

  10. ten

    Turn the water or gas back on.

  11. 11

    Check for leaks at the valve. At that place are different ways to exercise this depending on whether y'all're working with a liquid or gas system.

    • If you lot're checking for water leaks, wipe the valve completely dry with a towel. Then, plow on the faucet or appliance and permit it run for a few minutes. If you see new droplets of h2o forming on the valve, you have a leak.
    • For a gas line, apply soapy h2o to all fittings and wait for bubbles.[4] Tighten if needed, and re-check with soapy water. Instead of soapy h2o, you lot tin apply a commercial compound that will cheque for gas leaks. These are sold at hardware stores.

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Add New Question

  • Question

    I need to modify my bathroom wing valve in my condo. Can I change information technology without shutting off the building water line?

    Community Answer

    Maybe. Yous should call the condo clan. There very well may be a unit shut-off that won't affect any other units. The clan may also have a pre-canonical plumber that MUST be used (ordinarily they've done work in the past without issue and have been confirmed to be competitively priced, licensed, and insured).

  • Question

    My isolation valve that feeds the home looks like a tap rather than the gate valve. It appears to take gotten stuck and therefore I am unable to close off the h2o. How can I loosen the shut off valve in order to carry out some piece of work?

    Community Answer

    Call your water utility and have them break it and replace it or get it operational. Information technology's free (function of what you lot pay for) and usually tin be taken care of adjacent mean solar day, if not same day.

  • Question

    I need to replace the hot h2o valve for my washing machine. How do I go it off to supervene upon?

    Steve

    Many appliances incorporate an all-in-one piece of hardware that contains both hot and common cold water valves. You'll need to decide the part needed based of the manufacturer, model, and perhaps series number. Many newer appliances employ a printed circuit board that operates the valves to produce hot, warm and cold water launder/rinse cycles, and this may be the cause of the lack of water, non the valve itself. The valve will be the least-expensive part to replace. The circuit board can run into the hundreds of dollars to buy.

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  • At that place are several types of piping joint compound. Make sure you have the right one for your awarding.

  • Remember ahead. Don't do this if you lot need water right away and the store closes in an hr. If y'all have the wrong size or break something else, y'all now accept all the water close off and you won't even exist able to become a drink.

  • Use the proper tools. If y'all're replacing the supply valve because you bankrupt the handle past using wire cutters, get get the right tools. This is one of those unproblematic jobs that will mess a lot of things upwardly if yous try to take curt cuts.

  • The valves are size and thread specific. You must exchange one for one, apples for apples.

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Safety Tips

If your going to supersede a shutoff valve at your house for a gas line, here is some rubber tips you must follow to avoid loss in human being & holding; You lot must isolate the main line before the Metering Gauge at your house. Then vent the trapped gas betwixt the main shutoff valve and the damaged one or if at that place is any provision of a venting valve on downstream of metering gauge. (Note: If there is no provision of venting valve: When venting trapped gas make sure to vent from the downstream of the metering estimate past losing the union on the gas line before it enters the house. As we at present Natural Gas is heaver than air. The venting must be to an open up surface area or volition ventilated.). Avert whatsoever static charges occurrence, whatever spark ignition engine in the area or any estrus source. From a safety point of view when working on gas line; Information technology is a must to apply a not-spark tools or a spark free hand tools, like cupper alloy spanners or loftier quality PVC spanners.

Always, understand the process of your maintenance telescopic of piece of work and remember that Safe Offset.

  • Gas valves are not actually dangerous, but you must be conscientious to shut off the valve backside the one you desire to replace. You lot can imagine what might happen if you lot didn't shut the valve off and so remove the one you desire and go to the store to get a new valve.

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Things Yous'll Need

  • Correct wrenches or pliers
  • Teflon tape or pipe joint chemical compound
  • Replica of valve you are replacing
  • Towels or soapy water (for checking leaks)

References

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