Occasionally we run into a situation we haven’t encountered before. Since we have been in business a long time, this doesn’t occur very often, but occasionally we get something we haven’t seen before. Yesterday was one of those days.
A new customer who found us on the Better Business Bureau website called us in a panic. She was standing in water from a flood in her kitchen. She had already tried shutting off the angle stop valves for her kitchen sink but they failed. Because she didn’t know the location of her main water shut off valve, she called her neighbor to help her find it. Luckily, the neighbor was home, found the ball valve and successfully shut it off, but only after she was standing in water.
A plastic dishwasher supply line to her dishwasher had suffered damage from a mouse. Who could anticipate that type of event? We have seen a similar problem in the past where roof rats had eaten a hole in a plastic drainpipe fitting, but this hole in a plastic supply line was a first for us.
The picture is a plastic dishwasher supply line that comes standard with most dishwashers when installed. What we recommended and the customer agreed was a two-part repair. First, we installed a new quarter turn ball valve angle-stop valve. These valves will turn off reliably when they need to.
Next, we installed a new no-burst, stainless-steel dishwasher supply line. Mice will not eat through a braided, stainless-steel line. She will not have this problem again, whether or not her cat detains the mouse. The important thing to recognize here is that you should know your shut off valves function properly when you need them.
As unlikely as this scenario is to happen to you, problems can always arise and most water lines in the home are under pressure. Most water damage claims in the home occur from broken supply lines or water heater failures. If you cannot shut off your supply line or are away on vacation, for example, the line will keep running. If you check your angle stop valves and they do not shut off, call us.
Before you test your angle stops, however, be sure your main water shutoff valve works correctly in case they break when you try to test them. We can replace your angle stops for much less than the cost of your insurance deductible.