you know, the valves under the sink. They are both stuck (open,
fortunately). Is this a common problem? What is the solution? How do you
prevent this from happening?

On Sat, 29 Mar 2014 07:35:01 -0700, "Pico Rico"
wrote:

you know, the valves under the sink. They are both stuck (open,
fortunately). Is this a common problem? What is the solution? How do you
prevent this from happening?


One way to _help_ prevent them from sticking is to keep them
partially closed after install - say 1/8 of a turn. This allows them
to be opened a tad before being closed the next time. IOW, never keep
them fully opened.

On 3/29/2014 9:47 AM, Oren wrote:
On Sat, 29 Mar 2014 07:35:01 -0700, "Pico Rico"
wrote:

you know, the valves under the sink. They are both stuck (open,
fortunately). Is this a common problem? What is the solution? How do you
prevent this from happening?


One way to _help_ prevent them from sticking is to keep them
partially closed after install - say 1/8 of a turn. This allows them
to be opened a tad before being closed the next time. IOW, never keep
them fully opened.


Another, seemingly obvious way (though it takes some self-discipline) is
to USE them, at least quarterly.

They "lock up" due to formation of mineral deposits from the water. As
moss does not grow on a rolling stone...g

Oren wrote:
On Sat, 29 Mar 2014 07:35:01 -0700, "Pico Rico"
wrote:

you know, the valves under the sink. They are both stuck (open,
fortunately). Is this a common problem? What is the solution? How do you
prevent this from happening?


One way to _help_ prevent them from sticking is to keep them
partially closed after install - say 1/8 of a turn. This allows them
to be opened a tad before being closed the next time. IOW, never keep
them fully opened.

Hi,
Ditto, I never open it fully. On any valve for that matter.
I'd try to turn it with good leverage using a vise grip
pliers. Worst rreplace it with a ball valve.

On Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:38:19 -0600, Tony Hwang
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Sat, 29 Mar 2014 07:35:01 -0700, "Pico Rico"
wrote:

you know, the valves under the sink. They are both stuck (open,
fortunately). Is this a common problem? What is the solution? How do you
prevent this from happening?


One way to _help_ prevent them from sticking is to keep them
partially closed after install - say 1/8 of a turn. This allows them
to be opened a tad before being closed the next time. IOW, never keep
them fully opened.

Hi,
Ditto, I never open it fully. On any valve for that matter.
I'd try to turn it with good leverage using a vise grip
pliers. Worst rreplace it with a ball valve.

Good leverage is when ya don't break sumpin

Ball valves are the way to go when replacing an angle-stop valve under
the sinks or toilets.

I put a 3/4 inch one on my water heater. The rest of my house is PEX &
manifold, no angle valve at fixtures and not used. Turn each fixture
off at the manifold. Putting one on my water heater was a job well
done and necessary after I had an emergency. (my plan was to add it
after the next WH change)
--
Definition of a camel: A horse designed by a committee

On Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:02:17 -0500, Unquestionably Confused
wrote:

They "lock up" due to formation of mineral deposits from the water. As
moss does not grow on a rolling stone...g

Imagine that!

I have been replacing all my valves with ball valves over time. makes futture service much easier

A large pair of pliers should help. Try rocking the valve back and forth a tiny amount, gradually increasing theamount of rock. You can be a bit more vigorous if the valve stem is metal rather than the really cheap plastic that is becoming more common these days.

Pico:
Check that the packing nut under the handle of the valve hasn't been overtightened. There's a rubber disk packing under that packing nut, and if someone has overtightened the packing nut, the rubber will grip the stem of the valve and prevent it from turning.

Try loosening that packing nut, and if it feels like it's been tightened down hard with a wrench, that's the problem. It should only be tight enough to prevent water from leaking out between the stem and the packing nut when you open or close the valve.

Someone said that you should replace these "R19" valves with a small ball valve, and I have to disagree with that advice. If you had a small ball valve soldered into place there, then if you ever wanted to unsolder that ball valve from the copper piping, you'd have to find a way to drain the water out of the pipe behind the valve. Normally, water shut off valves allow you to stop water flow in a pipe, but they won't allow you to drain the water out of the pipe downstream of the valve unless you have a drain on your water shut off valve.

With an R19 compression stop, if you have a shut off valve up stream somewhere, you can close that shut off valve, and then remove the stem from the R19 compression stop, and stick a 1/8 inch vinyl hose into the valve and down the supply piping and siphon or just plain suck the water out of the supply piping. That way, you can unsolder the valve if you need to.

If you soldered a small ball valve in instead, you have to figure out how to get the water out from behind that ball valve to unsolder it, and you simply might not be able to do that without cutting the supply pipe.

You use these valves so infrequently, that having a ball valve there instead of a compression stop isn't really much of a convenience.

Oren posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP


On Sat, 29 Mar 2014 10:02:17 -0500, Unquestionably Confused
rolling stone...g
Bob Dylan

Imagine that!
Beatles


--
Tekkie