Help: new stop & waste valve leaking in unexpected place

[Jay Aubuchon]

One of my sons-in-law just installed a new stop & waste valve. It is leaking in a place that seems unexpected.

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If you look carefully, you can see that it is weeping at the seam just to the right of the hex portion. Any thoughts? Can that be taken apart?

Disclaimer: if the subfloor above looks charred, that would have been done by some previous plumber. No soldering was done in place on this job.

[Jerry Bruette]

I don't know of any internal replaceable parts available for ball valves. I'd keep an eye on it and it may "heal" itself, if not I think it'll have to be replaced.

[Paul F Franklin]

The end cap with the hex on it can be unscrewed from the valve body. That's how the valve is assembled in the first place. They are usually very tight and hard to disassemble. If you can budge it, you could apply some rectorseal or similar product and reassemble. Of course you will have to remove the valve to even attempt it.

[Ron Citerone]

I don't know of any internal replaceable parts available for ball valves. I'd keep an eye on it and it may "heal" itself, if not I think it'll have to be replaced.

I agree. I lean toward the replacement idea the most. I have had some valves stop a weep like Jerry suggested, I suppose the mineral deposits seal it. I would replace it and move on.

[Bill Dufour]

Never heard that term. What is it valving, black water? what pressure. How often is it cycled.
Bill D

[Lee Schierer]

Never heard that term. What is it valving, black water? what pressure. How often is it cycled.
Bill D

Some refer to that type of valve as a stop and drain valve. It allows work on plumbing down stream from the valve without shutting down the entire system.

[Jack Frederick]

I think you will be better off replacing the valve. As noted the hex portion is the part that basically crushes the valve body onto the ball. Can it be tightened? Perhaps, but you will have to be Godzilla in heat to get it to move and for the cost of a new valve, not worth fooling with.

[Bill Dufour]

Some refer to that type of valve as a stop and drain valve. It allows work on plumbing down stream from the valve without shutting down the entire system.


That is what I would call a shut off valve.
Bill D.

[Ron Citerone]

That is what I would call a shut off valve.
Bill D.

Yep! just like clamps................you can never have too many shutoff valves! ;)

[Bruce Wrenn]

That is what I would call a shut off valve.
Bill D.


Bill, if you look carefully at the picture, on the side of the valve, you will see a cap. After closing valve, you loosen it to relieve the pressure, hence the name "stop and waste.."

[Greg Funk]

You would need to disassemble that section and see if it has a replaceable o-ring. O-ring may have been damaged if too much heat was applied when soldering. Probably simplest to just replace the valve. I think the threaded section is to assist manufacturing and not intended for maintenance. There will likely be thread locker used which will make it tough to remove.

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[Kev Williams]

I've always thought of 'stop & waste' valves as the 'main' valves that are connected underground outside from a main line to homes, sprinkling systems or hydrants that automatically drain the line beyond the valve when it's shut off. I didn't know those capped valves were considered stop & waste (or drain)...

Learnt something today! :)

[Tom M King]

I would replace it with one that has female threads on both ends to avoid heat from soldering, and a union somewhere near it so the replacement can be easily changed 35 years from now. I never liked any kind of valve that has to be soldered in place.

[Jay Aubuchon]

Thanks all. The consensus is to replace it, perhaps with a better-quality valve.

Yes, it is a cutoff valve, but a particular type of cutoff valve. My father taught me to call that a stop and waste valve some 50 years ago. Plumbing supply houses seem to use that term as well. For example, Ferguson (https://www.ferguson.com/category/valves/stop-waste-valves/_/N-zbq54o).

[Bill Dufour]

No freezing issues here. I only see that type of valve used to supply water to a swamp cooler with a small copper line connected to the small capped fitting.
Bill D

[Tom M King]

With a union, and a couple of male threaded adapters soldered in place, no soldering will be needed whenever the valve needs to be replaced again.

