How to turn off a stuck ball valve

Ball valves tend to stick if they are not used for a long time. The ball jams and does not turn. If you try to turn off the tap with a “long-lever” tool, it may simply break. Therefore, you need to act carefully and thoughtfully. The only tool you need is an adjustable wrench.

The process of turning off a stuck tap

The first step is to remove the butterfly or swing arm. To do this, unscrew the nut from the rod.

After this, it is necessary to loosen the clamping nut of the rod, under which the seals are located. If there is liquid in the pipes, then most likely after this, dripping will begin from the tap. You need to place a container or lay down a rag in advance. It is important to loosen the rod, and not completely unscrew its nut.

After this, we grab the rod with an adjustable wrench and very slowly loosen it to the sides. We take a small amplitude and develop a mechanism. With each swing, the stuck ball will gradually be released. It is important not to rush or put in too much effort. It is quite normal that it takes 15-20 minutes to develop the rod until it completely overlaps.

As soon as the tap can be turned off, you can return the butterfly or lever and try to see if they can rotate the rod with the ball. Then the nut is tightened to press the seals and remove drops.

After this, the mechanism will work like new again. In order not to carry out this procedure again, it is necessary to open and close the tap several times once a month to prevent the ball from sticking.