Hey everyone! I just bought a condo in the spring and recently ordered a new refrigerator. As I was getting ready for the delivery, I realized I never tried to turn off the valves under the sink. Unfortunately, they're completely stuck, and even a good amount of penetrating oil hasn't helped at all. I suspect the previous tenants weren't very handy, given the state of other repairs I've noticed. I reached out to the HOA about the main shutoff valve for my unit, but they told me it would require shutting down the entire building. So, is calling a plumber my only choice? By the way, we're thinking of updating the kitchen later, so I could delay things if needed. Any advice?
2 Answers
If you've got copper pipes, a pipe freezer could be your best bet. It freezes the water upstream of the valve so you can cut the pipe and install a new valve without needing to shut down the whole building. It’s a pretty quick fix!
I had a similar issue in my last condo. You might have to work with your building’s maintenance team since it can take a week or so to schedule them to shut off the water. They'll give you a heads up that the water will be off for about an hour, which gives you a perfect window to get a plumber in to replace those valves. It only took my plumber about 10 minutes to do the work, and then the maintenance team turned the water back on right after. If you want, it might be worth asking the plumber to take care of any other valves while the water's off!