Shutting off the water to a faucet, toilet or entire house is the first step to almost any plumbing repair. If you don’t turn the shutoff valve a few times each year, mineral deposits from the water can build up on the valve and cause it to stick. Discovering a stuck plumbing shutoff can be a frustrating beginning to a plumbing project, but it doesn’t spell disaster. Don’t force the handle, which may be delicate and can break under pressure. Instead, approach the problem more delicately.
1
Locate the bonnet nut, which is behind the valve handle on the stem that attaches it to the pipe. Lay a folded towel under the valve and bonnet nut to soak up any water that drips as you work.
2
Fit an adjustable wrench over the bonnet nut. Turn the nut a few millimeters counterclockwise. Loosen it just enough to create a little slack in the valve mechanism. Expect it to begin to leak.
3
Turn the valve using a shutoff valve wrench. These wrenches are specifically designed for this job, with an oval-shaped depression in the body of the tool that fits neatly over shutoff valves. If the valve doesn’t turn easily with the wrench, loosen the bonnet nut a few hairs further and try again.
4
Tighten the bonnet nut with the adjustable wrench until it stops leaking.
Things You Will Need
- Towel
- Adjustable wrench
- Shutoff valve wrench
Tip
- Open and close the shutoff valve a few times a year to keep it in smooth working order.
- Don’t wait until you have a plumbing emergency to try to turn the shutoff valve. Make sure you know where it is and how it works before you need it.