Washing Machine Shut-Off Valves are stuck ON

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Jvstevens

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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.
 

Smooky

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Most of the time the valves are easy enough to replace. I would need to see what you are talking about to know for sure what I would do. If you are worried about the hoses, I would replace them too and not worry about that part anymore.
 
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Jvstevens

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It would be kind of a big deal to replace the valves. The valve bodies are covered behind drywall with the base of the escutcheon flush with the drywall. So its a lots of plumbing and drywall repair to do. Not really worth the effort IMHO, if there's a simpler answer. The hoses are actually pretty good right now, I think. Stainless steel braided type.
 

Smooky

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Can you screw on some type of brass hose shut-off?
 

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Jvstevens

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I'm pretty sure they are PP. Is there any danger of something going wrong, and if so, what?

Also, why would PP be OK to turn, but not for other brands? Just curious.
 
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Jadnashua

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The shaft probably has a ring of mineral deposits caked on it, locking it in place. This can happen with any valve that isn't exercised regularly. FWIW, the recommendation is to turn the WM supply off EACH time you are finished with it. Since those valves are often full-flow, you can flood things really quickly if the hoses fail. The SS braid on the outside helps to protect the rubber or plastic stuff inside...the hose portion can still fail, the SS braid isn't waterproof.
 

hj

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Most brands would NOT "break" if you used more force. You just have to break the back seating that occurred when they were opened all the way against the stop.
 

Jvstevens

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The shaft probably has a ring of mineral deposits caked on it, locking it in place. This can happen with any valve that isn't exercised regularly. FWIW, the recommendation is to turn the WM supply off EACH time you are finished with it. Since those valves are often full-flow, you can flood things really quickly if the hoses fail. The SS braid on the outside helps to protect the rubber or plastic stuff inside...the hose portion can still fail, the SS braid isn't waterproof.

I remember my mom turning off the WM valves as a kid (I'm 55 now), but I swear I don't think I've come across anyone since who does this (except maybe before going on a long trip). Including me!
 

Jvstevens

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Most brands would NOT "break" if you used more force. You just have to break the back seating that occurred when they were opened all the way against the stop.

Thanks, I feel much better about giving it a go. Will post the results afterwards.
 

Jadnashua

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I may be in the minority, but I do shut mine off when finished doing the wash for the day. If you ever have a hose break, you'll wish you got into that habit.
 

SteveW

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I'm in the same minority, Jim. I replaced the original boiler drains with quarter-turn Oatey valves in my laundry room just to make it easier to shut off the supplies when done with wash day.

Somewhere I read that washing machine hoses bursting was one of the biggest causes of home insurance claims. Not a pretty sight if your laundry area is in the finished part of the house.
 

Jvstevens

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Someone ought to invent a washing machine that will automatically shut off an electrically controlled H & C valve at the end of the wash.
 

CountryBumkin

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Charles H. Duell was the Commissioner of US patent office in 1899, said "everything that can be invented has been invented."
 

Jvstevens

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In case anyone is interested, I've attached a picture of the shut off valves for the washer. I gave both valves all the oomph my little spaghetti arms would give and they both loosened up. The cold was a little more stuck than the hot, but after some twisting back and forth for a bit, it became its old self again. Although, its now got a slow drip, which actually seems to be getting slower as time goes on. I'm hoping it will stop within a few days.

Thanks for the tips. BTW, love the automatic valve shut off. Clever little contraption!
 

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