Recently I found my washing machine hot water hookup drips slightly when the washer is not attached. I believe it is a bad valve. When the washer is attached, water flows to the drain and doesn’t cause any issue. I talked to a plumber and he said the cheap solution is to put a cap on the hookup when there is no washer attached, but if I really have to fix the valve then he will have to cut up the dry wall and it will be very expensive.
I don’t want the bad valve to affect the pipe in the wall (water corrosion etc.) and cause bigger damage in the future but also don’t want to spend the money if it is not necessary. I don’t know much about plumbing so I want to ask here to see what your guys say.
Should just let it stay like it is or repair/replace the valve?
Best Answer
Should I spend $$ now to repair a known issue or wait to spend $$$$ later to fix the damage caused by known issue. Hmmm....
Also, how often do you attach and remove your washer hookup hoses? I'm 99.9999% certain that the last time I did that was when I last replaced the washer years ago.
If you want to save some money, and you're interested in learning some DIY skills, have the plumber replace the plumbing, but leave the drywall for you to fix. Most big-box home centers sell "project" sized pieces of drywall (smaller than 4x8' sheets) and small containers of drywall mud. You'll need a roll of drywall tape and a drywall knife or two. Tools and materials will probably be under $50, definitely under $100. There are loads of videos on the Tube of You on how to do drywall as well as oodles of questions here about it. It's not hard, it's just time consuming if you want to do a good job. If an adequate job is acceptable, it's a Saturday afternoon project. (Don't forget, the tools are reusable assets that you can apply to your next project with your new found skills, so they're an investment, not an expense.)