Stop Valves
Shut-off Valves
Shut-off valves are important for operating plumbing devices that should be installed for every fixture in the house or business. Shut-off valves located in every plumbing fixture, will limit the work area, and keep the other parts of the house functional.
Shut-off Valves Types:
Fixtures Shut-offs
If one of the plumbing devices or fixture does not have a shut-off valve, you will need to shut off the whole house in a case of emergency. Therefore, shut-off valves are installed in: Faucets, toilets, refrigerators (for the ice line), washing machines, water heaters, and dishwashers.
A stop valve typically has a body with a chrome finish color and oval handle. If the handle will not open that easily, do not force it, it will probably break, and wont shut off the water completely in case of emergency. In case there is no shut-off valve, it will be very important to install one.
Main Shut-offs
Every house should have main shut-off valves, which regulate the flow of water to the house and can potentially regulate the water pressure too. In some houses the main shut-off is located inside the houses and in some cases the shut-off is outside the house. It will be recommended to install the main shut-off outside the house. Always important to locate the main shut-off valve, this is usually located near the point of the water meter. Two valves should be located, one on each side of the meter. In some cases, a house that does not has a shut-off valve, search for a large pipe that enters the house, often through the basement floor. Somewhere along the pipe, you should find the valve. In warm weather, main shut-off valves would be more found outside the house. In cold weather, the main shut-off valves would be more common inside the house. An outside shut-off valve is near the point where a pipe branches off from the utility’s main line to bring water to your home. In some cases you can’t find the shut-off valve, call the water utility department and ask them form some help. In cold weather, outside shut-off are housed in a plastic or concrete underground container, sometime called “Underground Container” or “Buffalo Box”.
In colder regions, shut-off will be located below the frost line, at the bottom of the tube covered with cast-iron cover. A special key or a wrench to be able to reach and turn the water off and on.
Intermediate Shut-offs
In some cases, shut-off valves can be found exposed in a basement, crawlspace, utility room, or access panels behind a bathtub. In most cases, there will be one for hot water and one for cold water. If water has been running, you can feel which is the hot part…These Intermediate shut-offs are controlling the water flow to portions of the house. To find out which valve control specific fixture, close it and go through the house, turning on the faucets and flushing the toilets. Just remember that toilets will be needed to be flushed twice, and then listen to the water refilling the tank after the flush. For hot water heaters, shut-off will be located near the boiler.
Water Meter
It is important to locate the water meter of the house, check the water usage and make sure there are no leaks that the utility is charging correctly. A water meter (some of them have a digital readout) simply displays the amount at the start of the billing month. If a major leak is not detected, you will see the average monthly bill goes up.
For more information, check out: http://www.plumber-denver-co.com/ or http://www.plumber-denver-co.com/plumbing-denver-articles.html
About the Author
I have been in the industry and a business owner for over 30 years.
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