A 1" pipe nipple with a slot cut in it to fit our 90º shutoff and then use a reducer coupling to connect the longer 1/2" pipe extension up to whatever handle type you want to make. Also a crescent wrench works easy if you get on knees to turn it. Here in Florida, my water shutoff is 2" in the dirt, no frostline here.
Midwesterner who moved to Dallas. There IS NO INSIDE water shut off - Whaaaaaat??? Just found and figured out how to shut it off outside. It's about a foot deep. My Dad is now pleased. :D
@@edsyphan3425 I bought it about 20 years ago, I think at Lowe's. Home Depot or Menard's would possibly have them as well. A local old-timey hardware store, if they didn't stock them, would probably know where to get them.
Tip to find your water main out at the curb if you're having trouble: I had some difficulty locating my main shutoff out at the curb, called the water company, they came out in a few hours, when they got there, they told me that there is often a "W" or other indicator scratched into the concrete at the curb which corresponds to the left-right location (relative to the mark on the curb concrete) of the water main for that house. In my case, that water main valve was directly in line with the "W" in the concrete, but was about 8 feet back from the curb and had bushes over top of it and sod partially grown over it. I would have NEVER found it without digging up who knows how much of the lawn...
Mine got buried when he city tore out the street to install new sewer lines. I took a 5 ft. crow bar and started jabbing it into the ground until I heard a tink and that's how I was able to locate the cover. I now dug out the dirt around it, so it doesn't get buried in dirt and snow again. A metal detector would have worked to, if you actually had one.
I found mine easily with a metal detector. Actually, accidently. I wasn't looking for it, I was just metal detecting. It was 3ft inside the sidewalk and the sidewalk is sunk there. I notified the city in case it's leaking.
Not mentioned... I assume that you turn the valve clockwise to shut off the valve? Like putting a cap on a bottle? Is it a quarter turn? Half turn? I'd hate to wreck the valve.
Thanks for showing this! Always wondered how to get the cover open -- and the answer is always "vise grips." 😁🤦♂️ I'm in a position where my water main is WAY less accessible (all the way through a crawlspace under my house) than the utility cover (in the middle of our front yard). Is there any reason you can think of I shouldn't use that valve for the (hopefully rare) case of a main shutoff? Any reason to think this valve is less durable than my main ball valve, etc.?
In most cases, I think you can call the city if your soil has subsided and if it protrude above grade. They can change-out or shorten the access pipe so that is below your lawn surface AFAIK.
Sometimes, the curb is marked, and if the shut off valve is in the yard, your driveway edge will be marked with a "W", a " I " or a " II ". Where the curb and driveway marks cross is the location. My builder did this for my Sewer clean-out location, never checked or asked if he also did for water shutoff valve. Perhaps the different markings is correlated with what is being located.
Yes. It may not be illegal, but that curb stop is typically the property of the water company, and if you break it, you'll pay fines, the cost to replace, and probably any wasted water. If you call the water company and have them shut it off, if they break it, it won't cost you anything. I would only consider turning off the curb stop myself if it was because my house was flooding (i.e. worth the risk.) For other planned repair work, just call the water company and pay the small charge to have them do it.
@@bnasty267 Makes sense. But installing a shut off valve on the your side of the meter saves time and you are responsible for the line on your side anyway. At least in SoCal.
@@potatoasap1315 That goes for everywhere because too many people turn their water on after it's shut off. The curb shutoff is city property everywhere you pay the city for water and is illegal to tamper with it just like gas & electric.
Thank you. But why in the world is the valve in the video being turned counter clockwise when the purpose is to show people how to "shut off water at the curb"? These unexplained details can cause major confusion to non-experts, like most of the people who come to RUclips for help with tasks like this.
