How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

Imagine that your faucet in the bathroom or kitchen is leaking, and you are not able to turn off the water. The cold water supply ball valve, which is placed at the beginning of your distribution from the house riser, does not close completely. Common situation? Surely many who found themselves in it, in a panic, called the management company, called bulletin boards, or simply looked through their friends for a plumber who could cope with this task.
In fact, this phenomenon is not so rare. And this despite the fact that modern ball valves are practically the crown of plumbing thought. Their use is practically standardized. No home or apartment wiring is complete without ball valves for cold and hot water. What is the matter then and why do such emergencies still happen? Let's figure it out together.
How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

Ball valve device


The base of the tap is a polished brass ball with a through hole and a shaped recess for the stem. This type of crane can rotate within 90 degrees. The movement of the ball inside the body is softened by fluoroplastic or Teflon gaskets called seats.The rod is sealed by a pressure bushing with an external thread and a nut at the end. The valve body can be solid or divided into two parts connected by threads. Most often it is made from brass, choosing a thickness for the walls with a margin of safety. But there are also cheap models. Their body is made of silumin or lightweight brass, on which the manufacturer simply saved money.
How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

Method of resuscitation of a ball valve


To be fair, we warn you in advance that this option does not provide a 100% guarantee of restoring the operation of the ball valve. However, this is really the most correct path to follow before replacing it.
To begin with, you should try to design a faucet valve by hand. If the result is zero, do not force the faucet and use pliers or adjustable wrenches for this, turning the butterfly handle to the bend with force. This can only make things worse, because you may not know what the faucet itself is made of - high-quality brass or cheap silumin. The latter, by the way, breaks down once or twice, as soon as you touch it with some kind of lever, and very quickly turns the bathroom and entire apartments into a pool of cold water.
How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

So, unscrew the euro nut and remove the butterfly handle. Below it is the top of the valve stem. Some taps have a pressure sleeve for a hexagon, which presses on the seal inside the tap. If the rod turns with difficulty, this bushing must be slightly loosened.
How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

Next, using an adjustable wrench, carefully and slowly develop the rod, turning it from side to side. In this case, you should not make sudden movements, otherwise you risk breaking the rod or ball, which will lead to complete breakdown and jamming of the faucet valve.
How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

During this procedure, light streaks of water may form at the top of the faucet.This is a normal phenomenon considering that the clamping sleeve is loose.
How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

To check the serviceability of the faucet, you need to place the butterfly in its seat and try to turn the valve with it. Based on the risks on the body, you will immediately see the result. If you can turn the valve all the way, tighten the clamping sleeve and put the butterfly in place.
How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

How to close a ball valve if it is stuck

Practical advice


To avoid getting into a situation where the faucet is coked by lime or metal deposits, you need to turn it on 1-2 times a month, turning the valve to the maximum level.
Use only high-quality locking hardware from trusted manufacturers. Do not skimp on items such as ball valves, because their breakdown can be very expensive.
If you doubt your plumbing abilities, keep the phone number of a familiar plumber ready, who can help you out in difficult times and replace a faulty ball valve without fatal consequences.

