Have you ever had to repair extensive water damage in your home? If you haven’t, you should know that it’s not pretty. Water damage can be very widespread, even from something as small as a leaking toilet seal overnight. Repairing that kind of damage can cost thousands of dollars, which is why it’s in your best interests to prevent it from ever happening in the first place. Read on to find out how an automatic shutoff valve can help you out.
Water Valves and Water Damage
Typically, the first thing that should be done when a plumbing emergency occurs is to turn off the flow of water in the home. This is most easily accomplished by closing the water valve, which sits in the water line. The problem with relying on this method is two-fold. First, you need to know the location. The location of the water shutoff valve isn’t standardized, and most people don’t actually know where theirs is. This is not something that you want to be running around looking for if you’ve got a pipe rupture pouring water into your home.
The second issue is that plumbing emergencies are just as likely to happen when you’re not home as when you are. Even if you know exactly where your water shutoff valve is, and can get to it quickly, it won’t matter if you’re not there when the problem occurs. This is where an automatic shutoff valve can help you out.
An automatic shutoff valve is installed in your home’s water line, and constantly monitors the state of the water in your pipes. If it detects a sudden change in the plumbing system, as when a large leak or rupture occurs, it will shut down the flow of water automatically. No action required on your part, which means you get the fastest possible response even if you’re not there.
