The Importance of Automatic Water Shut Off Valves

7/8/2020 (Permalink)

Every water appliance, fixture supply tube, and pipe in your Norwood, Ma commercial or residential property has the potential to leak. These appliances and lines are fed by water pressure from city supply line or well pump, once a leak starts, there's nothing to stop it.

If you catch the leak early, you can stop the water flow by using fixture shutoff valves or the house's main shutoff valve. What happens if the property is vacant when disaster strikes? The property will probably suffer costly water damage.

Automatic Water Shutoff Valve

An automatic water shutoff valve is a simple electric device that does exactly that. One of these devices can cost as little as $200—and can save your property from a flood that can easily cause upwards of $10,000 of damage in just a few hours.

Two Types of Water Shutoff Valves

The sole job of an automatic water shutoff valve is to sense a water leak and stop the water flow by closing an internal ball valve. That simple action is triggered by a water sensor that you place on the floor where a leak is likely to occur, usually adjacent to a water appliance, such as your refrigerator, washing machine, toilet, dishwasher or water heater. If the sensor detects water up on the floor, it sends a signal to the valve, which then shuts off the water flow—which stays off until you turn it back on or reset the system.

A typical automatic water shutoff device includes several sensors that connect wirelessly to the valve unit, which can shut off your home's main water supply or just one appliance or fixture water supply line.

Single-location Shutoff Valves 

These devices are used to protect the pipes or hoses serving the appliances most likely to leak:

• Washing machine
• Water heater
• Toilet

Other appliance supply lines that commonly leak include those for refrigerator/freezer water dispensers and ice makers, water filtration systems and humidifiers, as well as any sink faucet or other plumbing fixture.

To protect more than one appliance or fixture, install a whole-house shutoff valve. These devices are typically located near the existing main shutoff valve where the water supply pipe enters the house. The sensors can then be placed throughout the house to provide protection to all areas prone to leaks.

We’re Here for You

The team at SERVPRO of Norwood/West Roxbury has specialized training and experience in water damage remediation, fire restoration services, natural disaster prevention, chemical cleanup, and natural disaster cleanup. Call SERVPRO of Norwood/West Roxbury at (781) 769-9125 today.