How to Take Apart a Gate Valve
- 1). Close the main water shutoff valve. You will find your main water shutoff valve in your basement or well house or by the street. If you are on a municipal water system and are having trouble finding your shutoff valve, contact your water service utility company for assistance. If you live in a multifamily dwelling, contact your maintenance office for instructions for shutting off your unit's water service.
- 2). Open all the faucets in the plumbing water supply system attached to the gate valve. This will relieve the remaining water pressure on the front and back side of the gate valve. If there are no faucets or spigots between the main shutoff and the gate valve, you will need to use extreme caution when disassembling your valve.
- 3). Open the gate valve handle by rotating the handle counterclockwise until it stops. Turn the handle back one full turn to make it easier to unscrew. Hold the base of the gate valve with a pipe wrench; this will prevent damage to the pipe connections.
- 4). Unscrew the nut just above the valve body and just below the handle with a second pipe wrench; turn the nut counterclockwise until it is free from the valve body. Lift the nut, handle and valve gate straight up and out of the valve.
