Honestly, I don’t always think replacing both is necessary if the valve looks solid and there’s no corrosion. Sometimes those old brass valves outlast the fridge itself. I get wanting to avoid a second leak, but I’ve seen folks swap out perfectly good parts and just add work for themselves. Guess it depends on how rough the original install was.
Sometimes those old brass valves outlast the fridge itself.
- True, old brass can be tough as nails, but I still get a little twitchy about leaving them if there’s any sign of wear.
- Even a tiny bit of corrosion can mean trouble down the line—seen too many “minor” leaks turn into kitchen floods.
- If it looks pristine and the install was done right, I’ll leave it. But if it’s crusty or feels loose, I’d rather swap it than risk a call-back.
- Might be overkill, but I’d rather be safe than mopping up water at 2am... again.
- I get the hesitation, but honestly, I’d rather swap out an old valve if there’s any doubt. Even a little drip wastes water and that bugs me. Plus, brass is recyclable, so it’s not going to landfill.
- Had a slow leak once that went unnoticed for weeks—ended up with warped floorboards. Never again...
Man, I hear you on the slow leaks. We had a tiny drip behind our old fridge that I didn’t even notice until the laminate started buckling. Ended up pulling half the kitchen apart just to dry it out. Ever since then, I replace those valves if they even look suspicious—cheap insurance compared to fixing floors. It’s wild how something so small can cause such a headache.
Yeah, those sneaky leaks are the worst. I had a similar thing when I moved in—noticed a weird soft spot behind the fridge and turns out the ice maker line was barely dripping for who knows how long. Ended up shelling out $200 for a plumber to swap the valve and line, which felt steep at the time but way cheaper than replacing subfloor. Now I’m paranoid and check under every appliance like a detective. Funny how one little drip can cause such chaos...
