Why would shutoff valve stop leaking?

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SAS

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I know it sounds like a good problem to have - the valve stopped leaking, but now I keep feeling that I have to repeatedly check it for leaks, since I don't know why it stopped. It is the shutoff valve for the outdoor hose bibb and it leaked from the stem. It was a slow leak, and I figured it could be repaired by repacking the stem. That's what I did, but then it leaked from the threads below the nut. I tightened as much as I could, but there was still a slow leak - just a drop or two a day. So I put a container under it while I ordered a new valve and assorted hardware. It continued leaking for about a week or so (I checked daily), but when I was ready to replace it, I noticed that it had stopped leaking. As I said, that's great, but without knowing why it would stop leaking, I find myself still checking it every day, worried that it will start leaking again. Can someone reassure me that the valve is OK and that I can just forget about it? Is this something that happens? Does the packing take a while to fully expand (it was very old packing that I had in the house), does the nut or threads develop some corrosion that seals the leak (but in just a couple of weeks?), or what?
 

Reach4

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I would add more packing cord. I like the white PTFE type, and many prefer the black graphite type.

Stop leaking? The elasticity of the packing may have made it expand with time (your proposed explanation), or deposits in the water filled the small gap.
 
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