| InspectAPedia® | Question? Just ask us! |
InspectAPedia
| |
Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair |
|||
|
InspectAPedia ® Home PLUMBING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR AGE of PLUMBING MATERIALS & FIXTURES AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES AGE of WATER HEATERS AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES ANTIFREEZE for BOILERS APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS BACKUP PREVENTION, SEPTIC BACKUP PREVENTION, SEWER LINE BATH & KITCHEN DESIGN GUIDE BATHROOM VENTILATION BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BOD WASTEWATER TEST Bisphenol-A, BPA BLEVE EXPLOSIONS BLOCKED DRAIN REPAIR METHODS BOILERS, HEATING CARBON MONOXIDE - CO CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS in WATER CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER CISTERNS CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, DIAGNOSIS CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, REPAIR CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, HOT WATER CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CROSS CONNECTIONS, PLUMBING DEBRIS in WATER SUPPLY, Water Heater DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY PURIFICATION DRINKING WATER - EMERGENCY SOURCES DRYER VENTING ELECTRIC WATER HEATERS FLOODED HEATING EQUIPMENT REPAIR FLOODED SEPTIC SYSTEMS, REPAIR FLOODED WATER HEATER REPAIR FLUSHOMETER VALVES for TOILETS URINALS GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GAS FIRED WATER HEATERS GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GALVANIZED STEEL PIPING HARD WATER - SOFTENERS HEAT TAPES, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up HOT WATER HEATERS KITCHEN & BATH DESIGN GUIDE KITCHEN VENTILATION LEAD in WATER, ACTION LEVEL & REMEDIES LEAK TYPES, Water Supply/Drain Pipe MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC METHANE GAS SOURCES MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE IMPROVEMENTS MOLD INFORMATION CENTER MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE OIL FIRED WATER HEATERS OIL-FIRED BOILERS, HEATING OIL & GAS PIPING OIL TANKS OUTHOUSES & LATRINES PIPING IN buildings, Clogs Leaks Types PLUMBING FIXTURES, KITCHEN, BATH Plumbing Materials & Fixtures, Age, Types PLUMBING NOISE CONTROL PLUMBING VENT DEFINITIONS & CODES PLUMBING VENT DEFECTS & NOISES PUMPS, WATER REPAIR RANGE BOILERS SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY SEWAGE EJECTOR / GRINDER PUMPS SEWAGE PUMPS SEWER BACKUP PREVENTION SEWER GAS ODORS SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES SUMP PUMPS GUIDE SUPPLY PIPING SWEATING (CONDENSATION) on PIPES, TANKS TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL TANKLESS COILS TANKLESS WATER HEATERS TOILETS, INSPECT, INSTALL, REPAIR TRAPS on PLUMBING FIXTURES WATER FILTERS WATER HAMMER NOISE DIAGNOSE & CURE WATER HEATERS WATER PIPES, Clogs Leaks Types WATER PRESSURE & FLOW MEASUREMENT WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE WATER PRESSURE PUMP REPAIR GUIDE WATER PUMPS, TANKS, TESTS, WELLS, REPAIRS WATER PUMP REPAIR GUIDE WATER PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY WATER PURIFIERS WATER QUALITY TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT WATER QUANTITY IMPROVEMENT WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING WATER TANK REPAIRS WATER TANK REPLACEMENT WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE WATER PURIFIERS WATER TEST CHOICES & WATER TEST FEES WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES WELL PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS WINTERIZE A BUILDING More Information |
This article explains how to find the main water shutoff valve in a building and how to turn the building municipal water supply off. We also illustrate typical outdoor and indoor municipal and well water shutoff valves and explain their use. Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman. Where & How To Turn Off the Building Water SupplyIf your water supply is by private pump and well and you need to turn off the water, details are at WATER SHUTOFF VALVE, WELL PUMP. The articles at this website will answer most questions about freeze protection for piping and other building plumbing and heating system components: how to winterize a building to avoid frozen pipes, and how to thaw frozen water supply & drain piping, wells, & water tanks.
Some main shut-off valves have bleed valves to drain the system once the valve is closed. Some of these bleed valves can be shut off, although others discharge automatically, as the main valve is closed. This discharge of water can be disconcerting if one is not familiar with the bleed valve function. Common Problems with Main Shutoff ValvesInaccessible main water shutoff - you have to be able to turn off water in an emergency to avoid costly building flooding and damage Leaking main water shutoff valve - should be repaired or replaced Partly-closed main water shutoff valve - may result in poor building water pressure or flow. Inoperative main water shutoff valve - is perhaps the most common problem: Since these valves are not used regularly, it is common for them to be stiff. They often leak when operated. If you cannot turn the main shutoff valve with a modest force, don't force it - if you break the valve a horrible plumbing leak may ensue. For this reason, they are not tested during a home inspection. Try turning the valve in the opposite direction gently to see if you can free the valve. Which Way to Turn the Main House Water Shutoff Valve?Turning water off: Turning the main water shutoff valve "down" or "in" or "clockwise" or "to the right" (rightie tightie) closes the valve - turns off the water. Turning water on: Turning the main water shutoff valve "up" or "out" or "counterclockwise" or "to the left" (leftie loosie) opens the valve - turns on the water supply. Readers should also see FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING for an explanation of how to protect a building from leaks, water damage, or freezing pipe problems. Where to Find & How to Turn Off Water in buildings Served by Municipal Water Supply
In some cities or towns that provide municipal water supply to buildings, an outdoor water main shutoff valve will be found between the street and the building,marked by a large valve, often embossed "water". (Photo, above left.) Our photo (above, left) shows an outdoor main water shutoff valve on the Vassar College Campus in Poughkeepsie, New York - an area of freezing weather. Shown is just the valve handle, below which a long iron rod extends to the actual valve itself. In this case the installer thoughtfully painted the valve blue so it could be easily found in the grass, and s/he kept the installation low enough above ground level that the valve will not be damaged by mowing. Our second main water shutoff valve photograph (above right) shows the actual main water valve, below ground, during installation. In some areas not exposed to freezing weather, such as Southern Arizona, an outdoor main water shutoff valve may be located in a below-ground box near the street (photo at left). You may find that the water meter is located in this same compartment.
