Leaking supply ball valve and toilet smell.

[Alex_H]

Hey guys,

Living in Iceland and just just moved into a cabin in the countryside, my first property. Everything looked fine when we purchased but I’ve spotted a couple of issues in the bathroom now and I’d appreciate some advice!

First issue is that the supply coming into the house has an Arco Tajo 2000 ball valve on it. This is leaking from the stem. I would presume that this is original to the cabin which would mean it was installed in ‘06. I’ve checked Arcos info on this valve and it’s fitted with a “PTFE sealing gland allowing its retightening if necessary”
This seems like a simple fix, but... would a loose sealing gland allow play in the stem? I can grab the top of the stem where the handle bolts in and move it around a bit.
Only reason I’m asking is that I don’t want to tighten down the gland nut only to find it leaks worse and then have to call out an emergency plumber. I also cannot find the supply shut off on the road either.

Second issue is that the toilet (it’s a septic tank system) occasionally emits an odour into the bathroom. The toilet is not caulked around the base and this appears to be where the smell comes from occasionally. Would I be right to presume that the wax seal probably needs replacing? I have a feeling that the toilet was removed recently to conduct repairs behind it, so it possibly disturbed the old seal.

 

[Reach4]

First issue is that the supply coming into the house has an Arco Tajo 2000 ball valve on it. This is leaking from the stem. I would presume that this is original to the cabin which would mean it was installed in ‘06. I’ve checked Arcos info on this valve and it’s fitted with a “PTFE sealing gland allowing its retightening if necessary”
This seems like a simple fix, but... would a loose sealing gland allow play in the stem? I can grab the top of the stem where the handle bolts in and move it around a bit.
Only reason I’m asking is that I don’t want to tighten down the gland nut only to find it leaks worse and then have to call out an emergency plumber. I also cannot find the supply shut off on the road either.

Does your valve look like this description?
http://www.valvulasarco.com/gestion/descarga/file_archivo_en80.pdf

You could try giving the gland nut 1/8 turn or so CW. Depending on your wrench, you might have to remove the handle temporarily.

Second issue is that the toilet (it’s a septic tank system) occasionally emits an odour into the bathroom. The toilet is not caulked around the base and this appears to be where the smell comes from occasionally. Would I be right to presume that the wax seal probably needs replacing? I have a feeling that the toilet was removed recently to conduct repairs behind it, so it possibly disturbed the old seal.

I would say yes. Does that toilet flush well, and does not need a plunger more than once per person-year? If no, consider replacing the toilet since you would be pulling it to replace wax. When installing wax, you need to take care to not de-compress the new wax. To do that, position shims (prevents rocking) before dropping the toilet onto the wax.

 

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[WorthFlorida]

Being in iceland the shut off is probably well below the frost line. Somewhere there should be a 3"-4" casting with a cover. You remove the cover and with a long tool you can shut off the water.

This is the tool that is available from 3-5 feet long. This is a warm climate photo

You're probably right about the wax ring. Wastewater is seeping into the ground below the toilet assuming your home is on a concrete slab or its just the gas seeping past the wax ring.

The ball valve is a hard call to make. If you have the tools replace it, if not have a spare handy just in case it fails when trying to tighten it. Ball valves do not have a packing nut as a gate valve would. You can live with a little weeping for now. But you will need to find your main shut first.

 

[Jeff H Young]

agree on toilet, Ive stopped many a ball valve leak tightening it, if that concerned try tighten very gently often a 1/4 turn is all it takes. as for servicing with new parts its been a long time since I changed an oring in there and I was prepared to replace valve but some are repairable

 

[Alex_H]

Does your valve look like this description?
http://www.valvulasarco.com/gestion/descarga/file_archivo_en80.pdf
View attachment 67693

You could try giving the gland nut 1/8 turn or so CW. Depending on your wrench, you might have to remove the handle temporarily.


I would say yes. Does that toilet flush well, and does not need a plunger more than once per person-year? If no, consider replacing the toilet since you would be pulling it to replace wax. When installing wax, you need to take care to not de-compress the new wax. To do that, position shims (prevents rocking) before dropping the toilet onto the wax.

Yes, valve looks exactly like that. And there looks to be a fair amount of thread left to tighten on the gland nut too. Just worried about the slight play in the spindle. It’s leaking quite a bit. If I wrap some tissue around it, it’s completely wet after an hour.

And on the toilet front, yes, it flushed very well and looks to have been well cared for.