I have second, and third owners of houses I sold over 35 years ago stop by my house and thank me, every so often for such planning. Most of them have to drive past my house to get to their lake house, which are all close to our house. One even gave us a 100 dollar gift card to a local restaurant for leaving a conduit from the road into the basement utility room with a pulling line in it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I call those type of valves as "ball valves". I refer to the other type of valves as "gate valves". To me a "stop and waste" valve is like the one I use on my irrigation sprinkler system which when you close the valve actually drains the line on the output side of the valve. My irrigation and sprinkler "stop and waste" ball valve is at a depth of 4' to prevent freezing. The line raises up shortly there after to a depth of about 8".

[Maurice Mcmurry]

When valves were made in Waterbury Connecticut we did not have this problem. Many imported valves are not up to the heat of soldering. I use tinning flux + solder and low heat if I have to solder a valve that I can't take apart. Soldering is becoming a thing of the past in drinking water systems. Lead free solder is very fussy and requires too much heat.

[Brice Rogers]

I'd suggest cutting it out and installing a pair of unions and then replace it. Or, I suppose that you could cut on the left side, unscrew the joint that is leaking and then do something to seal it. After it is thought to be sealed, then put in a slip type coupling. The slip type is the one where it can be slid up the copper pipe (no dimples or ridges to restrict it).

When I've had a fussy threaded fitting, sometimes pipe dope or teflon tape works. But when all else fails, I've used a silicon sealant liberally applied. It fills all the gaps. Let it cure then pressurize.

[Bill Dufour]

I call those type of valves as "ball valves". I refer to the other type of valves as "gate valves". To me a "stop and waste" valve is like the one I use on my irrigation sprinkler system which when you close the valve actually drains the line on the output side of the valve. My irrigation and sprinkler "stop and waste" ball valve is at a depth of 4' to prevent freezing. The line raises up shortly there after to a depth of about 8".
Third type is a globe valve. A ball valve does not restrict flow as much as the other two.
Bill D.

[Jerry Bruette]

Third type is a globe valve. A ball valve does not restrict flow as much as the other two.
Bill D.
Depends if it's a "full port" ball valve. A gate valve shouldn't restrict any flow unless it's not opened all the way, but should never be used to throttle flow.

[Tom M King]

Operating a gate valve after using a ball valve is kind of like going back to hand crank windows in cars.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I only see that type of valve used to supply water to a swamp cooler.
Bill D


Here the swamps are too big to cool, except in winter:D

[Mike Soaper]

Third type is a globe valve. A ball valve does not restrict flow as much as the other two.
Bill D.

Thanks, "globe valve" brought back the memory of the dreaded "globe valve" final in high school drafting class.:)

[George Yetka]

Generally rebuilding valves is for cost(large expensive valves) and necessity. repacking stems is done often in situations where replacing the valve is either impossible or would take the system out of commission for long periods of time etc.

These valves are common at home depot/lowes. Generally they are not found at plumbing supplies. It does look like the valve may have been overheated or the oring was pinched at the factory. best bet is to cut it out and start over with a standard ball valve.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Third type is a globe valve. A ball valve does not restrict flow as much as the other two.
Bill D.

Bill, here's a link to the valve I call a "waste and drain" valve. https://www.homedepot.com/p/HOMEWERKS-1-in-FIP-x-1-in-FIP-Bronze-Ground-Key-Stop-and-Waste-Valve-225-2-1-1/206091396

[Bruce Wrenn]

When valves were made in Waterbury Connecticut we did not have this problem. Many imported valves are not up to the heat of soldering. I use tinning flux + solder and low heat if I have to solder a valve that I can't take apart. Soldering is becoming a thing of the past in drinking water systems. Lead free solder is very fussy and requires too much heat.I have no problems with lead free soldier. I use LACO brand flux, which is what the plumbing supply house carry in our area. It's self cleaning, so you don't have to bright polish the pipe before soldiering. Heat the pipe and let the heat travel to the valve.

[Jay Aubuchon]

Just a postscript:

My son-in-law replaced the weeping valve. It came apart easily. There was no o-ring or washer involved, just closely mated parts and a little sealant on the threads.

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I suspect that, after a little cleanup and a little sealant before reassembly, it would be as good (or bad) as new.