PVC ball valves are considered to be one of the most reliable and commonly used valves for main water shutoffs and branch line shutoffs. This type of valve is an on or off valve, which means that it should be completely open, allowing full flow, or completely closed, stopping all water flow. They are called ball valves because there is a ball inside that has a hole in the middle that is connected to the handle that opens and closes. At times, you may find it necessary to loosen a PVC ball valve because it’s stuck, or it’s tight because it’s new. To help you when this happens, we have a few quick steps you can take to loosen PVC ball valves:
- Attempt to loosen by hand
- Use lubricant and wrench
- Loosen with water on
Let’s take a look at these steps in more detail.
Loosen Your PVC Ball Valves with These Easy Steps
When you find that you have a PVC ball valve that just doesn’t want to budge, try these three steps to loosen it:
Step 1: First, you will need to turn off the water supply to your home at the main shutoff valve. Then, give the ball valve a try by hand. Attempt to loosen the valve by opening and closing it several times by turning its handle. If you aren’t able to loosen it this way, move on to Step 2.
Step 2: For this step, you will need lubricating spray, a pipe wrench, and a hammer. Spray the lubricant onto the valve where the valve handle enters the actual valve body and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then, try loosening the valve by hand again. If it doesn’t move, or is still difficult to turn, tap it lightly with the hammer. Then, position the pipe wrench around the handle of the valve to turn it (you may want to place a piece of cloth or rag between the wrench and the handle, so you don’t damage the valve). Try using the wrench to turn the handle. If it moves, keep turning it off and on for a couple of minutes to loosen it and move to Step 3.
Step 3: Now that the valve is moving, turn the water back on at the main shutoff valve and keep turning the PVC ball valve until the looseness reaches the desired level.
Step 4: If you’ve attempted the first three steps and the valve still won’t move, you’ll need to replace the ball valve so you’re system will function properly.
Helpful Tips for Lubricating and Loosening Your Ball Valves
Here are some useful tips that will help you lubricate and loosen the ball valves that you have in your home piping systems:
• If you have fish-ponds with ball valves attached to stop the flow of water to the pump and filter for cleaning, be sure to use a silicone lubricant. This type of lubricant is safe for the fish.
• Keep the tools and materials you may need to loosen PVC ball valves on-hand. That way, you won’t have to make a run to the hardware store in the event you have a stuck valve. Some items that are helpful to have on hand are: a PVC hacksaw, PVC primer and glue, a pipe wrench, a hammer, and lubricant spray.
• In new installations, or when you’re replacing a ball valve, lubricate the valve before you connect it to PVC pipes.
• When you are installing a new ball valve, use kelly valves. This will allow for easy access to the ball valve without the need to cut the pipe in the future.
Benefits of Using Ball Valves
Even though ball valves may become stuck or hard to move, they are very useful because they are long-lasting and durable. They have an ability to work efficiently even after years of disuse. Additionally, with ball valves, you can cut the water flow off quickly when you need to, and because of the lever-like handle, you can tell at a glance whether the valve is on or off. Should you need to loosen a new or tight ball valve, you can see from the above steps that it shouldn’t be too difficult.