The ball valve is jammed - I’m sharing a method that helped turn off the water
I recently made a discovery for myself: if the ball edge is jammed, you need to use pliers to turn not the handle, but the packing nut and rod. The method was suggested by a familiar plumber. I'll tell you the details.
A simple solution to the problem
We all know that after a certain time the taps begin to jam. It is enough not to turn the handle for 7-8 months, and problems will already arise. Salts dissolved in water become sour, and the parts of the water tap become rusty.
What do they usually do in such a situation? That's right, turn the valve with pliers. It seems that the more force you apply, the faster the faucet will give way. No. In practice, the handle most often breaks off. The last time I managed to completely tear off the tap. Therefore, when the next jam occurred, I decided to consult a plumber I knew. This is what he advised me:
To resuscitate a soggy faucet, you need to remove the handle. Under it there is a clamping nut that compresses the seal. It is necessary to loosen it a little and twist the rod in different directions (work it out).
How to twist and what to twist - detailed instructions
For those who are unfamiliar with the design of a ball valve, I suggest studying the drawing:
As can be seen in the diagram, a ball valve is an extremely simple design. The shutter ball blocks the flow of water, blocking the cross section. The rotation of the ball occurs due to the torsion of the rod, which is inserted into the groove. Nuts, bushings and seals prevent water leakage.
Thus, it becomes clear that the pen is the “tip of the iceberg”. Acidification occurs inside the structure. You need to disassemble it a little in order to act directly on the jammed elements. But it is important not to overdo it.
What to do if the tap is jammed (how to open or close):
- The first step is to remove the handle. Unscrew the fastening nut and remove the handle (butterfly) from the rod.
- We try to twist the rod with pliers. No need to use brute force. We twist it a little in different directions.
- If the rod does not fit, look for the clamping nut. In the picture it is number 3. We loosen it a little, literally half a turn, no more.
- After this, the oil seal will straighten a little, and water may begin to leak. It's not scary.
- We wrap the pliers around the rod again and slightly twist it in different directions.
- After a certain time it will begin to give in. I spent about 3 minutes developing it.
- Tighten the clamping nut back the same half turn. Screw on the handle.
- The tap can now be opened or closed. It will work as it should.
It’s worth warning right away: if the ball edge is cheap, Chinese (made of silumin, with a thin jacket), then attempts to develop it will lead to a flood. It will simply burst, and a stream of water will rush in all directions. It's not very pleasant, especially if it's a stream of hot water.
Lubricant to make the task easier
In case the parts are stuck tightly and do not want to turn, lubricant will come in handy. You need to lubricate the clamping nut with it and wait a couple of minutes. It is best to use special silicone grease for these purposes. If it is not there, you can use VD-40.
At the end I will add: before starting to “reanimate” the tap, it is better to turn off the water, if possible. When designing a crane, there is always a risk that it will permanently break.Personally, I do not recommend dealing with old, completely rusted taps, or with cheap Chinese ones. It is better to replace them immediately.
They say about me that I am “Kulibin”, so I do all the home repair and maintenance work myself. As they say, hands are inserted at the right end! )))
The right ending, but in the wrong direction!))
Kulibin: if you switch it two or three times a year, then the article is unnecessary.....
And if there is no packing nut??? what to do? It’s a disaster
the seal only works when the tap is switched, the main pressure holds the ball so it’s not scary
“if the ball edge is cheap, Chinese”... Are there often others? Yes, they won’t rust.
Most ball valves, no matter who the manufacturer, are junk. There is nothing better than the old brass screw ones. I’m writing this as a working plumber with extensive experience.
To prevent it from sticking, you need to open and close it at least once every six months
You cannot regulate the water pressure with a ball valve; it must be either open or closed; if you try to regulate the water pressure, there will be problems with closing and leakage through the seal
Once a month, for example, when writing off the meter, close and open the tap, and it will not tolerate it. Plumber's advice.
What does “will not tolerate” mean?
Twist at least 2 times a year...
VD 40 will help you.
First you need to buy a normal faucet. Not Chinese crap. The ball blocking the passage of liquid should be steel, not an alloy, and then everything will be great.
Don't touch the pliers!!! Turn with an open-end or adjustable wrench!
