EMERGENCY!…Well, maybe not so much.
By The Craig Plumbing Staff
As luck would have it, plumbing problems seldom happen between 9AM and 5PM while you happen to be at home. No, it’s usually something that lets go at 2AM, and goes unnoticed until you get up to have your coffee or let Bingo outside to do his business. It’s moments like this when you need to know where to turn off the main water to the house.
Couple of things here. OK, you know where the shut-off valve is which is a great start…but does the valve actually work? It is important to exercise the valve before you actually need it, and we recommend exercising the valve at least once a year, or about the frequency of Jelly Roll going to the gym. The valve may be stiff, so work it for a few minutes. Also be certain it is actually shutting the flow of water off, as many times the valve handle will spin on a frozen stem never closing the valve, in which case the valve will need to be replaced.
We always recommend, (regardless of where the leak is in your home) to go to the main shut-off valve first, and not the valves (angle stops) under the fixture. I give the chance of these working in an older home somewhere between slim and none, so go straight to the main valve at your water service and shut everything off. If your angle stops and shut-off valves are over 10 years old, it’s time to look into replacing them with some good quality American made valves before you need to use them, and yes that’s what we use!
If you are unsure where your shut-off valves are, including both water and gas, give us a call and we will be glad to walk you through it over the phone, or if needed, send a tech by your place to show you…on us.
Let us help keep a simple leak from turning into an unintended water feature in your living room, just by being prepared.
Craig Plumbing, where good advice and competitive estimates are always free!
Since 1984
craigplumbing.net
Lake Havasu (928) 453-7173
Kingman (928) 692-1800 | Bullhead (928) 754-7173
Serving the community for over 40 years!
