“A little WD-40 and some elbow grease usually does the trick, but if it’s really stuck, I’ve had to use a pair of channel locks and just work it back and forth for a while.”
Couldn’t agree more—sometimes you just gotta muscle those valves loose. I do wish more folks realized how much grief they’d save by giving those shut-offs a twist every few months. And yeah, those braided hoses are sneaky... seen ‘em look fine until you touch them and suddenly you’ve got a drip. Honestly, I’m not sold on “smart” shut-offs either—give me something I can trust when things go sideways.
Definitely relate to the whole “just twist it every now and then” thing. Learned that the hard way when I moved in—my kitchen shut-off hadn’t been touched in years, and it was basically fused. WD-40 helped, but I ended up putting a towel over the valve and using pliers just to get it moving. Not fun, but at least I didn’t have to call anyone.
I’m with you on those braided hoses too. Mine looked brand new but as soon as I tried to move the dishwasher out, one started leaking at the crimp. Didn’t even see it coming. Now I just replace them if they’re more than a few years old, even if they look fine. Feels like cheap insurance.
Not sure about the smart shut-offs either. I get why some folks like them, but I’d rather just know for sure that a valve is closed. Less to go wrong when you’re already dealing with a mess under the sink.
Anyway, props for tackling it yourself. It’s a pain sometimes, but feels good not having to wait around for a repair guy who’ll probably just do the same thing you did.
Funny how those valves seem to develop a personal vendetta if you leave them alone too long. I had one snap clean off in my hand once—talk about a heart-stopper. I’m with you on the hoses, though. They’re like ticking time bombs, no matter how shiny they look. As for smart shut-offs, I just don’t trust anything that needs WiFi to keep my kitchen dry... give me a good old-fashioned handle any day.
Getting That Stubborn Dishwasher Working Again Without Calling a Repair Guy
Those valves really do have a flair for drama, don’t they? I once tried to shut off the water under my sink and the thing just spun like a roulette wheel—no resistance, no water shut-off, just existential dread. Ended up using a bucket and a lot of towels. I hear you on the hoses, too. I swapped mine for those braided stainless ones, but I still check them like a nervous parent. As for smart shut-offs, I’m with you... if my WiFi can’t even stream a movie without buffering, I’m not trusting it to save my hardwood floors.
if my WiFi can’t even stream a movie without buffering, I’m not trusting it to save my hardwood floors.
Honestly, I couldn’t agree more. Those smart shut-offs sound great on paper, but I’ve seen them fail when the power blips. As for the spinning valve—classic. If you’ve got one that just spins, it’s probably stripped or the washer’s toast. Sometimes you can rebuild them, but usually it’s just faster to swap the whole thing. Stainless braided hoses are solid, but yeah, I still give ’em the side-eye every once in a while... old habits die hard.
