Fix a Leaky Shut Off Valve

October 23, 4:49 PM [GMT -5]

This fix worked perfectly. To borrow from your earlier article (October 2000, found by Google) on this, protect the packing nut with a rag or duct tape so the wrench won't mar the finish. And your earlier article suggested 1/8 of a turn, and I said while that worked for me, if i had to do it again I'd start with 1/16 of a turn. Tightening the packing nut makes the valve handle harder to turn, and you don't want to make it any harder than necessary, as these valves and their plastic handles are not heavy-duty.