plumbingwater
The hot water stopped running through just one bathroom faucet. (It's a two-handle system). I turned off the hot water supply line valve under the sink and removed the valve inside the handle. But even when I turned the supply line back on, no water came out of the handle. There's a small, short-lived drip from the supply line valve when I open it, but it stops after I shut it. I've never seen anything like this. Any ideas?
Thank you
I've dealt with these before. The flex pipe is silver soldered into the valve body, probably a product design of the day to dispense with having a problematic compression fitting that would eventually leak.
If you loosen the nut from the pipe nipple, the valve body and flex supply line pipe will be rotatable to position it for a direct lineup to the faucet inlet.
Even if the other end of the metal flex supply line is compatible with the faucet (sounds like it isn't), brass and copper flex work harden from bending into position and can crack if disturbed for later repairs, so I don't recommend reusing it. The only way to fix this is to replace the shutoff valve with a 1/2" to 3/8" right angle shutoff. The newer ones available are nice quarter turn units. Remove the compression fitting nut and ferrule and the 3/8" supply line should thread right on. They use a neoprene flat washer now that gets rid of the leak problem the original silver-soldered supply line was meant to prevent.
Chances are either the valve seal has disintegrated and clogged the line, or other sediment has broken free and done the same.
Disassembling a faucet is usually fairly simple. Remove the set screw retaining the handle, then start removing the exposed nut, washers, and valve components. Lay them out in order for correct reassembly. Check for damage and debris.
If your valves are not soldered in (if they're installed using compression fittings), replacement is fairly simple. It's a good opportunity for even an occasional DIYer to get his hands dirty. Post a photo or accurate description for more assistance.
Best Answer
The solution turned out to be disconnecting and reconnecting the inlet side of the supply line, because -- here's the kicker -- the supply line is a Floodsafe line designed to automatically shut off completely if the flow rate exceeds a preset maximum, which I guess I exceeded momentarily. I didn't see the labeling on the supply line until after I disconnected it, and this is the first time it happened in 1.5 years of living here. Frankly, I don't see the advantage of this. It won't do anything to stop common slow, drippy leaks.