So I found a small leak in the hot water shutoff valve to the second floor shower.  The shutoff valve is not a ball valve.  It's a gate valve and the water seems to be leaking out of the stem.  My question is how tight should the packing nut be?  I put a wrench on it expecting it to be impossible to turn due to some mineralization from the dripping.  However it was pretty loose.  I gave it about 3/4 of a turn just to see if that stops the leak.

Is there any spec for how tight the nut should be other than tight enough that it doesn't drip?

you should be able to turn the valve without superhuman strength, and it shouldn't leak.

If either of these criteria is not met, you may wish to consider replacing the valve. Mine have never healed on their own.

Remove nut, re-pack stem, replace nut, tighten appropriately.
Stem packing looks like a graphite-impregnated shoelace.
Available at any hardware store.

Yup, this one is a little hard to reach so breaking out the torch was my last option.

Good luck with it.  Old corroded plumbing doesn't usually respond well to 25 year tune-ups. So if it doesn't fix easy............................Sharkbite fittings and a tubing cutter.

They're expensive, work like blazes, and take literally minutes to install even at arms length around a corner laying on your back with water pouring out of the pipe onto your face.  Hie thee to Home Depot, pick up them bitches, and get on with your life.

Nice first post. 

Sharkbite are $$ and worth it. Copper to pex, 1/2 to 3/4, made my water softener hookup easy-breezy beautiful.

So did you get your nuts packed yet?

That sounds a bit rude. 

I just installed my first water heater replacement a few weeks ago. Learned how to sweat the copper....piece of cake....first time attempt, about 8 solder joints done due to a fucked up angle run of pipes.

Problem with all this is, what I spent on pipe wrenches big enough to handle the gas pipes, the dope, the copper cutters and deburrers, solder, flux yada yada I could have called the fucking plumber and sat on the couch with a beer watching TV.

Started at 8:30 in the AM, 2 trips to Home Depot, 1 trip to Lowes for the damn new heater. Had hot water again by 8:30 PM and good water flow.

Should have called the plumber. At least I know I can do that shit now.

The good news: did it right the first time. No leaks, water or gas. My sweat joints still bone dry.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

I just installed my first water heater replacement a few weeks ago. Learned how to sweat the copper....piece of cake....first time attempt, about 8 solder joints done due to a fucked up angle run of pipes.

Problem with all this is, what I spent on pipe wrenches big enough to handle the gas pipes, the dope, the copper cutters and deburrers, solder, flux yada yada I could have called the fucking plumber and sat on the couch with a beer watching TV.

Started at 8:30 in the AM, 2 trips to Home Depot, 1 trip to Lowes for the damn new heater. Had hot water again by 8:30 PM and good water flow.

Should have called the plumber. At least I know I can do that shit now.

The good news: did it right the first time. No leaks, water or gas. My sweat joints still bone dry.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

But now you have the tools forever, and the skills to use them next time.

Quote from: Veefer800canuck on December 14, 2013, 10:04:42 PM

But now you have the tools forever, and the skills to use them next time.

DING DING DING. Don't add to the pussification of America.  Always at least make the attempt to do it yourself.


Bravo.

Isn't that the rule? Every new project lets you get new toys tools.