Know Your Valves: What Every Homeowner Should Know About Water and Gas
We all know the importance of a construction job well done in a house or apartment. However, the most important aspects of a construction job that should be taken into very careful consideration are plumbing and electrical. When a homeowner hires a plumber or contractor to replace all water lines in a bathroom or kitchen, we recommend that the homeowner requests that the plumber or contractor installs easy access “shut off valves” covered by an access panel which can be used for future necessities. The importance of installing shut off valves for hot and cold water lines in both the bathroom and kitchen avoids the extra work of having to shut off the water system of the entire house when performing a small repair in the bathroom or to the kitchen’s water lines.
Another personal recommendation that we would like to put forward is the importance of assessing the condition in which a gas valve is in when removing cabinets or replacing an old stove with a new one. Often, people tend to disregard the condition of their gas valves or avoid checking. Based on our experience, this could be a serious problem if the valve is in older or in detrimental condition. A valve in poor condition may produce gas leaks that could spread throughout the house/apartment and cause serious damage.
Always keep your eyes open towards the gas valve when someone is replacing a stove or removing and adding cabinets in the kitchen area in which the valve is located.