New 1/4-turn valves stuck closed?

[Groundhog1]

Hello, I have two new 1/4-turn valves for a bathroom sink and newly installed that seem to be stuck or locked in the closed position. I do not know the brand name but have a photo. Background: professional plumber replumbed entire house due to hard-water corroded pipes with all new piping and valves throughout. Had to make multiple cutouts in the drywall to access and replace piping in several locations including behind two vanities. Everything has been working great until our drywall guy had to remove a drain pipe/p-trap under a vanity to better access and replace cutout area.

He shut off the two new 1/4 turn valves and I think he may have removed the handles/levers to make more room in the tight space and then reattached them after he left. I’m guessing this because one of the lever screws was loose. I retightened it. But, when I attempt to flip the valves back to the open position, they will not budge in either direction, up or down. I thought that the drywall guy might have accidentally reversed the levers, so I removed and flipped them, but without any difference.

So, I then removed the levers and tried to use a pair of pliers to gently turn the top of the brass valves back to the open position without any luck; tried turning with pliers in both directions just to be sure and neither valve will turn in either direction. I tried turning with the pliers and then again with the levers back on with enough force that the entire valve at the pipe connection point-female end of valve-started to rotate.

At present the two valve levers are in the same position as left by the drywall guy and tightened back in place with the lever screws. These seem to be simple valves with no sort of spring loaded locking mechanisms to keep someone from accidentally flipping on or off when mucking around under the vanity. How do I turn my water back on? Thanks in advance for the assistance. DIYer here that has replaced multiple toilet and sink valves over the years and feeling really stupid!

 

[IPDQKWID]

Assuming there is no debris caught in the ball-like mechanism inside, like drywall mud, my best guess is that these valves are not new, and were really old ones lying around for years. Whatever internal factory lubrication there was has dried out.
Unless you yourself bought these new, in which case ......

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Groundhog1]

Assuming there is no debris caught in the ball-like mechanism inside, like drywall mud, my best guess is that these valves are not new, and were really old ones lying around for years. Whatever internal factory lubrication there was has dried out.
Unless you yourself bought these new, in which case ......

OK, thanks!

 

[IPDQKWID]

I've been thinking more since I replied - I had a drywall guy working on an addition after I had installed the plumbing. He wanted all the shut-off valves removed, I didn't want to shut off the water and all that. In the end, I told him that I was fine with larger holes in the drywall to get around the valves and their handles.

Looking at your picture again, and seeing that is a 90-degree 1/4 turn, and assuming the drywall there on the wall was what was replaced, my reply earlier doesn't really make sense with the idea of an old valve. The valves worked after install, and now don't. If the handle was removed, there could be mud/sanding dust on the valve stem under the handle, but I'd think that wouldn't freeze a handle.

What kind of valve connection is the supply side? Quick connect, sweat, compression? If it is sweat, is there any chance the drywall guy shut off the water, sweated the valves back off, and then sweated them on again? Because that heat might destroy the valve.

 

[Breplum]

If the valve is stubbed out with copper tube and is a compression ferrule, just turn main off, remove the valve and swap out a working quarter turn ball valve leaving the nut and ferrule. Maybe really cheap valve now in place.

 

[Sylvan]

If the valve is stubbed out with copper tube and is a compression ferrule, just turn main off, remove the valve and swap out a working quarter turn ball valve leaving the nut and ferrule. Maybe really cheap valve now in place.

Best advice given, and when replacing, use a brand name, hopefully made in the USA