Water is an essential resource; without the plumbing system, your Deerfield Beach, FL home would not have enough of it. Further, it would be very inconvenient and uncomfortable since the wastes wouldn’t have a way of flowing off from your home. Hence, it enhances sanitation, comfort, and hygiene at your home. It flows from the utility company to your home through the water line. However, the plumbing system and fixtures are prone to wear and tear after years of continued use. If left unchecked, water leaks from cracked or burst pipes might cause much water damage. As a result, you will be left with a problem that could cost you thousands to repair and restore the damaged property.
Fortunately, there are several mechanisms that you could use to shut off the water flow or leak as you wait for a plumber. Locating and closing the water shutoff valve is one of them. This post will discuss the different types of water shutoff valves, their characteristics, and how they could help you deal with leaks.
What’s a Water Shutoff Valve?
Before delving into various water shutoff valves, it is only logical first to try and understand what it is. A water shutoff valve is a plumbing component that allows a homeowner to easily and quickly shut off the water supply into your home. It is essential, especially in a plumbing issue that might cause water damage, such as a burst or broken pipe. Below are the various categories of water shutoff valves and their use.
Ball Valve
In most residential plumbing systems, ball valves are commonly used. These valves have a long lifespan and can withstand extremely high water pressure. Hence, they are perfect for use in the main water lines. The flow of water stops by simply turning its lever to an OFF position. To relieve the pressure within the piping, drain the remaining water. You could do this by turning on an outlet located at the lowest part of your Deerfield Beach, FL home.
Such plumbing fixtures include a faucet or bathroom in the basement that will allow all the water to flow out completely. After a plumber comes over and fixes the issue, you can turn the lever to an ON position to restore the water supply into your home. However, you should have the professional check the sealing by turning on a fixture that uses high pressure, such as a shower, to ensure that it is intact and water can flow at a consistent and steady pressure.
Stop-and-Waste Valve
Are your sprinklers leaking? Do you have a problem with your outdoor plumbing fixtures and systems? Whenever you call a plumber to address the issue, they will start by finding and locating the stop-and-waste valve in your yard. These valves are easy to spot since they are large. Hence, they are essential for quickly shutting off your water supply to outdoor fixtures in an emergency.
The plumber locates the valve box’s cover and removes it, and accesses the valve. To turn it, the professional uses a unique meter key tool. Though you could purchase the key from any hardware store and repair the underlying issue, this isn’t recommended as you might worsen the problem. After they close the water shutoff valve, the professional drains any remaining water using a garden hose, then they inspect the plumbing, isolate the issue, and fix it.
Supply Stop Valve
Do you suspect the plumbing issue lies within a single plumbing fixture like a washing machine, toilet, dishwasher, shower, or water heater? Rather than shut off the water flow to your entire house, you could shut off the flow into the fixture. Most plumbing appliances have a shutoff valve beneath or behind them that allows homeowners to turn off the water supply to the fixture in an emergency.
The supply stop valves come in straight, angled designs resembling miniature gate valves.
When the appliance has a plumbing issue, the plumber first will shut off the water supply by turning the valve’s handle in the clockwise direction, relieving the pressure, and inspecting the appliance for the issue.
Gate Valve
The other type of valve you might find in a plumbing system is a gate valve. It resembles a ball valve. However, rather than use a lever, these valves use a wheel. The gate valves are commonly used in industrial applications though you might still find some in your Deerfield Beach, FL home’s plumbing. Whenever a plumbing issue requires water to be shut off, the plumber locates the wheel and turns it anti-clockwise. The professionals then use their skills and experience to relieve the pipes of pressure. When all the water is pumped out, and pressure is normal, the plumbing expert inspects the plumbing for issues and fixes them, if any.
Saddle Valve
This is a small valve that is T-shaped. It connects the plumbing appliances to the water supply without a need for soldering them. Humidifiers, refrigerators, and ice-making appliances have a saddle valve installed in most cases. The plumber turns the handle clockwise whenever there is a need to stop the water flow into the appliance. However, some modern building codes don’t allow the installation of new saddle valves. Hence, you’ll most likely encounter this problem in older homes. If you still use them, have a plumber replace them with modern valves.
Renowned Plumbing Professionals
According to the EPA, water leaks account for a lot of water wastage to a tune of 1 trillion gallons per year. Hence, any measure to curb this wastage is welcome. Although routine maintenance can play a vital role in averting leaks, you sometimes need a more immediate solution. This is where valves come in. As you can see, there are several types of valves that you can have a plumber install in your home. Call our professionals at MainLine Plumbing today for leakage protection services to have either of the valves above installed.