Tell me more ×
Home Improvement Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for contractors and serious DIYers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 7 down vote favorite

Alright I just replaced my bathroom sink and faucet had some problems but managed through. Turned my water back on and the went back to the bathroom sink to turn the valves on but they won't turn. The valves are brand new quarter turn Sharkbite stop valves. What could I have done wrong? Both valves are in exactly the same state, they just won't turn.

share|improve this question
3  
Did they turn before you connected them? How much force have you tried with? – Steven Jun 7 '12 at 1:23
2  
A picture of the valves might help. They are not the locking type are they? Some quarter turn valves have a locking mechanism that holds them in the off position, I'm not sure if any SharkBite valves have this but it's worth a look. – Tester101♦ Jun 7 '12 at 11:39
2  
Sometimes ball valves are "sticky" from the manufacturer, and they take a bit of extra effort to turn them the first few times. It's always a good idea to turn them on and off a few times before installing them. – Tester101♦ Jun 7 '12 at 11:45
3  
Try opening and closing the valves with the water turned off. You have the mains pressure pushing on one side of the valve, and that combined with new-valve stickiness, might be enough to make it hard to turn. – Niall C. Jun 7 '12 at 14:48
6  
@Rick might I suggest compiling the excellent advice you've gotten here into a single answer of your own question? – wax eagle Jun 7 '12 at 20:24
show 5 more comments

2 Answers

up vote 1 down vote

Based on the above discussion and my own experience:

Turn the water off and twist hard. New ball valves can be sticky, and the house water pressure behind the valve could be making that situation worse.

Apparently this worked for the original poster.

share|improve this answer
up vote 0 down vote

One big reason this happens is that most people open the valve all the way open. When this is done, it will cause the shutoff to be stick and possibly leak later in it's life. Always open the value all the way and then turn it back (off) a 1/6 or 1/4 turn so it's not "locked" in the open position.

This pertains to these types of values (if this images showup)

Value Type One Value Type Two

share|improve this answer
The OP mentioned "new quarter turn" valve which means its a ball valve and not a gate valve. Ball valves do not have this problem which is a benefit to using them. – Steven Jul 3 '12 at 15:00

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.