Why You Should Install an Automatic Shutoff Valve

Do you happen to know where your water shutoff valve is? It may not seem like that big of a deal to know where it is, or not. However, you will really wish that you did know if a plumbing emergency occurs and you can’t find it. Or, you could do yourself a favor and install an automatic shutoff valve. Read on to find out why that might be a good idea.
 

The Shutoff Valve

Every home has its own shutoff valve, which sits in the water line somewhere between the home and the city water main (or a well, if that’s the source of your water.) The point of this shutoff valve is to control the flow of all water into the home. If there is a problem, like a pipe bursting and gushing water all over the floor, the idea is that you can shut the valve and prevent further water damage while waiting for repairs. Now, this is a pretty great idea, but it does have a few flaws:

1. The location of the shutoff valve is not standardized, which means it could be in any one of a half-dozen different places in each home. If you don’t already know where it is, you really don’t want to run around looking for it in case of an emergency.
2. The shutoff valve is manual, under normal circumstances. That means that if you aren’t there to activate it when something goes wrong, it might as well not be there.

This is why you need an automatic shutoff valve, which will monitor the amount of pressure in your water line in case of leaks. If and when a large leak occurs, the valve will shut down the flow of water until it can be repaired.
 

Magnolia Plumbing, Heating & Cooling offers automatic shutoff valve services in Springfield, VA.