HOW TO OPEN A STUCK BALL VALVE

What Causes Stuck Ball Valve?

One of the most common types of ball valve failures involves a buildup of dirt and sediment within the valve, making it difficult to open and close. The use of solvent cement glue can also clog up the ball, causing it to stick to the inside of the valve and resist turning. If this happens, you’ll want to take the valve apart and clean out any grime you see.

Another frequent ball valve failure occurs when the elastic used to seal the valve (often in the form of an O-ring) gets worn down over time due to liquid or gas getting pushed through it. Since this is a natural symptom of use, you’ll want to swap out the elastic when you notice cracks or leakage. Turning down the intensity of liquid flowing through the valve can also help extend the lifespan of the O-ring.

As the elastic starts to go, so too does the inner packing of the valve stem. Any scratching or damage to the valve stem requires someone to either replace the stem or the whole valve before the whole thing falls apart.

Make sure to look for leak points at the nuts holding the bolts in as well. This indicates that the nuts are too loose or that the end connector needs realignment. Damage to O-rings around the nuts can also prove a culprit of these leaks.

How to Open A Stuck Ball Valve?

Ball valves are commonly used valves for main water and various branch shutoffs. This valve functions as an ON/OFF valve which means that the valve should be either completely open allowing full flow, or completely closed, stopping the entire water flow. Occasionally, it may be necessary to loosen a ball valve because it is stuck or tight, thereby creating an obstruction to fluid flow. If a ball valve won’t open, perform the following steps to rectify the issue:

1. Manual operation
2. Turn off the main water supply.
3. Then, loosen the valve by opening and closing it multiple times by turning its handle.
4. Gently hammer the valve body multiple times on the valve body to break and free up the particles that are trapped between the ball and the valve body.
5. Gently wiggle and rock the valve handle to help service the ball element and force it to move. Also, try to remove the valve handle and turn the valve a few times using a plier to help it move freely, and place the handle back on the valve using its screw. If these steps don’t work, move on to step 2.