I don’t know where you are in the Midwest, but I’m in the Chicago area and here we have “buffalo boxes”. They have a 5 sided recessed plug, which needs a special tool to remove. The town where I’m at, will open the top screw for you if you call. Years ago (1980) I had a neighbor that was a tool & die maker and he made us some 7’ keys for this & I still have 2. Works the same as yours, 1/4 turn & water is off, Thanks.....Jim PS......replace your incoming valve with a 1/4 turn, full flow ball valve, and your problems will be over forever!
Hey Jim, yeah I am downstate from you in Illinois and depending on the town we have different setups for the cover / box. Ball valve is an option but I will dive a bit deeper next week to take a look at the best option 🤞.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs in this area, since about 1988, all municipalities require 1/4 turn ball valves entering the house as the main shut-off. Many municipalities also require or have a option for a second meter w/valve for outdoor water (pay back is a couple of years, because they don’t charge sewer for this water). I also use 1/4 turn ball valves supplying water to all sinks and toilets ( they never get stuck or hard to pen or leak like regular valves ).
@@apex007 as long as the interior is Teflon, no problem. In 40 years I have never experienced a break. I was an engineer in this field. Today....where’s it coming from? China, this maybe the problem. Jim
My outside cap comes tight off. Hit it a couple times with mower. I am not going to shut off myself. I want to remove 2 inside shutoffs and replace one to ball valve. Valves in series will limit flow, and I think a ball valve offers better flow.
Read this. We got the tool from home depot. We try to close the valve located at about 3-4 feet deep and the valve only opened half way. Water stopped, then we cut the home pipe to replace the leaking valve. Suddenly, water came in full and we ended calling city emergency services. Do not attempt to close that street valve with the home depot tool.
Very informative but I would suggest checking with your local water supply distributor before doing this. Oftentimes this is illegal and if you damage the shut off, you will be fined and charged to fix it. Many times they will dispatch someone to shut the water off for you without a charge. Also, after years of never being used it can be difficult to find the box. It will be buried under a thick layer of grass or dirt. Many times a metal detector needs to be used to find it. The cap or the shutoff may be badly rusted and difficult to remove or turn off. Your shutoff may also control the water supply to one or more of your neighbors. Be careful!
Good info, by the way isn’t the Meter near the shutoff. Meaning it is accessed often by the meter reader and usually exposed near curb or easement. Unless your area uses electronic reading. We still have meter readers.
Every municipality is different. The water meter is found after the shutoff somewhere towards the house. It can be somewhere outside or in the home. The meter gives a read out of actual water used so they know what to charge you. This must be read and told to the water company. Nowadays they have smart meters which automatically send out a radio frequency with that information. A representative from the water company drives by in a vehicle with a receiver and collects the data without even stopping or getting out of the car!
Hey Scott. Happy New Year. Quick question. The town came and re did the streets and sidewalks. They actually poured concrete over the curb box. I do need to change the valve in the building to a ball valve or something newer than what is there now. If I ever had a serious problem, there would be no way to control it. Any tips on how to find the curb box under concrete? Thanks in advance for your help. Lanny
Here in Southeast Michigan, we have a pentagon key located on the sidewalk. We have to call the city for a shutoff. I tried the vice grip but it's tight as hell! Great info for everyone Scott!
Thanks Keith, yeah if the cover hasn’t been opened for years then you will probably need the right key so you can really lean into it and apply some extra torque.
Many cities now require a 'homeowner'/ (contractor) installed valve just past the meter. As in Keith's situation above some cities charge for a turn off and turn on, so y'all know.
I would add to your video that if the curb shutoff is really difficult to turn then to stop and contact the city. In my region, you break it, the city repairs and gives a hefty bill. Not a fine but bill.
That's what I was trying to figure out is how much to turn the valve. My assumption was to turn the arrow from straight (as inline with the pipe) to 90 deg. But when I turned it, it turned past the 90 deg. mark to less than 180 deg. More than 90 but less than 180. Just trying to shut off, as shut off under the house is already off, as to not freeze while renovating. As I have not heat and crawlspace needs sealing up to go as well. there is just about a foot of copper out of ground under house but but valve is at the the foot mark. SO do I turn till it stops or just 90 deg?