By loosening the nut, the rod will rise, the engagement with the ball will decrease, when you try to turn, the engagement will fail (the weakest point in the ball valve), you will turn the groove in the bronze rod, the entire valve will be scrapped, this will not make the coating on the ball disappear. on the contrary, you need to tighten it a little and very carefully try to rotate the rod in both directions, literally a little at a time, in order to break the coating on the ball, but there is a possibility of damaging the O-rings. Good luck everyone! Yes, that's right, not with pliers.
Let the author of the article study, in addition to the design of the crane, this explanation, which clearly explains the essence of the problem and the method of solving it.
Once every two months, the tap needs to be “opened and closed” and then it will not “sour”... that’s all.
Yes, for a long time now there have been no nuts on good taps!
The ball must be brass
The advice is certainly interesting. Especially regarding pliers. They can easily tear off the edges of the rod and therefore it is better to use a small adjustable wrench.
So many tips, well, if you turn off the water, wouldn’t it be easier to replace a soggy tap?
What if this tap turns off the water?
turn off the tap in the basement and calmly change yours.
You can’t block it in the basement, and if you block it, they’ll cut off your head XKH!!! Did you pay them money to disconnect? No! Lay your head on a stump!!!
What does “will not tolerate” mean?
It looks like the author wanted to write “it won’t stick.”
Thanks a lot for the advice! All clear. Before calling a plumber, you can try to fix everything yourself.
Better get married
There is no need to move anything. Turn off the riser and change the valve itself.
1) The tap jams more often if it is closed for a long time, and the stem has nothing to do with it. Deposits build up on the ball itself and prevent it from rotating to the open position.
2) If the tap is located at a branch from the riser, I would prefer to contact the management company. I will resuscitate the rest myself. First turn off the tap on the outlet from the riser))
A faucet that jams within six months is most likely Chinese crap. In my private house there are Chikomini wells. Five years already. Even their handles begin to fall apart, but the mechanism itself works.
Do not touch without turning off the water in the riser. If you cannot loosen the ball by hand, then contact your exerciser. company. This faucet must be replaced. Buy VALTEK or BUGATTI. Pure brass, long lasting taps.
Do not touch without turning off the water in the riser. If you cannot loosen the ball by hand, then contact your exerciser. company. This faucet must be replaced. Buy VALTEK or BUGATTI. Pure brass, long lasting taps.
Installing a ball valve on water is generally nonsense; if this cannot be avoided, then it is better to install a plastic one.
Installing a ball valve on water is generally nonsense; if this cannot be avoided, then it is better to install a plastic one.
And the best thing is to change your head
100500!!!!!!
Five years ago I installed a similar faucet with good cold water, opened and closed it twice a year, took it a week ago and fell apart in the whole place, good thing I wasn’t on shift, it cost a little blood (the laminate in the hallway sucked) like water was not present on the floor for long, apparently the laminate is of the same quality as the faucet
Select a ball valve with a so-called reinforced body, thick-walled, machined from a whole brass blank (usually written on a piece of paper for the valve). Usually they put it on heating. The case will definitely not fall apart. It’s better if it has a lever rather than a “butterfly” - it’s more convenient and easier when closing and opening. And yes, once every two to three months, you need to open and close the tap several times to prevent souring, especially in cold water, and it will work for years. In the private sector, where there are a lot of iron salts and other salts in the water, and there is no cleaning system, the tap will still have to be changed much more often.
There are stainless steel ball valves.
Install a traditional faucet and this problem will not exist. The main problem with a ball valve is the ball.
Don't install Chinese and you will be happy!!!!
Complete nonsense and misinformation! If one tap tap is jammed, it’s a fake Chinese fake! You should replace the tap itself with a branded one! By the way, correct ball valves never jam and have an unlimited service life - up to 10,000 switchings! Trying to loosen the seal and jam the tap will not lead to the result, but will lead to an accident with global flooding of an apartment or apartments! Now estimate the cost of replacing the faucet and the cost of repairing flooded apartments! Is everything clear?
Not all taps have seals.......
Not all ball valves have a gland nut.
My problem is not that the tap is sour, but simply that my mother’s hands are weak - she cannot open any butterfly tap. And there are practically no taps on sale with a long handle. It helps to make a butterfly handle extension from mounting plates connected by bolts and a long bolt as a handle. Makes the process much easier. If the tap is jammed tightly, then of course the option of extending the handle is not suitable. But this is no longer a question of weak hands.
I poured it in and waited a bit. And the tap closed quite easily.