How To Fix A Leaking Shut-Off Valve
It's no secret that plumbing issues can be costly and time-consuming to fix. One such issue that often goes overlooked is a leaking shut-off water valve. If left unchecked, a leaky shut-off water valve can cause significant damage to your home, so it's important to know how to fix it as soon as possible.
As a tenant, you know that it's important to keep the water shut-off valves in your home working properly. Leaking water shut-off valves can cause all sorts of problems, from flooding to structural damage. It is your responsibility to check and fix any leaking water shut-off valves throughout your tenancy.
You’ll find many examples of what to do to fix your leaking shut-off valves, but here is a general guide that you can use. Check out the video and the step-by-step guide below.
To fix a leaking shut-off valve, you'll need a spanner and the following steps:
First, turn off the water supply to your entire home at the mains water valve. Be sure to ask in advance so you will not have a problem locating it when there is a leaking emergency such as this.
Loosen the bonnet nut on the leaky shut-off valve with a spanner. Just loosen it enough so that you can see water dripping out. Otherwise, if you loosen the bonnet nut too much, water will gush out and make quite a mess.
Then do the following steps:
- Check the o-ring and the black rubber gasket. Is any one of them damaged or worn out? If yes, it’s time to replace the worn-out item. If not, then they’re good; they’re not the source of the leak.
- Pull the nut back to expose the valve's threaded spindle. Check the integrity of the packing around the spindle. Is it still whole or is it degraded and bunched up? If yes, remove and wrap PTFE around the spindle
- Then, place the bonnet nut back and hand-tighten it.
- Take the spanner and tighten the bonnet nut but do not over-tighten it.
Once these steps are done, turn on the mains water valve to let the water back into the pipes. Then, go back and check the shut-off valve you fixed for any leaking. If needed, tighten the bonnet nut but not too much. Other than that, your shut-off valve should be good and not leaking anymore.
Shut-off valves are an important part of your home's plumbing system, and when they start to leak, they can cause a lot of damage. If you're experiencing a shut-off valve leak, follow these simple steps and get it fixed in a short time.
However, if working on your leaking shut-off valves doesn't fix the problem then please contact us on 02071508844 and we will be able to send out a contractor. However, if it is found that it falls under your responsibility as a tenant then you will be charged for the work.
Reminder That You May Be Charged - Where our contractor has arranged a time with you to attend and you postpone, cancel, or don't show up or where it is your fault for the appointment not proceeding you will be responsible for paying the call-out charge for the contractor and potentially any restocking fee for parts. Where the fault, issue or damage, is put down to your or other tenants, permitted occupiers, or guests' actions, you will be responsible for paying for the repair. These terms are already part of your Tenancy Agreement.