Pressure test every time? Nah, not unless I’ve done a bunch of joints at once or there’s something I’m unsure about. For a single valve swap, I’ll just turn the water back on slow and keep a towel handy. If it’s bone dry after a few minutes, I call it good. Only had one or two slow drips over the years and they were always compression fittings that needed a bit more tightening.
Had a buddy who trusted his solder job, only to find out later he’d missed a tiny pinhole—ended up with water damage behind the wall. That made me a little more paranoid, but I still don’t bust out the gauge unless it’s a bigger project.
Color coding is smart. I’ve used zip ties in different colors before—cheap and nobody can say they didn’t see ‘em. Still, in an actual burst pipe moment, people lose their minds and start turning every valve except the right one... Murphy’s Law, I guess.
I hear you on the pressure test thing. I’m the same—only bother with it if I’ve got a bunch of new joints or something’s sketchy. For a quick fix, slow water on, towel ready, and watch for drips. If it’s dry after a bit, I move on.
Color coding helps, but in a real burst pipe panic, people just freak out and start twisting everything. I’ve had tenants do that and make things worse. I started labeling main shutoffs with big tags—hard to miss, even in a rush. Not foolproof, but it’s saved me a few headaches.
Big tags are smart, but honestly, half the time in an emergency people still freeze up or yank the wrong valve anyway. I’ve seen someone twist the main shutoff so hard it snapped. I’m all for labeling, but maybe a quick “what to do” sheet taped nearby could help too? Not everyone’s got the nerves for a burst pipe at 2am. I kinda wish more places had those lever shutoffs instead of ancient wheels—it’s way faster when you’re panicking.
Had a similar scare last winter—water everywhere, and I couldn’t remember which valve was which under pressure. Ended up shutting off the wrong one first. After that, I made a laminated cheat sheet and stuck it right by the shutoff. Those old wheel valves are a pain, too... lever handles are way more obvious when you’re in a rush.
Yeah, those old wheel valves are a nightmare when you’re in a hurry. I swapped mine out for lever handles after a close call—best upgrade I’ve done in a while. Cheat sheet’s a smart move, though. It’s easy to forget which is which when you’re panicking.