LESLIE: Jacob in Georgia needs some help with a plumbing project. What can we do for you?
JACOB: Hi, I’ve got a shower stall in an old apartment. Well, it’s not that old – 1991 – but I cannot figure out how to turn off the water supply so I can change the faucet.
TOM: That would be the main water valve, Jacob. Do you know where that is?
JACOB: Well, I know where the one outside is. Is that what I’m going to end up doing?
TOM: Well, the one outside – does the one outside control all the water-flow into the entire house?
JACOB: Yes, sir.
TOM: Well, that would probably be the easiest way to do this. Yeah, just turn the water off at the main while you make that repair. You know, if you’re so fortunate that there are shut-off valves in line on the way to the shower, you can always turn it off there but chances are, in an apartment, that’s going to be difficult to find. So the easiest, most positive thing to do is to turn off the main water valve and then replace the faucet.
LESLIE: Yeah, but don’t you need to get approval from everybody else in the building since you’re going to be cutting all their water?
TOM: No, I’m presuming that it only impacts this one apartment but …
LESLIE: That’s just for his apartment. OK. (chuckles)
JACOB: That’s correct.
TOM: That would probably be a good thing to know before you do that. (chuckles)
LESLIE: You go turning it off.
JACOB: I have one more question. What’s the value for adding like a tankless water heater to a rental property?
TOM: If it’s a rental property, I would recommend it to your landlord but I would not do it yourself. I would not pay for it yourself.
JACOB: No, as I’m renting. (chuckling)
TOM: Right. I know. You’re renting so no, it’s not the kind of thing because you can’t take it with you and it’s a great thing – it’s a great product but it’s going to last you 15 or 20 years and so unless you somehow are going to earn the payback for that then I definitely wouldn’t do it if I was a renter.
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