Introduction: A Water Shutoff Tool for Emergencies
Part of owning a home is being prepared for emergencies. Flood damage from burst pipes is a real threat, so you should know the location of your main water shut off and be certain that you can reach it quickly in the event of an emergency.
Unfortunately, the poor placement of the main water shutoff valve in my condo meant that I would not be able to reach it in an emergency. A bit of spare PVC pipe, a quick CAD design and my 3D printer allowed me make a tool that could potentially save me thousands of dollars in damage in the future!
While this simple tool was perfect for my particular situation, yours may be different. The moral of this story is that you should check *before* an emergency comes up and while there is still time to come up with a good solution!
Step 1: Be Prepared Before Disaster Strikes!
So go ahead and see if you are able to quickly and effectively shut off your main water valve.
If you can, you're all set!
If you can't, see if my design works for you. If it doesn't, modify it to suit your situation or come up with a new design that does!