[Help_Me_Please]

Hello,
Last week my washing machine stopped working. I went to work on it to determine if I need a belt replacement. Here in lays the problem. I took the two water hoses from the back of the washer and the drain pipe out of the drain. My hot water hose from the water heater will not shut off. There is a valve at the top but it will not shut off it keeps dripping hot water into the drain pipe where I had to place it.This is draining my already too small water heater and luke warm water for two days. There is not a shut off valve from the water connection just a " Y" unit. HELP! I don't have the money to call a plumber and I can't live like this. Someone have mercy on me.

[labman]

Go to Wal-Mart tonight yet and buy one of those hose end shutoffs and install it on the valve. Maybe a metal one will stand the heat better. May have to go to a good hardware in the morning to find one this time of year. Depending how adventuresome you are, you could call it fixed.

Otherwise, when you have a chance, shut the water off at the main valve where it comes in the house or the pressure tank. Then you can take the valve apart and fix it or replace it.

[labman]

Hey, if you have a hose nozzle around the house anywhere, put it on the valve now and shut it off.

[Help_Me_Please]

Thank you so much. Will go to the hardware store in the am and get a shut off valve. I managed to cut the water off from it's main source and will put the metal shut off valve in place as soon as I get one. Thank you again and God Bless and keep you.

[speedball1]

Labman gave you a quick and easy fix, but as a plumber I prefer to go to the source of the problem. It seems to me you have a few more options here. (1) You can shut the water off to the house and replace the hot water supply valve which is usually a common hose bib or boiler drain, or (2) You can shut the water off to the house and unscrew the large nut that the stem runs through. This is called the bonnet packing nut and once it's unscrewed you can back the stem and washer assembly out counterclockwise. You may now change out the faulty washer and restore your setup back to the original configuration. Good luck, Tom