Sep
29
Nearly every single house that I inspect has at least one “Saddle Valve” installed. These are small valves which are attached to plumbing piping by way of ‘piercing’ the piping and being clamped into place with nothing more than a rubber bushing to provide a seal between the saddle valve and the pierced piping to which it is attached.
These valves are commonly used when a ¼ inch water supply line is required for a humidifier or a refrigerator with an icemaker inside.
Sadly, these valves are not very reliable as they are prone to leakage. Some jurisdictions in North America are starting to ban the use of saddle valves. You are encouraged to know the location of these valves in you home, and monitor them regularly for leakage. Typical installation locations are on the cold water supply piping coming into the top of your water heater, or under the kitchen cabinet on the cold water supply piping leading to the faucet of your kitchen sink.
Should these valves start to leak, it is recommended that they be replaced with a brass “Ball Valve”. The installation for this valve requires some plumbing skills and knowledge. This task requires medium skills and some specialized tools (such as a torch, solder and flux, or special crimping tools for installation on plastic water supply piping). This job is best done by a professional plumber. These ball valves (and their soldered or crimped installation) are higher quality, more reliable and rarely leak.
Written By: Kevin Hawes
Assured Home Inspections in Calgary, AB
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