Valve Value

I cannot overstate the value of shut-off valves for individual plumbing fixtures (ie. under sinks, even for showers).  There are a few key reasons why you should have shut-off valves for every fixture:

1.  If there is something wrong with a particular fixture (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower, toilet) that fixture's water lines can be turned off without affecting (turning off the water) the rest of your home.

2.  Changing out faucets in the future will be easier for the plumber and therefore less expensive in the long run.

3.   In older houses the main shut-off valve still lets water through the pipe.  And with water coming through the pipe it makes it hard to change faucets (with no shut-offs), toilets (with shut-off valves that don't work).

4.  The plumbing code only requires 3 shut-off valves in your house:  main shut-off, shut-off to the hot water tank, and the toilet shut-off (because toilets get repaired and removed more often than any other fixture).

5.  Another reason for water shut-offs can be illustrated with the repair of a shower valve.  Shower valves usually don't have their own shut-offs.  This can be difficult if  the valve stems or shower cartridge has to be removed and taken off-site (for comparison) to find a replacement (if it is older and not a common part) or if it is stuck (or seized) in the valve housing.  This has actually happened (turning a half hour job into a 2-3 hour job).  Imagine you have an open water line and you have the whole house's water turned off for an indefinite period of time until the issue is fixed.  This could be avoided by having shut-offs that isolate the fixture.  The stress level would be much lower (for both the homeowner and the plumber).  


As you can see the plumbing code is just a minimum standard.
For ease of maintenance, shut-off valves should be installed for each fixture.

If you are making changes to your house (renovating or adding a bathroom or kitchen), make sure every fixture gets a shut-off (including water to a fridge or dishwasher).


Thanks for reading,

Jay Bortnik
Journeyman Jay Plumbing
780-266-3939

P.S.  -  We also do plumbing for bathroom renovations, kitchen renovations and new bathrooms.  And remember, city permits are sometimes required (usually when fixture locations are moved from their original locations).  And for your protection, make sure you engage the services of a plumbing business that can obtain the proper permits, if they are required.