Plumbing termination points, such as on water supply lines to sinks and toilets, usually have shutoff valves. Cast Gate, Globe, Check ValvesA shutoff valve allows the water supply to be discontinued to the specific plumbing appliance without shutting off water to the entire building.Gate Valves Many older shutoff valves are gate valves, which operate with a handle like an outside spigot. Modern shutoffs are ball valves and usually operate with a quarter turn of a knob. You can replace older gate valves with ball valves using a straightforward procedure

1 Shut off the water main for the house. The water main is usually located where the main water line from the street enters the home.

2 Turn on a faucet at the highest level in the building and one at the lowest level to allow the water to drain from the lines.

3 Unscrew the water supply hose connected to the shutoff valve being replaced using an adjustable wrench and by turning it counterclockwise.

4 Cut off the old valve from the water line as close to the base of the valve as you can using a hacksaw. Make the cut at a 90-degree angle to create a square cutoff.

5 Sand the end of the water line with emery paper to remove any burrs and roughness.

6 Place the larger nut that came with the ball valve onto the water line with the threads pointing toward the end of the line. GATE VALVESSlide the compression ring that came with the ball valve onto the end of the water line. Fit the compression ring no more than 1/2 inch onto the line.

7 Wrap the threads on the shutoff valve with Teflon tape to help seal the connection.

8 Fit the larger end of the ball valve onto the water line and bring the nut forward. Thread the nut onto the threads of the ball valve by hand to get them started. Tighten the nut with an adjustable wrench while holding the water line securely with a pair of slip-joint pliers. Restore the water supply a small amount at a time to bring up the pressure slowly.

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