Home › Forums › Public Forums › General Plumbing › Locating Main Water Shut off Valve
- This topic has 8 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 18 years, 10 months ago by Jim1504.
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20 Apr 2005 at 4:34 pm #277586Donna Lynn
I live in TX (Dallas area) and am trying to locate the main water shut-off for my house. The city does not allow the at-street shut-off valves to be accessed by homeowners (except emergencies). I’ve lived here for years and seemingly looked everywhere but cannot find it. How would a plumber go about locating the valve?
Thanks
Jim -
20 Apr 2005 at 10:00 pm #296616Retired plbg1Participant
Here we have a stop on water main to make tap, a valve between side walk and curb and a valve in the meter box. Measure in basement where valve is and take measurement outside and mark it on wall. If you dont have a magnetict body you can take 2 brass roda and bend them about 8″ from end on 90 deg. angle and put them in your fist and wak across where you think it is and the rods will swing perpendicular with pipe in ground if it is cop. are metal, it works for some and some it dont, a Plumber has a metal detecter and can find it fast.
Art retired plbg -
21 Apr 2005 at 3:22 pm #296617Jim1504Participant
Thanks Art. My house was built in ’92 & has no basement. I cannot locate the main valve to the house. I never knew that plumbers needed to locate shutoff valves with metal detectors. When I was growing up, they put them inside the house.
Thanks again!
Jim -
22 Apr 2005 at 3:01 am #296618CincinnatiPlumbingParticipant
Around here the waterline is brought through the slab usually in a closet where the water heater is. It is here that the main shut off valve would be. In other localities I’ve heard of the main valve being just outside the house before it enters the dwelling.
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12 May 2005 at 10:25 am #296619Retired plbg1Participant
Jim
Did you ever find the shut off valve.
Art retired plbg -
14 May 2005 at 2:19 am #296620JimWParticipant
Actually just found it yesterday by accident. I was de-mulching the landscape near the front of the house and noticed a green cover under the mulch and dirt.
I figured it was probably an irrigation valve box but thought I might check just in case. It was filled with dirt as it probably hadnt been used in 12 years.
The first turn of the handle broke the handle off. It looks like a screw on handle to control the valve. I’ll go try to find a handle tomorrow.
I appreciate everyones help. I probably wouldn’t have found it but you guys convinced me that I had one somewhere!
Thanks again!!
Jim -
14 May 2005 at 10:39 am #296621Retired plbg1Participant
You mustlive where it is warm on kind of reaching down and turn water off by hand, here we need a water key, our pipes are 45″ below gr. and we need a water key to turn the valve which is called a tee head, good luck hope thats the main valve let me know.
Art retired plbg -
16 May 2005 at 8:01 pm #296622Jim1504Participant
RP
Yes, it iis warm here (Texas). I bought the handle but it rained and now have to wait until the water level lowers. I’ll let you know what happens. Thanks for the interest!
Jim -
23 May 2005 at 9:55 pm #296623Jim1504Participant
RP
It was the main valve & after a little WD-40 works great now. Now I don’t have to worry about being stalked by the local water police. Thanks for all the help!I’ll have to start a new thread on replacing the outside spigots which are leaking.
Jim
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