So I got the Curb Stop open. We bought a curb key at Menards but when we tried to go down the 4 feet or so and we couldn't find the valve. Now granted it was dark and I don't think my buddy got a good look with a phone flashlight but he was convinced we had the wrong curb key, My question is are there different variations of a curb key? The house was built in 1988 so I would think it has a standard valve and there was only one model curb key in the store, anyone know? I'm in the NW suburbs of Chicago.
I wish you could go more into detail about the water meter key tool especially the opening width. The width of the bar on top of the city water shutoff valve is 5/16th and most water meter keys have an opening width of 3/4 inch which is quite larger so it only makes a small amount of contact on the ends of the bar when turning the valve. The only meter key I could find with a smaller opening was a Bully brand which had a 3/8 inch opening. Does the opening width of the meter key matter? I sure hope you can answer my question because I live out in a rural area and I can't find any help from the water company. Thanks. I have found your videos very helpful and informative.
Biggest problem is that in the northeast they are 6 feet deep and the hole is plugged with dirt, so there is no access to the valve. You have to call the water company to clean it out
I'm a west coaster so the shut off valve is maybe 12" below the surface. The problem I face on a regular basis is that the valve is stuck. I've out cheaters on the T handle of the key and twisted to the point that the shaft twists into a pretzel without ever rotating the valve stem. I'd love to learn what to do when that happens.
@@MrAwesomeSaucem I am the retired President of the Plumbers & Steamfitters union in my area. I was a steamfitter and not a plumber so I queried both the head guy of my union and the head of our training center--both of whom are plumbers--and the both suggested calling the water company. My problem with that is if there is an emergency and I need to shut off the main (before the main valve at my house), I may not be able to wait a day or two until they come out. Or if I'm doing a job where I need to turn the water off for a brief period before turning it back on, playing the waiting game won't cut it for the homeowner. It would be nice to know how to shut the valve without breaking it.
@@FineFlicks342 If it is a public water main valve, you will probably have to contact your local public works department to sort it out - municipal valves are usually off limits to anyone else. If it is privately managed by somebody else, I would suggest contacting whomever manages these valves. If you are looking to fix this issue yourself, I have a few suggestions. First, determine if there is any dirt, mud, or other debris preventing it from moving, and if so I would suggest flushing it out with some water to loosen it up. If this is not the issue and the nut is simply corroded, i would suggest trying to work the key back and forth as much as possible to grind out the rust. Beyond that, I’m not sure there is much you can do.
I know this is 2 years later, but maybe WD-40 or other lubricant that helps cause bolts/nuts to loosen would be advisable to use prior to twisting. Spray, let it soak for an hour, come back and try to turn. 2nd thought, rig up a system like rooftopvoter3015 commented above, and add a top end impact driver attachment, attach impact driver, and do quick trigger bursts.
@@mikejones4308 Thanks for the suggestion. For more than a half century I built and maintained oil refineries--places where bolts and valves simply did not want to budge. I'm well versed in the many different types of penetrating oils but they seem to be ineffective on the valves. One of the problems is that the apes of valves are dramatically different than most valves and penetrating oil doesn't;t soak in where it's needed. It doesn't help that these valves are in a valve box and maybe a foot below ground elevation making it almost impossible to get a wrench on the 'handle' and get the leverage you need.
City has to come and dig where your service line attaches to the main and shut it off there. This is usually why you're not suppose to get in n the meter box but call the water company to shut it off. I've had to fix several where people have torn things up. We have an ordinance that makes you pay for the repair as well. Having a crew dig up the street and fix it usually gets expensive very quickly.
I had to shut off the water and the main valve at the house was stuck from lack of use so i had to turn it off at the meter and of course it was under several inches of mud !
