The water valves for my washing machine need to be replaced, and I was just going to use a wrench and take them off. But there is a lot of calcification around the base and I cannot budge them, even using a large pipe wrench. I am concerned that if I try to use too much brute force I will break something.
Is there a tried and true method for freeing these up?
If photos would help I can oblige.
I can’t picture them, but can you wrap them in rags soaked in vinegar, or in CLR?
Vinegar?
ETA: Ninjaed!
Torch … red hot … it’ll pop right loose …
Got a second pipe wrench? If so, put it on the other side of the valve.
Be careful in getting pipes red hot then putting any force on them. They can distort then you will have to replace them.
If the valves are Brass and the pipes galvi heat to red hot quench with cold water and try loosening them.
Brass and copper heat but not to red hot then cool and give it a try.
This is not a direct answer to your question, but it might be helpful.
I had a valve for my washing machine faucet that would not shut off and I couldn’t remove. So I bought a garden hose shut off valve and screwed it between the valve and the washing machine hose. It works like a charm.
I don’t know what specifically is wrong with your valves. This certainly won’t fix all problems. But if the problem involves water coming out the end of the faucet when you wish it wouldn’t, you can use this as the coward’s way out. I also put some plumber’s silicone grease on the threads to make sure I can get it off if needed.
The calcium build up is brittle… rock hard… but brittle.
Galvanized pipes? Plastic pipes? Copper pipes? Pex lines? Yes, pics would help a lot. PLEASE do not use a torch unless you really know what you are doing… you would be asking for a fire. Sometimes the calcification can be “cracked” by tapping the faucet with a hammer. Let’s see some pics.
How hard is it use a torch? … BTW, don’t quench it with water, that’s a good way to break something, and it would completely defeat the whole purpose …
The calcium build-up on the inside of your pipe has nothing to do with not being able to unscrew the fitting … The fitting is “frozen” from most likely a little bit of corrosion in the threads, which has been a cool thing because the fitting hasn’t been leaking … but now it’s a big problem because we need to replace the valve [sup]Note 1[/sup] …
harmonicamoon is right, you need two wrenches for this … one to hold the existing pipe so it doesn’t snap off … the other to do the actually twisting on the valve … maybe get two people …
The whole point of heating up the affair is to take advantage of the expansion caused by heat … hot enough so that steel pipe will start to glow red, or brass/copper pipes begin to glow green [sup]Note 2[/sup] … while it’s hot, use the two wrenches to twist; one to hold the exist pipe in place, the other to apply the twist with … and yeah, be careful because the pipes are going to be hot … but with all the extra room between the threads the valve should just unscrew with a minimal of effort.
If not … well … even more dangerous than a butane torch would be to very carefully use a hacksaw and cut through the valve’s portion of the threaded connection … all the way until you reach the pipes portion of the threads … cut to far and you may well need a plumber to fix the pipe threads … you may have to make a couple of cuts next to each other … the idea here is to give yourself some leverage to pry the valve threads apart … very time consuming but this will eventually work …
Note 1 = Have you tried to take apart the valve and replace all the rubber parts? Does the valve have a replaceable seat? Why exactly do you think the valves need replacing rather than just routine maintenance?
Note 2 = Copper will eventually glow red (obviously), the green color comes from all the oxides of copper boiling off the piping …
Shock , a quick rap with a hammer may free it . If you have two hammers ,hold one against one side of the valve and give the other side a quick medium hit . Two pipe-wenches will work in place of hammers.
Ain’t gonna use a torch.
I’m hesitant to use a hammer for fear of breaking something that needs to stay there.
Here are pix.
www.seiglefamily.com/data/valvesboth.jpg
www.seiglefamily.com/data/valve2.jpg
Valves are cheap. These are 22 years old and even if I had a clue as to how to take them apart it wouldn’t be worth the effort. I already have new valves on hand.
The valves use levers instead of screws, and the levers are so tight now that I need to use a pair of pliers to turn the water off. I assume it is mineral buildup in the internals of the valve. See pix posted above.
Clarification please. Are you unable to remove the hose? Or are you unable to unscrew the valve from its seat?
And if the valve see my post number 2!
So the problem is that you can’t turn off the valves? Then the solution I posted above should work just fine for you. Attach a shut off valve between the faucet and the washing machine hose. Leave the old valves on permanently and use the new shut off valve to turn the flow of water on and off. Don’t be put off because the description says “garden hose valve,” the washing machine hoses work exactly the same.
False economy … with your cheap replacement you’ll be back with a hacksaw and cold chisel in twenty more years …
So, I don’t have a clue how to take those apart either … maybe that’s why they’re cheap … I honestly don’t see how you’re going to get a big enough wrench on the valve … and unless that plate underneath is really secure, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to twist on that thing very hard … you may have to put enough torque on there to quickly twist regular pipe … and I see no way to stop that without a second wrench, but I don’t even see where the first wrench … …
The garden hose valve will serve quite well here I think …
I would open the wall here … replace the whole set-up with a good quality valve, one that does come apart so it’s an easy fix when I’m twenty years older … the sheet of drywall is dirt cheap compared to the valve …
Try penetrating oil of good quality (meaning not WD-40) … spray the fitting every ten minutes until it breaks free … if you get a wrench on it, try whacking the fitting when you’re twisting … sometimes that works too …
Limeaway is amazing. Spray it over the whole fitting, then shut off water further upline, take off the hoses, and spray some inside (it’s pretty safe, and you’ll flush the line). Give it a little time, then try some mild percussive shock, ie, tapping it all around gently with a hammer. Penetrating oil isn’t a bad idea either.
Can remove hose, can’t uninstall valve.
When I say “cheap” I don’t mean a cheap-ass POS. I mean that a valve is cheap compared to how much effort it would take me to overhaul one.
Not following this at all. The valve just screws onto the end of the pipe. What is all this about opening the wall?
I don’t plan to be in this house in 20 years anyway. I need a reasonable solution–not just a quick fix, but not a Rolls Royce either. Anything I do is likely to be better than what the builder did.