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I have a water shutoff valve that has one end into a plastic pipe that is coming from mains and another end is going into the faucet.

There was never a leakage from this until recently when I had to close and open shutoff valve few times. Probably this was first time it was done in years and therefore this valve started to leak.

In the picture, the shutoff valve is the one on the left tube. The leak is from the nut that is below the white plastic.

The leak is very minute, it is 2 drops per hour may be. It is coming from the lower nut that is attached to the plastic tube. I have tried to tighten the nut but I backed off when i heard a plastic crack sound coming (who uses plastic pipes?).

What can i do short of changing the valve? I am not a diy expert so want to avoid changing the valve completely. enter image description here

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  • It seems you got this resolved. Please give a check-mark to the answer if that helped you, or write up your own answer explaining what you did to get it fixed and give yourself a check mark. That will help others with this kind of problem know that this has a resolution and is a good place to look for their answer. – FreeMan Aug 10 '20 at 21:55
  • Oh, and "who uses plastic pipes"? Just about everybody. They're much cheaper, they're much easier for your plumber to work with, so there's less installation labor, and they don't rust/corrode potentially leaking nasty chemicals into your water. – FreeMan Aug 10 '20 at 21:55
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The pipe coming out of the floor is PEX, and its actually expanded and slipped over the brass fitting to form a permanent connection. This kind of fitting shouldn't leak are you sure the drip isn't coming from between the Valve and the Brass? (The 'white plastic' is Teflon tape wrapped around the brass threads.) The only way to tighten it is with two wrenches: one to hold the brass and one to turn the valve.

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  • As far as i could tell the drops were below the white teflon and not above it. In case the drip is coming between the valve and the brass - would i need to replace the valve then – Captain Jack sparrow May 25 '18 at 23:46
  • Also, is there is anything that I can put it to take care of the leak. Previously I have checked the nut after the valve (towards the top) and it seems to be tight enough. – Captain Jack sparrow May 26 '18 at 0:25
  • Okay so i have figured where this is leaking from. It is leaking from the valve switch. ANy ideas? – Captain Jack sparrow May 26 '18 at 4:44
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    Good you found the leak, it I understood it’s leaking between the housing and the part that turns? Sometimes just turning the valve a little bit more in either direction can help the seal and stop the leak. If not, and you have to replace it my only recommendation is spend the extra couple dollars to get a 1/4 turn (ball) valve. Superior design and less chance of a leak compared to a gate valve. – freshop May 27 '18 at 0:55
  • youre right. However for replacing the valve I'm turning to a handyman. I am not that confident about replacing myself. – Captain Jack sparrow Jun 2 '18 at 22:20

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