PSA: Those cheap plastic shutoff valves will cost you big time

I picked up a pack of those $3 plastic shutoff valves from a hardware store in Portland last spring. Installed one under the kitchen sink and it cracked after 4 months, flooded the cabinet and ruined the floor. Had to rip out 80 square feet of laminate and replace the particle board underneath. Spend the extra $12 on a brass valve and save yourself the headache. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora_dixon15d agoMost Upvoted

Those cheap plastic shutoff valves will cost you big time" is right. I learned that lesson with a garden hose spigot that exploded in my face while I was trying to water some sad-looking petunias. Guess I'm a slow learner because I replaced it with another plastic one and it lasted a whole two weeks before cracking again.

simon71715d ago

Man I read something the other day about how those plastic valves are actually made from recycled milk jugs and they just cant handle the pressure changes! Its wild that they even sell them honestly. I switched to brass after my second one blew up and now I dont even think about it anymore. The metal ones cost like 8 bucks more but theyll last forever if you just drain them before winter. Trust me, your petunias are not worth getting sprayed in the face for lol.