I get being wary of plastic valves—I was too, honestly. When I moved in, I figured the old metal ones would be more reliable, but they seized up the first time I tried to shut off the water. Ended up with a soaked hallway and a whole lot of regret. Now I check every few months, but I still don’t totally trust any of them.
Yeah, I get the skepticism around plastic valves. Honestly, I swapped out a bunch of old brass ones thinking they'd last forever, but two of them crumbled when I tried to turn them in an emergency. Ended up crawling under the sink at 3 AM with a bucket and a lot of cursing. Now I just give every valve a twist every couple months—metal or plastic, they all seem to have their issues. Not sure there's a perfect option, just gotta stay on top of it.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had better luck with the newer plastic valves than the old metal ones. Maybe it’s just the water in my area, but the brass ones corrode like crazy and seize up. One time I tried to shut off a metal valve and the handle just snapped right off—felt like I was in a slapstick comedy. I do the same thing now, though, just give everything a twist every so often. Still, kinda makes me wonder if there’s a better material out there that doesn’t just… give up after a few years.
Funny you mention the plastic valves—I swapped a few in after a copper pipe burst behind my washing machine at 3am last winter. The plastic ones are holding up, but I’m still a bit skeptical about their longevity compared to metal. I’ve read that PEX with those quarter-turn ball valves is supposed to resist corrosion better, but I haven’t had them in long enough to really say. Honestly, I just hope I never have to deal with another midnight flood...
I’ve been wondering about that too—are the plastic valves actually as durable as the metal ones in the long run? I keep hearing mixed things. Also, does anyone know if PEX is more likely to freeze and burst than copper, or is that just a myth?
