At Oak Plumbing, our team of experienced and certified plumbers understands the importance of maintaining a home's plumbing system. Regular maintenance and troubleshooting of your plumbing valves are essential to ensure that your pipes and fixtures are running smoothly and efficiently. Our services range from installing, repairing, or replacing most water valve types.
Water Valve Types
Angle Stops
These valves are typically located near sinks, toilets, dishwashers, washing machines, and other fixtures in the home. They are used to shut-off water flow to those areas. In addition to being used as a shut-off valve, they can also be used to control water pressure in some regions of the house if needed.
Shut-Off Valves
These valves are generally located at the main line where water enters the house. They are typically found outside, near the meter, or inside within an accessible area such as a basement or utility closet. These valves can be used to shut off water flow into the house when necessary. It is important to note that these should only be used in emergencies as they should not be left closed for extended periods due to the potential damage they can cause if left unchecked for too long.
Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV)
These valves regulate incoming water pressure from outside sources such as city lines or well pumps. PRVs help maintain consistent pressure throughout your home's plumbing system. Pressure Reducing Valves help reduce strain on individual components like faucets and toilets while also reducing wear and tear on appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines that require certain pressure levels to operate efficiently.
Ball Valve
Ball valves are commonly found near outdoor spigots or hose bibs, where they act as a shut-off valve between outdoor faucets/hoses and indoor water lines. In some cases, these valves may also be connected directly to an appliance, such as a hot tub pump, where they would again act as a shut-off valve but also regulate incoming pressure for the proper operation of said appliance.
Gate Valve
Gate valves are commonly found near interior fixtures such as toilets, where they control incoming water flow from more extensive lines. For Example, gas valves supply entire floors with hot/cold water supply lines and entire homes with gas/water supplies from external sources like city lines or well pumps. Gate valves open/close by turning a wheel handle which acts like a gate controlling flow through pipes connected to them depending on its position (open/closed).
Check Valve
Check valves act similarly to gate valves in that they control:
- Incoming flows from more prominent sources but instead of having handles that open/close them manually
- Check valves automatically open/close based on the amount of pressure being applied through them at any given time.
- Once installed correctly in a plumbing network, regulate flow without manual intervention.
Main Water Valve
The main water valve (sometimes referred to as "the master valve") is usually located near the main entry point for all incoming water into your home (likely near an exterior wall). This is typically the main stop for all incoming supplies, whether it be municipal lines supplying potable drinking water or well pumps providing non-potable groundwater for use around your property. Main water supply lines should only be tampered with if absolutely necessary due to their critical nature when it comes to maintaining your home's plumbing system.
Oak Plumbing provides services for many different types of plumbing valves, including angle stops, shut-off values, PRVs, ball valves, gate valves, check valves, and central valve systems—all designed with efficient operation and safety in mind! Our team understands how important it is to maintain these parts within your plumbing system, so we strive to provide quality service whenever possible! If you have any issues concerning these types of components, please don't hesitate to reach out today! We would love to help get your plumbing back to optimal condition quickly and safely! Contact us now for more information regarding our available services.
