Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Can You Shut Off Your Water in an Emergency?
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Old 05-07-2022, 08:18 AM
retiredguy123 retiredguy123 is offline
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I can understand replacing the plastic valve with a metal one if you are going to be using the valve a lot. But, if you only need the valve in emergencies, I would stay with the plastic valve. Your entire water system is plastic pipe and you already have about 12-15 plastic push-pull valves at your sinks, toilets, etc. When the plumber installs a metal valve, he/she needs to make two connections between plastic and metal pipe which can cause a leak even if the metal valve operates properly. But, the important thing is to test the valve occasionally to make sure that it is accessible and not stuck and can be turned off when needed. I have been in some houses where there is so much junk piled in front of the valve, that you can't get to it. And, the homeowner doesn't even know where the valve is anyway. Also, the builder installs an access panel in the wall in front of the valve that you cannot open without a screwdriver. When your bathtub is overflowing, you need to be able to shut off the water immediately.