Need plumbing vocab knowledge - fiber stem washer?

[zakthor]

Leaking valve stem in 70 year old wall fixture. I’ve done it plenty but now my spares are empty and I need a new bag of cone stem washer things.

This is a cone shaped washer that goes around valve stem. I put washer on, then graphite string around stem then tighten cap and it’s pressed together good for long time.

Drive to nearby ‘hardware store’ and the size I need is only available in a combo kit.

Figure I’ll validate size then order 50 online.

Old washer was a dense brown combo of rubber and wrapped fiber. Very strong and while difficult to remove it stayed intact as I picked it free.

New washer is this hard corky crap, felt like particle board. Slid onto stem it crumbled. Second I soaked in water to make it more pliable, installed carefully but it’s still garbage. It wanted to self destruct.

Big box stores only have black rubber cone washers and in my experience it turns to slime in a few years.

What is the thing I’m looking for? ‘Cone fiber stem washer’? Advice where do I buy them online? Is there a modern alternative that doesn’t suck? Anyone make silicon stem washers?

Thanks!

[GH85Carrera]

Maybe a packing gland washer.

Off topic but I feel your pain with old fixtures.

My bachelor pad house was built in the early 1950 and not one item was "standard" to the stuff at any store. All the electrical was in conduit, and just had two wires, so the conduit was the ground. The bathtub faucet had two separate knobs 24 inches apart on a cast iron pink bathtub. I had to cut the wall board in the living room to get to the fixtures in the bathroom.

That house had one phone line, that went to a phone in the center of the house, at a "phone nook" and the phone system was owned by Bell telephone and no one owned a phone then, just lesed them month by month.

The real topper was the drain in the kitchen and the toilet were lead pipe. Try to find a fitting that attached to lead pipe!

Good luck.

[Bugsinrugs]

Maybe try a plumbing supply house. Most of the counter people are old plumbers. Or, go find the oldest plumber you see and ask him.

[bob deluke]

I had that issue years ago with old fixtures. Went to old time hardware store, now gone forever, and I found silicone washers. Both flat and cone shaped. Replaced a bunch of shutoff crappy rubber washers with silicone ones and never had an issue. Going on 15+ years. Try a plumbing supply house like bugs said. The ones Lowes and HD sells are Chinese crap.

[stevej37]

I've seen those types of water valves before, but I would never guess that parts are still available for them.
Wouldn't it be easier to just change it over to a modern type?

If you have galv pipe leading up to it...just get some pvc adapters and go from there.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Maybe a packing gland washer.

Off topic but I feel your pain with old fixtures.

My bachelor pad house was built in the early 1950 and not one item was "standard" to the stuff at any store. All the electrical was in conduit, and just had two wires, so the conduit was the ground. The bathtub faucet had two separate knobs 24 inches apart on a cast iron pink bathtub. I had to cut the wall board in the living room to get to the fixtures in the bathroom.

That house had one phone line, that went to a phone in the center of the house, at a "phone nook" and the phone system was owned by Bell telephone and no one owned a phone then, just lesed them month by month.

The real topper was the drain in the kitchen and the toilet were lead pipe. Try to find a fitting that attached to lead pipe!

Good luck.

Is that another name for c0ck ring?

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I've seen those types of water valves before, but I would never guess that parts are still available for them.
Wouldn't it be easier to just change it over to a modern type?

If you have galv pipe leading up to it...just get some pvc adapters and go from there.

Oh come on. Its a late 50s concrete and brick apartment building. The fixtures are perfect just need a source for better washers.

What ive described is still how every good spigot goes together, just the replacement parts i am finding are garbage. This is a 20 cent part but ill pay a buck for a good one.

Still think i should put in pvc?

Ill try to find a plumbing shop. The good one i used to use got sold, sucked, then went out of business.

[zakthor]

Ok, called every plumbing supply I could find. Of course I only got to speak to the people that answer the phones but no one knew where to get better quality cone washers.

The most useful guy said that some industrial valves had high quality fiber washers to pack their valve stems, but that was big high quality stuff that started at $10k. He said for small residential everyone just uses the cheapest stuff they can find. Oh well.

