I am trying to shut off the water valves under my sink to install a new kitchen faucet. The hand knobs appear to be damaged (thin soft metal). In addition, they seem to be seized up pretty well. So I can't shut them off by hand and not sure what I can use to close it off without damaging it further. My initial thought is to replace the valves. Any suggestions?
You don't have to go through all that crap. Get a can of PB Blaster or Deep Creep. (penetrating oils) Both oils far away better than WD-40. Spray the stem of the valves and wait,..... about 20 minutes. if they are still stiff, apply again, wait another 20. Then if its not fine and ready to go, THEN go through the hassle...
Just shut the water off to the house and then you can change the faucet without having to mess with the valves. If you want to shut off the valves though just use a pair of chanel locks to turn them once you break them loose they will turn easier. If the handle breaks off it no biggy, it wont hurt the valve any, you just wont have handles but they dont work anyways right.
This is a common problem. Don't force/twist them or they could break off. You will need to shut of water to your house [assume it is a single family?] The shut off is frequently in the front of the house where the water enters and could be under a hose bib [outlet]. Don't confuse the water shut off handle with the water pressure regulator, a dome shaped metal cylinder attached to the incoming water pipe. If you can't find the shut off there is usually one on the water utility's side of the water meter - closest to the street or road and sometimes one just on the outlet side of the water meter that you can twist by hand. After shutting of the main water supply to the house relieve pressure at a low point - usually a hose outlet. This way when you remove the water supply valve under the sink you won't get a cascade of water. You may want to douse the shut off [sometimes called angle stops] with some penetrant like PB Blaster penetrant and let it sit. You may want to purchase 1/4 turn ball style shut off valves as opposed to the twist or gate style. Note the size inlet, IPS 1/2 inch, 3/4 etc. and the outlet size, generally 3/8' for new faucets. Take a photo with your phone or a digital camera and take it to the store when you purchase new shut off valves. If you have a dishwasher and the water supply goes to the hot valve, then be certain to get a shut off valve with two outlets and use it on the hot side. If you are in a condo or multi-family you will need their permission to shut off the water unless each unit has it's own shut off [more typical of town house style than apt style condos.]