Watch the video


come back
Comment
  • bowtiesmilelaughingblushsmileyrelaxed relaxedsmirk
    heart_eyeskissing_heartkissing_closed_eyesflushedrelievedsatisfiedgrin
    winkstuck_out_tongue_winking_eyestuck_out_tongue_closed_eyesgrinningkissingstuck_out_tonguesleeping
    worriedfrowninganguishedopen_mouthgrimacingconfusedhushed
    expressionlessunamusedsweat_smilesweatdisappointed_relievedwearypassive
    disappointedconfoundedfearfulcold_sweatperseverecrysob
    joyastonishedscreamtired_faceangryragetriumph
    sleepyyummasksunglassesdizzy_faceimpsmiling_imp
    neutral_faceno_mouthinnocent
3+three=
Comments (24)
  1. Guest Victor
    #1 Guest Victor Guests 30 March 2018 18:21
    14
    Thank you for the interesting material about the Ball Valve...I tried to carve channels inside the Ball Valve (right in the shutter Ball) to form an Ionic water channel, which, according to the plan, was supposed to enrich Water with cations.. It came up at the experimental stage. I don’t know how to turn on ion channels, from the general potential Minus. What I mean is that not everything is lost - with the Shutter Ball .. It seems conservative, but very
    reliable..
    1. Gregory
      #2 Gregory Guests 31 March 2018 18:46
      11
      And everything worked out for me. Contact us.
    2. Nestor
      #3 Nestor Guests 4 December 2022 19:59
      6
      As for reliability, you greatly exaggerated. And you can’t even compare it with a brass valve - it’s reliable. But because of brass, China and Europe abandoned the nickname
  2. Andrey from Karelia
    #4 Andrey from Karelia Guests 1 April 2018 21:48
    23
    FIRST, WHICH SPECIALIST INSTALLED THE VALVE WRONG. Secondly, it’s all good if everything happens at the dacha and not on the upper floors, if something goes wrong, it will be 100 times cheaper to have a specialist install a new valve. And thirdly, call the emergency service, what do you have? leak to the valve and upon arrival, agree on a replacement and then do whatever you want, I’ll work on this stupid thing... I’ve seen enough, everyone wants to save in any way. Why risk it, as the author advises, since it’s jammed, it means the time for replacement has come because it’s overgrown sediments and so often it was blocked about 7 years ago.
  3. Jamshut
    #5 Jamshut Guests 2 April 2018 21:52
    8
    You can also try it with ultrasound)))
  4. Guest Vladimir
    #6 Guest Vladimir Guests 3 April 2018 15:04
    13
    To maintain the surface of the ball, the valve must be fully open. In this case, the surface has no contact with the medium.
    Does it talk about some kind of valve? A valve is not a faucet at all, so don’t confuse them.
  5. Guest Vladimir
    #7 Guest Vladimir Guests 3 April 2018 15:32
    6
    When installing a ball valve, be sure to drop some oil into the stem and tighten it. It will spin smoothly for a long time and you won’t have to use an adjustable wrench. And most importantly, the tap must be fully open.
  6. Plumber
    #8 Plumber Guests 6 April 2018 14:58
    9
    Turn the taps at least a couple of times a month and everything will be fine.
  7. Ramils
    #9 Ramils Guests April 8, 2018 09:57
    13
    Everything is much simpler.
    If a ball valve is stuck, you can unstick it with water. If hot water comes through the faucet, pour cold, ice-cold water over the faucet. When exposed to cold, materials, especially heat-conducting brass, quickly shrink in size, making it easier to open the tap.
    If the tap is for cold water, you need to pour hot water over the tap. The details will expand. Then pour ice water over it. The tap should open easily.
    Universal method: Water a jammed faucet with any water, either hot or cold, 10 times. This will “loose” the structure of the faucet.
  8. Alexander
    #10 Alexander Guests 10 April 2018 08:43
    22
    That’s why there is nothing better than a Soviet crane. Yes, I agree, it’s not beautiful or attractive, but in terms of reliability it can’t be compared with all this Chinese bullshit.
    1. Nestor
      #11 Nestor Guests 4 December 2022 20:02
      4
      Truly so. AND THERE IS NO NEED TO TURN HERE AND HERE ONCE A MONTH AND A WOMAN CAN BLOCK IT - NO FORCE NEEDED
  9. Guest Andrey
    #12 Guest Andrey Guests 12 April 2018 15:07
    22
    Is the Soviet crane reliable??? With its eternal leakage it is reliable.... How old are you, young man? You've probably only seen Soviet things in movies.

    PS Place a normal Italy, and not a butterfly, but with a lever. And there will be no problems. And open and close regularly, of course.
    1. put Finnish.
      #13 put Finnish. Guests 21 May 2018 14:53
      6
      real Finnish quality..Our faucet with thermostat has been in operation for 26 years. price 120 USD now 10 tr. during this time 3 thousand. It took probably about ten Chinese ones without a thermostat. and still work on replacement.
      the economy should be economical
    2. Nestor
      #14 Nestor Guests 4 December 2022 20:05
      1
      Impregnate the oil seal with grease once and for all. And use a nut to tighten the oil seal if it leaks. That's all. And your erotic back and forth is not a panacea, if the ball is a Chinese iron one in the tap
  10. Guest Alexey
    #15 Guest Alexey Guests 25 April 2018 21:21
    14
    Warm up the faucet with a regular hairdryer.