Question for Those who Plumb: How do I replace this leaky valve?

We just noticed that the shutoff for the washing machine is leaking when we shut it off. It looks like the leak is coming from the packing around the valve.

It goes directly into the wall. The pipes in the basement are a little wet where they come out of the base of the wall. It hasn't been leaking for very long. Obviously, there are no individual shutoffs for these pipes down there, so I will have to shut off the whole house to change it.

The valve is 15 years old and has been used daily since we built the house.

It looks like there are threaded fittings at the bottom of the valve. Is it as simple as loosening up the nuts, removing the assembly and and then threading on a new valve, or am I going to find sweat fittings under there somewhere?

I'm assuming that this is what I need:

Looks cheap and easy. Am I correct?

Very simple. You will need to purchase a new valve, that is a popular style and it should be easy to find one. Drain down any plumbing above the valve to prevent a mess. Remove the two big flat head screws behind each hose connection and the whole thing will come off. There will be o-rings or rubber washers under the screws and under the valve. Install new valve with new rubbers (will be included with new valve). Turn water back on and check for leaks. Done. Should be like a 20min job

In reply to Woody:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3unmwstLSo

11 minutes of pure entertainment. 5 minute mark is the good part, also good was the upsell at the end.

Woody wrote: I'm assuming that this is what I need: Looks cheap and easy. Am I correct?

Is there a brand or model cast into your old valve? You probably will need to get the exact same unit. Remove the old one and take it into a real plumbing supply house, they will be able to match it no problem.

Looks like an Oatey laundry box and valve. If you get a brand other than whats there, it may not be exactly the same and may leak. Make sure the O rings are installed properly and don't get pinched. There are two big ones where the body meets the hot and cold inlets and two small ones under the screws. Real easy to pinch the big ones.

In reply to tr8todd:

Are they o-rings or hose washers?

Also, I wouldn't have thought to remove the flat head screws and just replace the top half of the valve. I would have loosened the lower connectors and changed the whole thing. Is there any advantage to doing it one way versus the other?

The bottom may be sweated on. Those are probably combination fittings that can be threaded or sweated to and most of the time if you're tying it to copper it's sweater.

dculberson wrote: The bottom may be sweated on. Those are probably combination fittings that can be threaded or sweated to and most of the time if you're tying it to copper it's sweater.

+1

That's what I've seen a few times as well. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's any way to replace this without opening up the wall.

Sweater. I just noticed that autocorrect. I'm leaving it.

Shut the water off to the whole house. Open all your faucets so they drains down to the lowest one. Remove hoses. Remove screws. Pull body of valve off. Those threaded pieces you see for the hot and cold inlet either are sweated on to copper tube or there are PEX connectors attached to them inside the wall. You don't need to touch them, but if they are loose thru the knockout in the box, there is a slim chance they can drop down into the wall. Replace big O rings. The old ones will probably stay inside the valve body but may stay on the nipples. Don't leave the old ones in there. Same thing with the little o rings under the screws. They almost never leak from the O rings except in the beginning if they are pinched. They always start leaking around the packing on the part of the handle that passes inside the valve. They all have O rings, but some have flat fiber washers under the screws. Hose washer are inside the washing machine hoses and you should change those while you are in there. In fact, inspect those hoses and replace if they are older than 5 years. You don't want to fix a drip and cause a flood.

It has been replaced.

The bottom fittings were sweat fittings. I removed the top screws and the valve assembly needed some persuasion to break free. Minor snag was the discovery that the new flat head screws were not the same thread pitch as the old ones. Fortunately, I discovered this before stripping out the brass sweat fittings.

All things considered, not too bad, just one of the minor PITAs of home ownership. Naturally, the problem presented itself 15 minutes after Home Depot closed for the night.

Just be glad that valve wasn't attached to something called a Porsche.

tr8todd wrote: Just be glad that valve wasn't attached to something called a Porsche.

Then it would be an oil valve and not a water valve.

In reply to Woody:

Danbury Home Depot was open a solid hour longer than the one in Trumbull the one night it mattered to me. I cleaned out the plumbing aisle 10 minutes before closing one night when our water line to the fridge in our old house developed a leak.

I'm surprised 24 hour Home Depots aren't more popular. I used to end up at the one in Flushing at least once a month for something.

When I was building my house, there was one that was open to eleven or midnight. It wasn't close, but I was there all the time.