Tighten the packing nut on the toilet shutoff valve one-eighth turn clockwise to try to seal a leak around the nut. Pro tip: Wrap cloth or masking tape on the plier’s jaws to protect the nut’s finish.

If you get drips of water coming through your pipes even with the main shutoff valve completely closed, it’s probably time to replace the shutoff with a new ball valve. It’s not complicated, but the ...