Emergency Shut-off Valves Are Important, Says Wimpy’s

Emergency shut-off valves are important, says Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  When people have a problem with one of their plumbing fixtures, and need to isolate that particular fixture, it is important that the emergency shut-off valve shuts off properly.

Each plumbing fixture in your home has emergency shut-off valves, commonly known as “stops”.  They are located underneath each plumbing fixture.  They are placed there so as you can  turn off one plumbing fixture without affecting the rest of your plumbing fixtures.  These valves or stops, as plumbers would call them, are usually never exercised.  This means that once they are installed, years may go by without them ever being turned off.  Exercising  stops is similar to exercising your body.  If you don’t use it, you lose it.   With stops or emergency shut-off valves, what will happen, particularly in the Sarasota, Bradenton area where Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air does plumbing repairs for its’ customers, is that due to the hard water, the stops will freeze up.  Or from the day they were installed, they weeped a little.  Now when you look at the emergency shut-off valve and go to use it twenty years later, it is green and corroded.  When you see the green and corrosion on these stops, common sense will tell you that I better not try and turn this emergency shut-off valve, even though it may be an emergency.  It could cause an even bigger emergency by messing with it.

A skilled Master Plumber, would  be able to replace your emergency shut-off valves, so as to give you peace of mind that they will actually work in an emergency.  Sometimes in older homes, the valves are soldered on.  This means that to replace the stop, one would have to heat up the solder joint so that the solder melts and the stop could be removed and replaced.

Maintaining your homes plumbing is important.  Plumbing is the heart of your home.  When an emergency in your plumbing, dictates that you need to turn off the water to something, you want it to work.  It is similar to posting your address numbers on your house.  When you need an ambulance to find your home, it would be to late to go out and put your house numbers on your home.  Be ready for emergencies.  Maintain your plumbing.

If you want help maintaining your plumbing, call Wimpy’s Plumbing & Air.  We are a Sarasota based, family owned, plumbing business that has been exceeding our customers expections for over forty three years. Call 941-322-1911 or schedule an inspection online at www. Loveyourplumber.com.  We will send out a Florida State Certified Licensed Master Plumber to inspect your plumbing and recommend what is best for you.