I have what I believe is called a Gate valve installed on my water line which controls the flow of water to an outside faucett. It is currently turned off but has just recently started to drip very slowly. The water appears to be coming from the base of the valve stem?? Is there some way for me to stop this dripping without replacing the entire valve?
It sounds like the packing in the valve stem assembly is leaking.
There should be a nut at the top of stem before the handle. This nut may be loose and need tightning. Tightning the nut will tighten the packing around the stem. Do not over tighten as it will make it difficult to turn the valve to open it. Probably 1/8 to 1/4 turn will be enough.
Good Luck!
Dodgeman
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