Water can pour pretty quickly into your home if that happens, so a shut-off valve, if used in time, can prevent a lot of water damage. If it doesn’t work, however, everything can go wrong pretty quickly. Here’s everything you need to know about shut-off valves, and what to do if yours doesn’t work.

What Is a Shut-off valve?

When most people hear the words shut-off valve, they think of the main one, which stops the water coming into your home. This is your go-to defense against pretty much any plumbing catastrophe, and should always be kept in good working order. Whether you have a leaking pipe, a broken shower knob, a busted water heater, or almost any other emergency you can think of, your shut-off valve is what will save you from endless water damage.

Besides the main shut off, you also typically have shut-off valves at every toilet, faucet, and appliance in your home. These shut-off valves are perfect for any situation involving very localized issues. If you have a leaking dishwasher, broken faucet knob, or a toilet that won’t stop running, for instance, this small shut-off valve will stop water flow to just that location while preserving water to the rest of the house.

Either way, any shut-off valve can mean the difference between a minor plumbing fix and major water damage, so it’s important to check these regularly to make sure they work properly.

Types of Shut-off valves

The smaller shut-off valves are typically just a small metal handle you twist to close the valve and shut off water flow. You can easily find an example of one next to your toilet. The main shut-off valve, on the other hand, is usually a ball valve, identifiable by a large lever or handle, often red in color, that runs perpendicular to the pipe when open. To close it, you’ll turn it a quarter turn until it goes the same direction as the pipe. Some older homes will have a gate valve, which will have a small metal wheel, also usually red, which you turn to close the valve. If your home has a gate valve as the main shut off, be careful, as these can break easily. It’s best to have it replaced with a modern ball valve as soon as possible.

What to Do with a Non-Working Valve

But what should you do if your valve breaks? The answer depends upon what the valve is actually doing. If it’s leaking, for instance, you could try grabbing a pair of pliers and tightening it up. If it’s stuck, you can try spraying it with WD-40 and letting it sit for a while before trying again, in the hopes that the oil will loosen up whatever is stuck.

If the valve is only partially closing, or if you can’t get it unstuck or to stop leaking, you’ll need to call a plumber to determine whether the valve needs to be replaced. A shut-off valve that doesn’t close all way can’t do its job in an emergency and is liable to leave you with a house full of water.

It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to check your shut-off valves occasionally! Finding out one isn’t working in a non-emergency situation is much less stressful and gives you time to get it fixed during normal business hours. Finding out it doesn’t work when you need it most is going to make a bigger problem out of something that could have been little more than an inconvenience.

Next Steps

If you’ve found a shut-off valve that isn’t working, call Dauenhauer ASAP to get it straightened out. Our experienced technicians can assess the valve and determine whether it needs to be replaced. And because we know life happens and you aren’t always going to catch a problem during business hours, we also offer 24/7 emergency service.

We try to awaken any telekinesis ability we may have missed and force the water back down. If our superhuman side doesn’t appear, then we wait for that inevitable splash of water as it hits the bathroom floor. It’s an awful, frightening sound.

Then comes the panic. This is where we can offer some advice. The last thing you want is water damage. Just follow these tips, and we’ll get through this:

Turn off the water

When the water is overflowing, you need to stop the water. You can do this by shutting off the water supply line. You can find the water valve below the water tank. After overflowing stops, allow the toilet bowl to drain thoroughly.

Plunge away

Typically when a clog occurs, it will happen in either the toilet bowl or trap. Plungers are lifesavers for resolving the blocked clogs. Make sure you’re using the correct plunger for toilets. A common mistake is people will use a sink plunger, which will not form the proper seal for a toilet.

Snake it

So you tried to plunge but that didn’t pan out. Now it’s time to use the snake or auger. Both of them work closely. Toilet augers are designed specifically to crawl through your drainpipes and snag the clog. It works with the shape of the toilet and the s-shaped trap.

Clean things up

Time is precious when it comes to cleanup. The longer the water sits the more damage it will cause. Besides the obvious mess, water can be absorbed into the walls, thus letting the bacteria to grow. Consider using a dry/wet vacuum to suck up the standing water and waste. Go ahead and use towels and blankets to soak in the water. You can always wash those afterwards.

Dry things out

Once the waste and water is removed, make sure to use high-powered fans and air movers to dry out the damaged material from the backed up toilet. You can typically rent air movers from a local hardware store.

Looking for a few more answers to your overflowing toilet? No problem. Simply call your Louisville or Lexington Dauenhauer, any hour.

You see plants don’t purify indoor air. At least, not the way that a typical air purifier does, using filtration to remove gross stuff from the air. Research does show that plants have a limited ability to lower concentrations of certain gases and chemicals from indoor air. But just in really, really, really small quantities. To achieve the kind of indoor air quality you’d be looking for, you’d honestly have to have a rainforest in your home. And while that would be incredible, it’s highly unlikely.

So what do I do about my IAQ?

By all means, feel free to invest in a few more ferns. But here are some other ways you can improve your home’s air quality:

• Invest in an air quality monitor

It helps to know what you can improve when you know exactly what you’re dealing with.

• Use an air purifier

Everyone can breathe easier when you know you’re pumping pure, pollutant-free air directly into your personal space.

• Limit activities that introduce chemicals into your indoor air
• Use green-cleaning chemicals
• Don’t burn wood inside

If you do, make sure to use a wood stove that has a filter.

• Regularly ventilate your home or building after cooking or cleaning

So what did we learn? Using plants will do little to clean your indoor air, while changing your indoor habits can drastically improve your IAQ. With newer, energy-efficient homes and buildings circulating less fresh air, making informed, intelligent decisions about your indoor lifestyle is an increasingly important part of making sure you’re always breathing the cleanest possible air.

Need to improve your IAQ? Just call your local Louisville or Lexington Dauenhauer, any hour.