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.

[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