[Shop-talk] Leaking faucet

[Al Fuller]

Scott – about the faucet valve:

-          Replacing the packing around the valve stem on the faucet should be straightforward and cheap.  If the packing stops the leak, you’re done with that part…

-          While you are in there, you should plan on replacing the washer, too.

-          Both of the above assume that you can get the packing nut off without damaging the valve or water line.  If not, you do need to replace the whole valve assembly.

 

As to the box: 

-          If your setup is like the diagram above, the box does several things including locating the faucet valves, draining any small leak from them, and it is the drain for the drain hose…

-          If there is water finding its way to the basement, it sounds like the box--drain standpipe-P-trap--branch drain system isn’t working properly.  It also sounds like you have the possibility of mold inside the wall.  With that going on, you might be well advised to go ahead and look inside the wall and satisfy yourself that you know what is happening with the pipes and the wall.

-          If you don’t want  to open up the wall right off the bat, there are cheap boroscopes you can get on Amazon [etc.] that might help.  I think I paid $10 for one that works with my mobile phone…

Al Fuller

 

'65 BJ-8

'85 Rx-7

 

From: Shop-talk [mailto:shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Scott Hall
Sent: Tuesday, September 4, 2018 6:26 PM
To: Shop-talk at autox.team.net
Subject: [Shop-talk] Leaking faucet

 

Guys, thanks for the door lock help--the front door popped out.

 

Then the locksets we picked out didn't show up, so now I'm waiting for them to arrive to install.

 

New stupid question: the washing machine's hot water supply faucet is leaking.

 

It's brass, has a gate valve, and a wheel handle. When I turn the faucet on, water is flowing up the stem from the body, spraying off the wheel handle (the thing you grab and turn), and leaking down into the drain. It does not leak when turned off.

 

The drain is that pre-fab box thing that holds the supply faucets and that the washing machine's drain goes into, but apparently it's shot, because it's draining down inside the wall and forming a puddle in the basement.

 

So...Google says I can 'repack' this thing--disassemble it and do a variety of things to make it stop leaking. Seems to be a loose packing nut or a bad packing washer.

 

Before I do that, would the wiser members of the list like to advise whether or not I should do that, or just replace the whole assembly? Likewise, the fact that the box-drain-unit isn't, er, holding water bothers me. Should I replace this too?

 

My usual M.O. here involves destructively disassembling the faucet, the supply lines, the drywall, and replacing that drain box all with new, taking about a week and involving a lot of work. I thought here I might just repair the faucet and rejoice in the fact that when the washing machine drains there's no leaking so perhaps if I fix the faucet, I'll have no leaks and I can focus on more important things.

 

So...should I repair the faucet? (And if so, please feel free to offer advice on technique).

 

Replace the whole faucet?

 

Replace the supply/drain box or just fix the faucet leak and move on?

 

I'm trying to avoid the shipwright's disease, and I have so many more pressing issues, but water leaks don't seem like something to overlook or halfass.

 

Thanks.

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