Stupid Science Tricks: Improvising Toilet Shutoff Valve Repair

[Borg]

Sometimes I just don't feel like doing it the right way and I 'improvise'. I can't be the only one who's done it so feel free to share your stories. Who knows - some of them might be useful to others.

A few weeks ago, I had to replace the shutoff valve for a toilet. Of course, this required shutting of the water for the whole house. Afterward, I noticed that it had a leak and tightened it up a bit more. However, it still leaks about one drop every 5 minutes or so. I didn't feel like shutting off the water again so I put together an evaporator. The paper dries as fast as it gets wet so it works perfect for me. I figure that the minerals in the water will eventually clog the leak.

 

[Doug Huffman]

In my work I found Ground Seat Unions in reactor plant auxiliary systems, brass unions with a hemispherical male part mating with a conical tail piece. The hemispherical part was expected to have been ground - lapped - to its mate. Never happened, so they were called 'ground seat onions' and came with an O-ring and back up ring to make them tight.

If a compression fitting (as illustrated) isn't leak free at <100 psi, then something is not right.

My home was built by a gentleman whose AB Seaman's card was issued when he was 16 y.o. when he sailed the Great Lakes. I found it when I was moving in. I also found three ground seat onion unions, all sealed by the mineral deposits.