Sometimes, water shutoff valves seize up and get stuck. Don't force a washing machine water valve on or off if it doesn't turn easily. If you break the valve, you may need to call in a plumber for an expensive repair.

Turning off the water may also be part of winterizing your washing machine if it's located on an uninsulated porch, in a basement, or in another cold part of your home. Water left in the washing machine water supply lines could freeze and cause pipes to burst.

One way to minimize your risk of water damage from a leaking washing machine hose is to install a washing machine leak sensor on your valves. These sensors generally use two components. Valve adapters are screwed onto your existing valves and connected to your washing machine water supply lines. A unit that's connected to the valves sits on the floor behind the washing machine. If the floor unit detects water, it sounds an alarm and triggers the valve adapters to cut off the water supply, preventing further damage.

Pressurized thermal expansion tanks differ from plain steel expansion tanks in that a flexible bladder or diaphragm separates the air cushion from the system fluid. The air side pre-charge of the tank must be field adjusted to equal the system supply pressure. As the system water expands, the bladder expands open, pushing against the air cushion to accept the expanded water.

The hoses that move water between your washing machine and your home's plumbing system become brittle and break down over time. Small leaks that spring up behind a washer might go undetected for weeks, especially if you're not home. So, it's a good idea to close the water valves before leaving home for vacation. You might even get in the habit of turning the water off every time you're finished using the washer.

Most of the time, turning a washing machine water valve on or off is quick and easy. Looking behind the washer where the machine's hoses meet the wall, you should see a red handle (hot water) and blue handle (cold water). The valves are open, and water is flowing when the handles are parallel to the pipe. Turn the handles 90 degrees so they're perpendicular to the pipe to shut the valve.

Wessels is America's leading supplier of custom & specialty tanks in Indianapolis, Carmel, Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Ft. Wayne, South Bend, Indiana as well as Chicago, Quad Cities, Illinois, Des Moines, Iowa, Columbus, Cincinnati, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, Louisville, Lexington, Kentucky, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota, Madison, Wisconsin, St. Louis, Missouri and other areas throughout the Midwest and the United States.

Older homes may have knob-style shutoff valves instead of red and blue levers. In this case, think "righty tighty, lefty loosey." Turn the knobs clockwise to shut off the water supply and counterclockwise to restore it.

Bladder tanks are required in a closed-loop heating or chilled water HVAC system to absorb the expanding fluid and limit the pressure within a heating or cooling system. A properly sized expansion or compression tank will accommodate the expansion of the system fluid during the heating or cooling cycle without allowing the system to exceed the critical pressure limits of the system.

If your washing machine is currently leaking and you don't have time to ease the valves shut, find your home's main water shutoff valve and shut off the water to the entire house.

Instead, spray the stuck valve with penetrating oil and let the oil work its magic for a few minutes. Clamp a plumbing wrench around the stuck valve and tap the handle of the wrench with a hammer to see if you can get the valve to budge. If not, apply more oil and warm the valve with a hair dryer on low heat before using the wrench again.

Thermal expansion tanks are designed for pressure control in potable water systems. The building’s water heater or water heating system typically creates thermally expanded water. A properly sized thermal expansion tank will accommodate this additional volume of water through expansion during the heating cycle and control the system pressure increases, keeping pressures from reaching critical limits. The tank uses compressed air to maintain system pressures by accepting and expelling the changing volume of water as it heats and cools. These tanks are designed using a flexing Butyl barrier that separates the stored water from the captured pressure control air cushion. This barrier, a replaceable bladder or fixed diaphragm, allows the water to be contained within the bladder preventing corrosion and potential water logging. The thermal expansion tanks are engineered to meet ASME standards, and are also available in non-code designs. Wessels thermal expansion tanks are offered in industry’s broadest range from 2 to 4,000 gallons and up to 250 PSI.

If you've never dealt with water damage in your home, consider yourself lucky. Even something as minor as a tiny leak in your washing machine water supply lines can cause thousands of dollars in damage and create structural and mold problems in your home. Turning off the water supply to your washer can help prevent those leaks when the machine is not in use. It's one of a handful of reasons you might need to turn your washing machine water valve on or off, which is usually a 10-second task.

The diaphragm tank has been developed to allow the systems air cushion to be separated from the systems water. No waterlogging of the tank can occur as the air is held between the tank wall and the outside of a bladder placed inside the tank, while the system water is contained inside the bladder. This changes the system to an air elimination system, as any air extracted from the system water is passed out of the system into the atmosphere.

If it's time to replace your washer, the water supply will need to be cut off before the old washer is removed and then restored when the new machine is in place.