The 'Useless' Valve I Almost Removed Just Saved Me from a Flood. Never touch the old stuff.
For two years, there was this random, half-painted shutoff valve in my basement. It wasn't the main water line, and no one knew what it did. I seriously considered removing it during a cleanup because it was ugly and seemed useless—leftover junk from an old setup.
Last month, I heard a faint hissing sound late at night from behind a wall near the laundry. After shutting off the main water and still hearing a tiny sound, I randomly remembered the stupid valve. Turning that single, stiff valve completely silenced the leak.
It turned out that valve isolated one obscure utility line I didn't even know existed. If I had removed it, that tiny hissing leak would have run all night, resulting in a huge flood, opened walls, and a major disaster...Don't mess with the old, weird, useless things in an old house.
#Homeowners #HomeMaintenance #Plumbing
