He guys.. I live in the older section of Rotterdam, near the city line off Heldeberg ave...After 21 years in the house, I need to have some plumbing work done that will require water shut off to the house... My question is ..where is the water off valve typically? My house has built in 1948, so I doubt there is a shutoff in the house...and being the plumbing is cast iron, I'm almost be afraid to touch it after AT LEAST 21 years...I'm assuming there is a town shutoff near the street somewhere... correct?
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
The water shutoffs in almost all cases are located somewhere along where your property ends and the city property begins about 20' from the center of the road if it's a town road. My shutoff was buried under 12" soil and had to be located with a metal detector. When I had my lot surveyed, the surveyor located mine for me. A plumber and sometimes the town will locate it for you.
There should be a water main shutoff within the first 5 feet of your water supply line.
If not, try the following:
From the outside of the house, find where your water main enters the house. It will be straight out towards the road from that spot.
Usually next to the side walk and it will be within 2 feet of the fence line/tree line that marks where the town property starts and your property ends.
Then you will need a plumbers turn key. It's a little bigger than a 4 way lug wrench.
Take a pointed rod and poke around in the yard. The shutoff has a tube with a lid that comes from the shutoff to just below the surface of your yard.
Mine was 3 inches deep and less than 6 inches from the sidewalk.
I replaced my indoor shutoff 2 years ago and the outdoor shutoff turn easily like it was brand new.
I know the water was never shut off before that at least as far back as the 70's when I moved in.
Thanks guys... At least inside the house, I will have a more difficult time finding the shutoff because the basement was finished by the previous owner... with sheetrock and a basement kitchen w/cabinets.. I know the water line is on the attached garage side of the house because the cold water feed enters my laundry room (where all the piping goes upstairs) from that direction... There is one kitchen counter top section that is not securely affixed to the basement wall, it's meant to slide out and it's located at the front corner of the basement...which makes sense as an entry point for the water line. I have never fully removed it... I will tonight...
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
call before (dial 811)you dig and the town water department will spray paint your water line blue or at least mark the curb in a straight line to the house - best part this is free
I found the inside shutoff... it wasn't behind the cabinet, but behind a piece of paneling in the same location. It's a gate valve, and like I said it hasn't been turned in over 20 years...and looks it..lots of grime on the valve..I know it's brass as I scrapped some of it off on the body. At this point, I'm debating on whether I have a plumber change out the bad valve that is further up the line and replace the main shutoff if necessary.. I normally don't like calling pros in when I can do it myself....but...make a mistake with electricity or carpentry and it's usually no harm, no foul.. Make a mistake with plumbing..especially on the supply side, and it could cost you thousands...
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
you best have 2- 24" long pipe wrenches to remove the cast iron - one joint will mess with 2 others - best to saws-all the cast iron section out then remove the stubs from the nearest joint - keeping the wrenches close
I would pre build a 1" or 3/4" male NPT(that will thread to the house side of the main shutoff valve) to copper, a second ball valve, and another length of 3/4" to the ceiling- you can cut to length later - then thread this assembly on to your existing shut off - also
the supply side of the valve and cold water is a huge heat sink and will make soldering on the new pipe very difficult if you try to build and solder in place
this way you only have to operate the old shutoff twice, closed and open, and you can rely on the new ball valve while you work
Rotterdam water is very hard and calcium will scale on any exposed area
also if you are changing an upstream valve in an old home - you may want to change the main supply valve - I hade one blowout on helderburg near stewarts in a home that was built in 1935 - and that valve was not touched - -it just rotted out - 4 ft of water in the basement in 4 -5 hours - and extreme mess this time of year - all the paint on the first floor separated from the plaster due to the moisture over the next week
you best have 2- 24" long pipe wrenches to remove the cast iron - one joint will mess with 2 others - best to saws-all the cast iron section out then remove the stubs from the nearest joint - keeping the wrenches close
I would pre build a 1" or 3/4" male NPT(that will thread to the house side of the main shutoff valve) to copper, a second ball valve, and another length of 3/4" to the ceiling- you can cut to length later - then thread this assembly on to your existing shut off - also
the supply side of the valve and cold water is a huge heat sink and will make soldering on the new pipe very difficult if you try to build and solder in place
this way you only have to operate the old shutoff twice, closed and open, and you can rely on the new ball valve while you work
Rotterdam water is very hard and calcium will scale on any exposed area
also if you are changing an upstream valve in an old home - you may want to change the main supply valve - I hade one blowout on helderburg near stewarts in a home that was built in 1935 - and that valve was not touched - -it just rotted out - 4 ft of water in the basement in 4 -5 hours - and extreme mess this time of year - all the paint on the first floor separated from the plaster due to the moisture over the next week
Thanks...and that is why I'll hire a pro to do it... Actually, upon further inspection the only cast iron is on the town supply side of the main valve...the valve is brass...everything on the house side is galvanized to copper...If a new ball shutoff is installed upstream, couldn't it be installed without the touching the supply valve by having the water dept turn off the street valve?
"Arguing with liberals is like playing chess with a pigeon; no matter how good I am at chess, the pigeon is just going to knock out the pieces, crap on the board, and strut around like it is victorious." - Author Unknown
Thanks...and that is why I'll hire a pro to do it... Actually, upon further inspection the only cast iron is on the town supply side of the main valve...the valve is brass...everything on the house side is galvanized to copper...If a new ball shutoff is installed upstream, couldn't it be installed without the touching the supply valve by having the water dept turn off the street valve?
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