How to revive a ball valve if it is jammed

At some point, you needed to turn off the water supply in an apartment or house, but all your attempts to turn a long-unused shut-off valve ended in failure. The reason for this phenomenon is trivial - the use of low-quality plumbing fixtures. Problems usually arise with ball valves made in China. A metal ball with a passage channel in it simply sticks to the polymer sleeve and cannot perform its functions.

Don’t rush to call a plumber and change the valve; it is possible to restore it at minimal cost. Our task is to carefully swing the ball in the tap and make it rotate at a right angle to block the flow area. The main advantage of this method: a complete absence of material costs is needed, only a little time and patience.

Tools used

To perform work on unlocking the ball valve, you will not need any spare parts or components. From the locksmith's tools, we only need a set of small, high-quality keys.If you don’t have one, you can use a universal gas (adjustable) wrench.

Restoring the shut-off valve

To eliminate the defect of a jammed water tap, it is necessary to ensure free access to it and good lighting. The latter is extremely important because shut-off valves are often located in closed cabinets. Work to restore valve mobility is carried out in the following order:
1. Unscrew the self-locking nut or turn out the screw holding the butterfly-type rotary handle. This is done using an open-end or ring wrench set to “8” or “10”, depending on the specific model.
2. Remove the handle. It is extremely rare to simply pull it off, so we swing it, alternately pressing one or the other edge. Don't try to knock on it - you'll just break off the flags.


3. We select an open-end wrench or adjust a gas wrench to the size of the rod and try to turn it.

In this case, we alternately change directions: first clockwise then counterclockwise. The amplitude of movement should be small - if significant force is applied, there is a risk of tearing off the edges or breaking the rod.

4. When at least a small move appears, we slightly increase the range of movements. When performing work, it is advisable to hold the head of the wrench on the rod with one hand and turn it with the other.
5. After the stroke of the rod becomes freer and the applied forces decrease, you can put on the handle, secure it with a nut (screw) and continue swinging until the water supply is completely shut off.
The process of restoring the functioning of the shut-off valve usually takes from 10 to 15 minutes. At the same time, financial costs are zero - there is a significant saving in the family budget, and you will have a reputation as a jack of all trades.

Conclusion

Troubleshooting a jammed ball valve is a simple procedure, but requires caution and accuracy. The biggest danger in this case is to completely break the valve or damage your hands if the key comes off when turning the tap. In addition, there is a risk of “breaking” the edges on the rod, so it is recommended to use a high-quality open-end wrench instead of an adjustable wrench. When installing the handle, it is advisable to lubricate the rod and threads of the fastening element with graphite or any other grease. This will make it easier to remove the butterfly next time.
You can avoid sticking of the ball valve if you periodically close it and open it several times at least once every two to three weeks. It is even better to use high-quality fittings when installing a water supply system, then the described problem will not occur.

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