I can order a bag of 'red' cone washers from Danco.com. Looks like an era ended without anyone noticing.

[craigster59]

Did you try McMaster Carr? They usually have a higher quality of parts than you'll find at Lowes or HD..
https://www.mcmaster.com/faucet-washers/

Or maybe these guys....
https://www.chicagofaucetshoppe.com/Bulk-Washer-Packs-s/4177.htm

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Did you try McMaster Carr? They usually have a higher quality of parts than you'll find at Lowes or HD..
https://www.mcmaster.com/faucet-washers/

Or maybe these guys....
https://www.chicagofaucetshoppe.com/Bulk-Washer-Packs-s/4177.htm

McMaster Carr, yes I tried in their washer configurator. Thats actually why I asked because I hoped there was a name that would let me find them.

I love the look of that chicago faucet shoppe. I've sent an email to Danco, see what they recommend.

I've had parts problems in the past with weak search-fu, I needed a weird interface fitting for the welder gas, no shops can help, but end of the day I luck into some 10 pack of weird fixtures on amazon for $7... I'm certain everything I want is out there, problem is the search is so difficult. Maybe easier if I could read and write mandarin...

I guess this is what happens to usa supply houses when everything is made in china.

The thing that bugs me though... where's the folks that Know Stuff? Telling that a local plumbing supply doesn't even know what I'm talking about. Total brain drain.

Here we go. I tore this out of a local newspaper when 'now' meant 1998. Sitting by my desk ever since. Just took a snap and now it's internet debut!

[Pazuzu]

Look at the economics of the thing...

Obviously, even the old washers failed regularly, since you've "done it plenty of times". Since, I'm assuming, you're maintaining an 8 flat style apartment building, 10-20 sink washers failing enough that you have not only done it many times, but now run out of washers, tells me that this is a constant thing that is just part of semi-annual maintenance.

Now, you are on the hunt for replacements that last more than "a few years". So, to make a project that might be every 3-4 years into a project that might be every 8 years, you're willing to spend days, maybe weeks now looking for the right washer, and offering to pay top dollar for them.


Why not just buy the bulk bag, and change them all out every 2 years? What, 30 minutes of work each? A few hours, every 2 years? How many hours have you already put into this search?


Economics of time.

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

Look at the economics of the thing...

Obviously, even the old washers failed regularly, since you've "done it plenty of times". Since, I'm assuming, you're maintaining an 8 flat style apartment building, 10-20 sink washers failing enough that you have not only done it many times, but now run out of washers, tells me that this is a constant thing that is just part of semi-annual maintenance.

Now, you are on the hunt for replacements that last more than "a few years". So, to make a project that might be every 3-4 years into a project that might be every 8 years, you're willing to spend days, maybe weeks now looking for the right washer, and offering to pay top dollar for them.


Why not just buy the bulk bag, and change them all out every 2 years? What, 30 minutes of work each? A few hours, every 2 years? How many hours have you already put into this search?


Economics of time.

The fiber ones last about 15-20 years, maybe longer if I just resealed with graphite. The few black rubber ones I tried were lasting about 3 years then break into mushy pieces. Likely I was unlucky with the rubber choice.

There’s different sorts of rubber, nitrile and buna? But the packages I find don’t say what they are. I’m not saying fiber is awesomest but makes sense, reminds me of sailboat drive seal. I just want something that isn’t garbage. I used to just buy the tough fiber ones at store but source has dried up.

Each visit needs coordination with tenant and my schedule, drive, etc. pita. It’s 30 minutes but must block out at least a few hours. Better to just bulk buy the right parts, if I can I will.

So far my phone search is less than an hour (not counting my ranting on here.) Email is quick, hopefully get a solid answer from the manufacturer. I’m not blocked right now but want to refresh my bin.

Similar to everything else: what if suddenly you found all outlets you could buy locally were those cheap press wire things that stop gripping the plug after 3 years? Hell yes I’ll go the extra mile to find quality outlets.

buy the right stuff and no problems down the line. Cheap light switches? Cheap outlets? Short life gaskets? Wrong lube? Wrong sealant? No thanks. Find stuff that works well then move on.