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I don't know what to do. While trying to install a new kitchen faucet, we found that the water shut off valve in the basement was frozen & wouldn't budge. The city said it would have to be shut off at the main, which was under the street. They went in & said it was so old & rusted that it could not budge. So, what can I do? The house is over 100 years old, & I bought it about 10 yrs. ago. My shower has stopped working correctly, & I can't have it fixed if I can't shut off the water! I really need help. Thank you!

Peg
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    Wow! I have never heard of a city saying they cannot shut off water service to a house. The water supply for our 45-year-old tract house on a slab goes through a brass gate valve 3 ft outside the slab that is frozen open and inoperable. I think all houses in Dallas like mine have this situation. The supply then goes to the water meter underground between the sidewalk and the street curb. There is a valve on the city side of the water meter which I use to shut off water to the house. Access to the water meter is just a round cast iron cover which opens with a water meter "key". – Jim Stewart Jan 06 '17 at 10:38
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    My water valve at the meter works without excessive force needed, but in the course of helping others in the neighborhood I have encountered two cases where I couldn't budge the valve. In both cases the homeowner called the city water dept and they sent out a worker who operated the valve with a very long handled wrench and and who was willing and able to apply more force than I would or could. – Jim Stewart Jan 06 '17 at 10:44
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    I would pick a spot, on the main water line down stream of the valve in the basement that you can not turn off. I would buy crushed "dry ice" wrap it around the pipe, wait for the water in the pipe to freeze, cut the pipe after the freeze point, add a new good American made valve, not the " foreign made: ones shut off the new valve, reconnect the piping, remove the dry ice and when the water thaws your problem is solved. you now have a new shut off valve that works. For the "dry ice" you need to wear heavy gloves to protect your hands. Dry ice is about (-109 degrees f) . – d.george Jan 06 '17 at 11:40
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    If the city says they can't turn off your water, just stop paying your bill for a few months. They'll figure something out then. – Grant Jan 06 '17 at 12:26
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    @d.george Don't you risk causing the pipe to split where you applied the dry ice doing that? – Dan Is Fiddling By Firelight Jan 06 '17 at 12:31
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    No; I have never had a pipe split since the water is not trapped ahead or behind the frozen area. As the water freezes the push is along the pipe not to the pipe surface. I have frozen copper tubing/pipe thru 2" and never had a problem and it is much cheaper than a freeze kit. – d.george Jan 06 '17 at 14:21
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    Dan, I froze pipes at schools near you at Shade Central and Forest Hills. so no the pipes don't split. I was scared the first time I froze my first pipe. – d.george Jan 06 '17 at 14:28
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    I was going to post the dry ice trick but @d.george beat me to it (this should be an answer Hint, Hint,,,) The dry ice only makes a plug since the water can expand both ways the pipe is not damaged. I used to carry a device to make dry ice and a tank of Co2 when remodeling very old homes. Many Safeway stores carry Dry Ice in my area but use caution because touching it can cause instant frost bite. then for fun dump the excess in a large bowl and cover with water, I used to do this in my entry way at Halloween for the kids it makes a neat fog my kids loved. P.S. works on metal & plastic pipe. – Ed Beal Jan 06 '17 at 14:29
  • @JimStewart Using "More Power" is extremely risky in a situation like this. You might well snap off the valve rather than close it, and since the city already said their valve is frozen, you'd get a free indoor swimming pool in short order. – Carl Witthoft Jan 06 '17 at 16:29
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    The city worker applied the impressive force that closed the valve that I couldn't shut. (Water was flooding the inside of that house from a burst water heater tank.) The valve was outside in a hole in the ground, and he must have had experience in freeing stiff city valves. And if he broke it could call in a city crew to deal with that. I am not recommending to the homeowner here that she use more force than is advisable on the valve in her basement. Although it is possible that a plumber could shut the valve. Of course, it could then jam in the closed position. – Jim Stewart Jan 06 '17 at 17:05
  • How are you going to install a new valve, which often requires being brazed on, without melting the frozen plug? – whatsisname Jan 06 '17 at 17:24
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    you freeze a spot in the pipe about 12" long and solder about 6" past the freeze – d.george Jan 06 '17 at 18:55
  • @d.george this really should be an answer copy and paste the comment into a answer so you get the credit. whatsisname It works even with having to sweat copper just fine. I have done this many times also including to add shut off valves to plastic pipe where there was none before. – Ed Beal Jan 06 '17 at 19:21
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    Possible duplicate of any sort of inflatable cork to plug pipe when shutoff valve is being repaired – Mazura Jan 06 '17 at 22:59
  • d.george already answered this question ^^. But wait, what if you had a burst pipe? You get to sue the city after your house gets flooded for a few days? I'd be back on the phone right quick, screaming my head off. They should be the ones coming out, freezing pipes and replacing their valve. What did they say, you're SOL or they're "working on it" ? – Mazura Jan 06 '17 at 23:07
  • "homeowner called the city water dept and they sent out a worker who operated the valve with a very long handled wrench and and who was willing and able to [either break the valve or get it to turn and] apply more force than I would or could" - Go buy a water key and a 6' pipe wrench, and be prepared to have a swimming pool as a lawn for a while. Or ask them to not send the B crew this time. – Mazura Jan 06 '17 at 23:22
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    @d.george, take it from my years of experience, you'll want to learn to copy and paste. They let you move from crawling to walking online. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c66pvfilotA – isherwood Jan 10 '17 at 21:50

1 Answers1

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The main cause of valves becoming stuck is when they are opened fully and left there. The correct way is to open them fully and then close them half a turn or so.

This enables a little 'wiggle' room for the valve when it slowly becomes stuck again over the years. A valve stuck hard against the stops is very difficult to persuade to move again.

On stuck valves I always use a penetrating lube the day before, WD40 or such like. Try a little gentle tapping around the valve with a timber stick at the same time as trying to 'rock' the valve back and forth.

Some valve designs have a nut which can be slightly loosened to relieve pressure on the seal/washer etc. Be prepared for some small weeping/leaking when the valve finally moves.

Use extra leverage like wrenches at your peril, you might get away with it or it could go horribly wrong...

handyman
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