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Nut Packing on Residential Steam Valve

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barnic
barnic Member Posts: 19
in Strictly Steam

Hello,

Does anyone have any recommended product and method to share on how to repack a nut on a steam valve? There is a 3/32" diameter "graphite" type at home depot. Would that work or is there something else that should be used?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-3-32-in-Self-Forming-Stem-Packing-in-Graphite-41935/318891895

The nut below is about 1" across the flats. Thanks!

PXL_20260417_183337531.jpg

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 27,405

    The graphite will work. So will the Teflon (?) type. In fact, pretty much any good packing will…

    Remember to get all the old packing out — or as much as you can — and also go easy with tightening the nut down again. Packing nuts can and do crack…

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Grallert
  • CTETeach
    CTETeach Member Posts: 34

    Br Jamie is correct anything will work. I've used wicking once I even used a red shop rag cut into strips

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 16,905

    keep the old stuff wet and contained, a lot of times they had asbestos in the mix.

    teflon won't degrade as much as the fiber types. clean the stem so it is smooth and doesn't pull the packing out with it. a little silicone grease might help too.

    you probably will have to fill it, tighten it gently, add some more, then compress that and repeat a couple times. Don't crank down too hard or you can crack the packing nut or bend the washer that is packs against if it is that style.

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