[Shop-talk] Leaking faucet

Jeff Scarbrough fishplate at gmail.com
Wed Sep 5 05:34:38 MDT 2018


My experience is that repacking is fairly simple - or even just
tightening the packing nut, as suggested elsewhere - and usually
successful.  If the valve appears to be in good shape otherwise
(corrosion, etc.), then I'd give it a try.  I guarantee there's a
YouTube video showing someone doing it on your exact type of valve.
I've also fount the Family Handyman site useful for showing step by
step instructions for stuff like that.

-- Jeff
On Tue, Sep 4, 2018 at 10:37 PM Scott Hall
<scott.hall.personal at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Guys, thanks for the door lock help--the front door popped out.
>
> Then the locksets we picked out didn't show up, so now I'm waiting for them to arrive to install.
>
> New stupid question: the washing machine's hot water supply faucet is leaking.
>
> It's brass, has a gate valve, and a wheel handle. When I turn the faucet on, water is flowing up the stem from the body, spraying off the wheel handle (the thing you grab and turn), and leaking down into the drain. It does not leak when turned off.
>
> The drain is that pre-fab box thing that holds the supply faucets and that the washing machine's drain goes into, but apparently it's shot, because it's draining down inside the wall and forming a puddle in the basement.
>
> So...Google says I can 'repack' this thing--disassemble it and do a variety of things to make it stop leaking. Seems to be a loose packing nut or a bad packing washer.
>
> Before I do that, would the wiser members of the list like to advise whether or not I should do that, or just replace the whole assembly? Likewise, the fact that the box-drain-unit isn't, er, holding water bothers me. Should I replace this too?
>
> My usual M.O. here involves destructively disassembling the faucet, the supply lines, the drywall, and replacing that drain box all with new, taking about a week and involving a lot of work. I thought here I might just repair the faucet and rejoice in the fact that when the washing machine drains there's no leaking so perhaps if I fix the faucet, I'll have no leaks and I can focus on more important things.
>
> So...should I repair the faucet? (And if so, please feel free to offer advice on technique).
>
> Replace the whole faucet?
>
> Replace the supply/drain box or just fix the faucet leak and move on?
>
> I'm trying to avoid the shipwright's disease, and I have so many more pressing issues, but water leaks don't seem like something to overlook or halfass.
>
> Thanks.
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