WELL FIRST, WHAT ARE ANGLE STOP VALVES?
Also called compression valves, angle stop valves are the emergency shutoff valves located under each water-using appliance and fixture in your home.
They are used for two reasons:
- If you are upgrading fixtures or need to make a repair to a single appliance or fixture in your home that requires water, instead of having to turn the water off to your entire home, you can simply use the angle stop valve to turn off the water to just that single appliance or fixture alone.
- If your appliance or fixture springs a leak or even completely bursts, turning the emergency shutoff valve to that appliance or fixture will help keep you from hefty water damage until the proper repairs are made.
SO WHY DO MY ANGLE STOP VALVES NEED TO BE REPLACED?
Well, there are many reasons why a repairman or a plumber may recommend that your angle stop valves need to be replaced. The first is pretty straightforward; If he notices a leak around the shutoff valve, this is a tell-tale sign of an outdated angle stop valve and it NEEDS TO BE REPLACED before it completely bursts and causes major water damage inside your home.
MY ANGLE STOP VALVE IS NOT LEAKING, SO WHY DOES IT NEED TO BE REPLACED?
Well, just as in the previous case, it is most generally due to outdated parts. Older angle stop valves, normally called 1-piece angle stop valves, were never designed to last. After 8-10 years OR EVEN JUST ONE USE AFTER INSTALLATION, the compression part of the valve, that actually stops the water, tends to fail. This leaves your home vulnerable to future leaks and completely broken or burst shutoff valves (which of course often occur in the middle of the night or when you’re not home and able to catch it). For that reason, repairmen and plumbers often refuse to even touch these older 1-piece angle stop valves.
Instead, they normally recommend replacing these valves with a dual-angle stop valve or quarter-turn shutoff valve with stainless steel, no burst, supply lines. These newer model quarter-turn shutoff valves are MADE TO LAST, so there is no fear of any leaks or broken shutoff valves when you’re not home.
So don’t wait any longer and get your angle stop valves replaced today! Most plumbing companies even provide a pretty good discounted rate if you decide to change out ALL of your angle stop valves at once, so don’t forget to ask!