Home owners in South Orange County have beautiful homes, but there in lies a potential costly danger. This involves a very common practice by plumbing subcontractors when the house was built I'm referring to the valves, and connecting tubing, used for your sinks, toilets, and bathtubs. The ones normally installed by builders can easily be damaged or fail, leading to a small sized flood in the rooms where they are installed, and those adjoin.
The pieces I am referring to are those valves with the connecting tube attached directly to the casing. Over time, those hoses tend to be moved, and they will ultimately break where they enter the housing. Water will begin to leak, and then the problems begin.
First, a small amount of water will buildup, often on the base of a cabinet. The wood rots out, mold grows, and suddenly you have a major replacement job. If the tube breaks when you are away, water flows continuously for hours, or perhaps days, flooding everything. Where the floor meets the walls, the water will penetrate ... more rot, more mold. If it gets into carpet, or wood flooring, you may end up with a total replacement.
The solution to this problem is quite simple. Remove and replace the existing valve with a new one that has a threaded hose connection. Then use one of the newer, very flexible, hoses. The parts are very inexpensive, and readily available. You can find out how to do it on the internet from many of the homeowner self help sites, or from one of the handyman books commonly available. The steps are simple.
- Turn off the house water supply at the main valve
- turn on the faucets, or flush the toilet until no more water comes through ( leaving the valve open )
- place a pan under the valve.
- Unscrew the valve from the copper pipe, and from the faucet ( use a wrench that fits snuggly )
- Clean off the copper pipe with 0000 steel wool
- Install the new valve, make it snug ! Make sure it is turned off, then turn on the main water valve to check for leaks
- Install the new connecting hose between the valve and the faucet or toilet. Make sure its snug tight and check for leaks.
- Place a paper towel below the valve and the connection. This makes it very easy to detect any water drips !
If you have the old type of valves and hoses, this weekend project may save you a ton of money, and let you avoid the frustration of water damage.
And ... if you are not comfortable doing the work yourself, find a plumber who agrees to do the work for a reasonable rate. ( Be sure to use the consumer sites like Angie's List for the best selection. )
