Jvstevens
Member
Both the hot and cold shut-off valves to the washing machine won't turn off. Not too surprising as they haven't been touched for many years now. It would be nice to have them easily operable in the event of a washing machine hose failure, machine replacement, etc. Not sure what model these valves are, but they are somewhat similar in appearance and function to the standard Price Pfister two handle shower knobs in that they have a rather long chrome escutcheon and a metal knob at the end, so I think they have similar style cartridges. They are not the type of shut-off valves that you see in, say, a washer "outlet box".
So, I can't turn them off just with my hands, but I'm wondering if I should put, say, a strap wrench on them to give them just a little extra torque. I think once I can get it to give, I can work it back and forth a few times to get it smoothly working again. Is this a good idea, and what risks are there to this? I'm worried about, of course, breaking something or having it leak badly around the stem afterwards. What do you all do in situations like this? Is it better to just turn off the main valve and remove the cartridges and clean them up individually? Or should they be replaced? All advice is appreciated! Thanks.
So, I can't turn them off just with my hands, but I'm wondering if I should put, say, a strap wrench on them to give them just a little extra torque. I think once I can get it to give, I can work it back and forth a few times to get it smoothly working again. Is this a good idea, and what risks are there to this? I'm worried about, of course, breaking something or having it leak badly around the stem afterwards. What do you all do in situations like this? Is it better to just turn off the main valve and remove the cartridges and clean them up individually? Or should they be replaced? All advice is appreciated! Thanks.