The refrigerator water shutoff valve in my house has not been used in years. At some point, it seems to have been partially painted over, and there is paint inside the opening on the valve (photos below). The house isn't old enough for it to be lead-based paint. Should I:
- Do nothing. Use the hookup as if there were no paint.
- Run water through it for a few minutes before hooking up a fridge.
- Clean out the valve (how?), then run water through it.
- Replace the valve.
My goal is to avoid harming the health of anyone who uses ice or water from a refrigerator hooked up to this valve.