Don't mess with the outdoor water main shutoff valve unless it's in an emergency such as a burst incoming water pipe inside the building which the leak is before the indoor main water shutoff valve (the piping to the left of the red handled valve in our above photo of an indoor municipal water shutoff valve). Your municipal water company employees will have and use a special T-wrench to turn this outdoor valve in order to open or shut the outdoor water main buried below. How to Turn Off the Water in buildings with a Private Well and Water Pump - Which Way to Turn the Water Shutoff ValveDetails about turning off water when the source is a private well and pump system are at WATER SHUTOFF VALVE, WELL PUMP. An excerpt is below. Guide to Turning Off Other Plumbing Fixtures in a Winterized "Heat-On" BuildingBefore moving on to the other Heat-On winterizing Steps (Winterize Water Softener & Treatment Equip. and Find & Fix Water Pipe Freeze-Up Points and Heat tapes, Heat, Insulation prevent Freeze-Up and Freeze Protect Drains) here are a few basic suggestions:
These and similar individual water supply valve turn-offs that you may identify reduce the chances of a flood in an unattended building should an individual fixture or pipe break during the winter. Of course if you are turning the heat off for the winter, a different set of drain-down and other steps are needed, and are discussed beginning at Winterize- Heat Off Procedure. This sketch of a gas-fired water heater and its control valves is provided courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates. Additional Optional Steps to Turn Off Building Water to Protect from FreezingSome building managers also open each plumbing fixture to remove pressure from the piping system. We don't go beyond this step in winterizing a building unless the building heat is to be left off. If heat is to be turned off and the building completely winterized, see the procedure at: Winterize- Heat Off. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about About Trouble with Water Shutoff ValvesQuestion: Our Main Water Shutoff Has Failed? Flushing the Water Line vs. Relieving PressureWe have a problem with our outside water main ball shut-off valve, it does not turn off the water in the house. Since the home lies approximately 20 degrees below the water company's main water valve, it might be that we have a similar problem our former owners had experienced. We would appreciate your opinion if it is possible that the pressure regulator valve, which the water company replaced in 2006 after a problem occurred, can cause the home's water main ball shut-off valve to fail/get damaged. Today we saw that a truck from the water company up there next to our drive way released for 10 minutes a very high strong stream of water, which certainly looked like they tried to relieve water pressure in our neighborhood. In all of our six years living here we never had seen the water company do that, but when I asked the man doing it, he answered that they are just doing regular maintenance of flushing the pipes. If there is the possibility that water pressure from above/the street can damage our water pressure regulator valve, which was replaced in 2006, and, maybe also our main water ball shut-off valve, we would like to know that in order to take appropriate steps of prevention for the future. We appreciate in advance your expert response. - Seniors Chris and Noel Reply: Flushing a municipal water supply line won't change its normal operating pressureYour water truck driver's answer makes sense. Municipalities do flush water mains on occasion for various reasons such as having done work on the line and the need to flush out debris, or on occasion to assure that a water quality test is properly performed. Flushing the line wouldn't change the delivery pressure in the municipal water system except during the brief interval that the line is being flushed. As soon as the municipal water line flushing operation stops, the water pressure in the water mains will return to its usual pressure. So flushing the water main also won't fix your balky or broken municipal water shutoff valve. It may need replacement. Question: Our Outside Municipal Water Shutoff Seems Not to Work
The water did NOT turn off. Six years ago there was a problem with too high pressure outside this house and the water pressure valve was finally replaced by the water company. Is it possible that the water main ball valve got damaged because the water pressure valve failed again? Our home sits approximately 20 degrees below the water company’s water meter/main valve; there is quite a steep drive way before reaching our house main water shut-off ball valve.
Reply: The shutoff valve may need replacement, but first check that the ground-surface control is actually connected to the valve.
A steel shaft connects the ground level control to the buried valve. On occasion the shaft or its tip are damaged or disconnected. Unfortunately if turning the valve at ground level doesn't work, it will be necessary to excavate to find, diagnose, and fix the problem. If your water shutoff valve is at ground level under a cover such as we show at left, you live in a climate where freezing is not a concern and the main water shutoff is at ground level too. If this valve won't shut off the water:
You still need to have the broken main water shutoff fixed, but it will be less of an emergency if your toilet repair can go ahead. You are getting a bit higher water pressure if your home is downhill from the main water supply line but that should not be the cause of a failed valve. If the valve was replaced recently and it's failed again, the replacement part (or its installation) could have been faulty. When a recent repair part appears to have failed, when making the repair a second time we try to make sure that the new repair part is from a different source, brand, or manufacturing date in order to avoid the chances of getting a second defective part from the same manufacturing run. ... Ask a Question or Search InspectApediaUse the search box below to ask a question or to search the InspectApedia.com website. Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below. Technical Reviewers & ReferencesRelated Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
| |||||||