It's Getting Watery In Here

How Do You Replace An Old Toilet Shutoff Valve That Can't Be Turned Because It's Badly Rusted?

Turning the handle on the shutoff valve underneath your toilet allows you to stop the flow of water if your toilet ever develops a leak. Unfortunately, the handle on a toilet's shutoff valve can become rusted over time if it's never used, making it impossible to turn. If your toilet starts leaking and your toilet shutoff valve doesn't work, your bathroom may suffer severe water damage.

It's important to make sure your toilet shutoff valve works properly so you can stop the flow of water in an emergency. If your toilet shutoff valve has rusted, you'll need to replace it. Thankfully, this is an easy plumbing repair that you can often do yourself.

If you're replacing your toilet shutoff valve yourself, you should use a replacement valve that uses compression fittings. Compression fittings can be easily attached to the water supply pipe by turning them with a wrench, making them easy to use. To learn how you can replace the shutoff valve on your toilet, read on.

Shut Off Water to Your Home and Empty the Cold Water Pipes

Before you start working on your toilet, you need to shut off the main water supply to your home. Without shutting your water off, water will shoot out of your toilet's supply pipe when you try to remove the old, rusted shutoff valve.

After turning the water to your home off, the supply pipe will still be filled with water, so you'll need to drain it by running cold water from the lowest faucet in your home. Flush the toilet afterward to confirm that the water to your home is shut off and there's no water left in the pipe. If it's not filling back up with water, you've successfully drained the cold water pipes leading to the toilet.

Remove the Rusted Shutoff Valve

Once the toilet supply pipe is dry, remove the old shutoff valve that's attached to it. If it uses compression fittings, you can loosen the fitting with a wrench by turning the nut that attaches the valve to the pipe. If there's no nut and the valve is attached to the copper pipe, the valve is directly welded to the pipe. You'll need to use a pipe cutter to cut the valve off.

Once the shutoff valve is off, use a wrench to disconnect the supply line that leads from the valve to your toilet. Once the valve is disconnected from the water supply pipe and the supply line, you're ready to replace it.

Replace the Old Valve With a New One

Your replacement shutoff valve will come with a compression nut and a compression sleeve. Slide the nut onto the water supply pipe with the threads facing outwards, then slide the sleeve onto it. Place the valve onto the pipe and push it onto the pipe as far as it will go, then slide the compression nut back until it joins with the valve.

Keep the water supply pipe steady with your hand and use a wrench to tighten the connection. Tug on the valve after you've tightened the compression nut to make sure it's securely attached to the pipe. Once the new shutoff valve is on the pipe, you can attach the toilet supply line to the valve by sliding the supply line into the valve's outlet and turning the nut between them with a wrench until the connection is tight.

Once you've attached your new shutoff valve to the water supply pipe and the supply line, you'll be able to use it if your toilet ever starts leaking and you need to shut off the water. If you don't feel comfortable performing plumbing repairs on your own, call a plumber and have them replace your rusted toilet shutoff valve. Toilet valves are inexpensive and easy to replace, so it's a quick repair for a professional plumber to perform.

Contact a company like Raymond Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning to learn more.


Share