It is always suggested to be cautious and take proactive measures when it comes to your plumbing system. Taking this type of stance may end up saving you thousands of dollars, and avoid an emergency situation where you have no water in the entire house.
Frequently our customers will call to notify us that they attempted to close their old gate valve and it is now stuck in the closed position, or it is leaking and they cannot stop the leaking water. The first question we are asked is “where is the sidewalk valve to close my water so I can change the valve?”
This question brings up a new series of potential issues, but the short answer is that most homes in NYC do not have a water main curb valve and the water must actually be closed from the tap connection that is located 3′ below the roadway.
For this exact reason it is suggested to avoid utilizing an old gate valve and install a new ball valve directly after the gate valve. The theory is that your new gate valve is a lot less prone to failing due to its age and the functionality of the valve itself. In the plumbing industry it is always suggested to use a ball valve over a gate valve due to the fact that the gate valve is a partial turn of a handle instead of a multi turn of a gate valve. the fewer turns, the less opportunity for problems!
