Stuck gas valve

I have 2 75 gallon hot water heaters in my shop. 1 of them is leaking at the top. I want to shut of the gas valve that is located 2 feet away. It is stuck. I tried fairly hard and it doesn't want to move. I sprayed it with some WD-40 and I will wait a couple hours. Any other ideas? It is a gas valve so I don't want to blow myself up. Any tips?

I ain't no plumber; If the WD don't work how about slowly pouring some very hot water over the valve.

Assuming Melrose Park is in the Northern Hemisphere, it's spring. So you should be able to shut off the service gas valve outside the building before wailing on the interior gas valve without freezing your kiwi fruit off.

Often gas valves are plug valves that have a nut holding the tapered plug in the bottom. If so, AFTER shutting the service off you can loosen that a little (do NOT remove the nut - it keeps the plug in, and it protects the threads on the plug) and might try light application of "hammer grease". A couple of taps should work, maybe with a wooden dowel or block intervening. This pops the plug out a little, which lets you turn it to the "off" position. If the gas is off, you might clean this an apply a light coat of heavy grease to the plug and seat. Remember to tighten the plug nut back up, and do a bubble test with soapy water after you finish and turn the gas back on.

A ball valve might be a little more of a project. But if you shut off the service, you can feel a bit more confident applying more force.

Jim

Heat it up with a torch!

Usually on the back side of the valve there is a nut that holds it together. Loosen it a bit and tap on it with a non-sparking hammer (Lead, bronze, ect) Gas valves are usually tapered valves so it should come loose.

Thanks guys, I knew I would get some good advice.

Just be sure to check for leaks when you're done and the valve is back open. Those old plug valves use the grease to seal the valve from external leakage as well as internal. Moving an old dried-out valve can dislodge enough grease to cause a leak.

I hate turning old valves, water or gas. Sometimes you end up with a whole new repair project.

There is a special grease for gas valves, and now special yellow colored teflon tape for joints.

The special grease for plug valves is vaseline, and the shutoff cock at your gas meter WILL require that you loose the nut, or you use a longer than 14" pipewrench to shut or open it.

As above, loose the nut, will take at least a 12 inch fitzall. It should not leak, either when you loose it and close, nor when you open it back up.

You know, you have only 1/2 pound of pressure at your house inlet. You TEST to 100 psi, you RUN at 1/2 psi.

Cheers,

George

While you're changing the water heater would be a good time to get rid of the plug cock and replace it with a ball valve. Watts and Apollo are good brands of ball valves and not expensive. I wouldn't use any 3rd world import valves on a gas line. A decent ball valve has a stainless ball with teflon seats, and doesn't require tightening or greasing to get a bubble-tight shut off.