Ask the Builder: Preventing Expensive Plumbing Service Calls

The biggest mistake most homeowners make is the failure to exercise valves.

This is a ball valve. It's the best one to have for a main shutoff valve in your home. Be sure to turn it on and off four times a year. Tim Carter/TNS

I received two frantic phone calls in less than 12 hours several days ago. Both calls were about plumbing emergencies. The one young woman was so flustered she hung up on me the instant she discovered my Google Maps listing was about drawing plumbing plans, not doing plumbing service calls. I speculated a pipe had burst and water was flooding her home once the line went dead.

The second call was from the young woman who attends my church. I’ve shared other tales about her home-repair challenges in past columns. This time the hot water in her home would only last for 10 seconds. Ice-cold water would then flow from the faucets and shower head. The last thing anyone wants in New Hampshire is to take a cold shower in February.