 

[Alex_H]

Being in iceland the shut off is probably well below the frost line. Somewhere there should be a 3"-4" casting with a cover. You remove the cover and with a long tool you can shut off the water.

This is the tool that is available from 3-5 feet long. This is a warm climate photo

You're probably right about the wax ring. Wastewater is seeping into the ground below the toilet assuming your home is on a concrete slab or its just the gas seeping past the wax ring.

The ball valve is a hard call to make. If you have the tools replace it, if not have a spare handy just in case it fails when trying to tighten it. Ball valves do not have a packing nut as a gate valve would. You can live with a little weeping for now. But you will need to find your main shut first.

Thanks man. Finding the hatch for the shut off is proving to be a real puzzle. Can’t see it anywhere on the land or on the road. I am in the middle of nowhere too. That’s why I’m extremely apprehensive about touching it, even if just to tighten the gland nut. May end up just getting the local plumber out to this one.

Going to take a look at the toilet this eve.

 

[Jeff H Young]

had batches where dozens would drip because nut was loose

 

[Alex_H]

So today I had another look. When you turn the valve on and off, it sprays water out of the stem if it’s not in either an open or a closed position. If it’s open or closed it just drips.

Still haven’t found the shut off valve in the street so can’t attempt to tighten the gland nut.
Is there any way to stop the leak temporarily whilst I try to find the shut off? It’s dripping onto insulation and making it very wet. I can only fit a very small cup underneath it in the space I have.

 

[Reach4]

Your water supplier probably knows where the street shutoff is. There may or may not be a fee to close and reopen that.

Did I understand that you were resistant to trying to tighten the gland nut?

 

[Alex_H]

Your water supplier probably knows where the street shutoff is. There may or may not be a fee to close and reopen that.

Did I understand that you were resistant to trying to tighten the gland nut?

I’m resistant to trying to tighten the gland nut without knowing where to turn off the water to the house.
I’m worried that somehow the stem or ptfe gland is damaged/corroded/worn and is “hanging on by a thread”. Then if I go in and disturb it, it could get much worse.
The stem moves quite a bit with the handle as if it’s a loose fit in the chamber it passes through, and it sprays water out when it’s set to anything other than open or closed. Does that sound normal to you for a loose gland?

 

[Reach4]

I’m resistant to trying to tighten the gland nut without knowing where to turn off the water to the house.
I’m worried that somehow the stem or ptfe gland is damaged/corroded/worn and is “hanging on by a thread”. Then if I go in and disturb it, it could get much worse.
The stem moves quite a bit with the handle as if it’s a loose fit in the chamber it passes through, and it sprays water out when it’s set to anything other than open or closed. Does that sound normal to you for a loose gland?

I am not a plumber. Jeff is, and he suggests tightening the nut. I know some globe valves have that characteristic of blocking the path to the packing when full open or full closed, but I was not aware that could happen with a ball valve.

Your resistance seems overly-cautious to me. Caution makes sense, but calling the water supplier would be cautious behavior that I would understand.

 

[Alex_H]

I am not a plumber. Jeff is, and he suggests tightening the nut. I know some globe valves have that characteristic of blocking the path to the packing when full open or full closed, but I was not aware that could happen with a ball valve.

Your resistance seems overly-cautious to me. Caution makes sense, but calling the water supplier would be cautious behavior that I would understand.

Yeah, I am being a bit over cautious. It just because we’ve literally just moved in, I don’t know where the shut off is and the valve is fairly old. Currently in the process of finding out where the shit off should be in the street.

 

[Jeff H Young]

I would want to know where my shut off is regardless my guess is Iceland is a cold place and its quite deep needing a long key ours around here are shallow and almost anyone with a crescent wrench can turn it off

 

[Alex_H]

So, found the shut off well hidden in a bush, away from the road. Had to weld up a key to turn it on/off as it was about 1.5m underground.

Toilet issue was an easy fix. There was no wax seal. It was a rubber seal but the actual rubber ring it sat through was really wide and didn’t seal well. New one sorted that.

The stem leak was indeed stopped when I tightened down onto the packing nut as originally suspected. What I didn’t expect was to find that the valve is also leaking from one of the casting seams. It’s slow, but still... there’s no fixing that kind of thing and it’ll keep me up at night knowing it’s there. Fairly confident I could replace this myself but I’m gonna let a plumber do it. The crawl space under the house is not much. A plumber might be in that tiny uncomfortable place ~ an hour. I’d probably be in there 5 or so. Easy decision.
Thanks for the help guys. Appreciated!