5 IMPORTANT PLUMBING VALVES YOUR HOME NEEDS

In every home, valves are important to have enough control of your home’s systems and facilities. This is also important for safety precautions of your family and home. Install control and safety valves in your home and make sure to know their locations to easily locate them in case of emergency. Here are some valves you must install in your homes.

• Shut-off Valves

Shut-off valves are the most common valves found in many homes. This is because this can control and stop water flow especially when plumbing emergency arises. This is very helpful in saving water especially when going through plumbing repairs and home improvement activities.

• Main Shut-off Valve is the valve that controls the water flow and stops the water from coming into your entire home’s plumbing system especially during complicated repairs, leaks and bursting.

• Toilet Shut-off Valve is commonly located under the toilet tank to prevent water supply when repairing your toilet. This can be useful during running toilet repairs.

• Faucet Shut-off Valve is commonly located below your kitchen sinks. This stops water supply coming to your kitchen taps. This can also be used for a total stoppage when your kitchen tap leaks.

• Outdoor Faucet Shut-off Valve – commonly located on the basement and controls the flow of water for your outdoor faucets such as your garden faucets and outdoor sprinkler.

• Check Valves

This valve helps keeping a correct water flow in your plumbing system. This is very useful to avoid contaminations especially on your drinking water. This is also used on sump pumps to make sure that the water leaves the area and never comes back to avoid doing more harm than good.

• Pressure Relief Valves

This is located on your water heater devices for safety purposes. When the pressure in your water heater rises, the valve will release the pressure by discharging air or water to avoid explosion of your water heater tank.

• Pressure Reducing Valves

This is a bell-shaped valve located on pipelines that carries water to your home. The force of the water that comes from the city water main might be too great to strain your pipes. You will know that your pressure reducing valve needs replacement when loud noise is heard from your pipes and if it is knocking around.

• Gas Valves

You will need this in your home if you have gas-powered appliances, either natural gas or propane. This is to quickly turn off the gas supply on a certain appliance whenever it experiences complications. This is best way to avoid a gas leak which is the primary cause of fire.