A couple years ago, I went to shut my water main off in the basement so that I could change the washers on my tub faucets (because for some reason, the people who built this house didn't think the bathtub needed its own shutoffs. I found that not only could I not fully shut the water off, the valve started leaking. I called a plumber and was told I'd need to locate my curb shutoff. I contacted the city, since nothing was exposed and they gave me a diagram of roughly where it was. Cue a day of digging to find it. When I finally found it, about six inches down, it was completely rusted. The plumber came out, looked at it and said he couldn't open it. In fact, he cracked the cover while trying to loosen it. He said that even if he got it open, the valve inside was likely seized and if it broke while he tried to turn it off, I'd have to have the water company come out, dig it up and install a new one. In the end, he crimped the water pipe in the basement to pinch off the flow, installed a half-turn valve , then uncrimped the pipe. I put a cut off bucket with lid over the curb valve cover, added a concrete stone on top of it and buried it under a couple inches of dirt. I figure if they ever need to access it, it will be easier than trying to find it in the dirt again.
I would've told you the real deal. That is, if I turn this and it does break, it's gonna start leaking and then I'm going to leave. Then just call the city and tell them that you see a lot of water in front of your house. When they realize that they are losing their water, and they can't bill you for it, they will come out and repair it free, they don't have any choice. ;)
I live in Toronto. If ask city to turn off curb valve will be charged $93+tax=$105.09. Buddy this only for turn off, usually plumber can't finish with 30 minutes, when the job done, city come over and turn on curb value they charge another $105.09. So city will charge you $215.18. The plumber will change you $300 at least. Finally you have to pay more than $500, just replace this tiny value!!! Turn off/on curb valve is not a high tech work and don't need much muscle as well and just take a few minutes can finish. Why charge so much!!!
Which way does the curb stop key turn to shut it off? Righty tighty? The video is unclear. Please advise. In NJ, the homeowner is responsible for this curbstop not the water company so I cant afford a problem. Thanks much.
Here in Pa ours are 4Ft down but also we're not allowed to have curb keys they don't even want master plumer's having them. If you need the curb shut off the water company will come and do it for a fee
First you find where the curb shut off is. My neighbor tell me that when they paved the street and put in curbs in about 50 years ago in the 1960's the shut off got covered over with about a foot of dirt to bring the yard level up to match the curb height. I have tried poking into the dirt with an ice pick where i think it it should be but so far no luck. The township claims they don't have drawings that would show the locations. They suggested i get a plumber who should have the proper tools to locate the shutoff.
Oh man! That sounds like a mess. Whomever is responsible for the water (township or other company) should have to come out and find the meter if it is buried, right?
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Thanks for the reply. The Township where I live buys their water from the nearby larger city, Apparently any work on the water supply is bid out and a contractor is hired to do repairs, back flushing the water lines which is currently being done. There is no one that works for the township that can find it or so i was told. The local fire departments have equipment and tools to find and shut the water off in an emergency so i am going to talk to them and see if I can get them to user there detector to locate it. If not i will keep pocking holes in the ground until i find that metal cover and i do know what it looks like.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs The meter is in my basement and is read by a wireless device. The curb shut off is what is buried but my local Fire Department located it for me.
Am I getting this mixed up with something else, or are things just weird where there's no frost line? There's a shutoff valve accessible by hand at the water meter here. I've never seen another whole-house shutoff valve, although given how easily accessible the meter is I haven't actually looked.
I can only speak for what I've seen in my state. There is always a city shutoff before the meter and that utilizes the tool shown here. Outside where the line enters the house there would be a shut off valve as well. I've never seen a shutoff inside a house, and I do not think our code allows. I would say that each region differs in its requirements/codes.
@@socalcaiman You are in California, in Ohio the main water line enters the house underground (frost-line at my home is 36" below ground, so main water line will be lower than that to prevent freezing), comes through basement wall below that depth with an in-basement meter and a main house shut-off valve. From there, plumbing branches out to the house, each branch also having a shut-off valve in the basement but closer to the fixture it supplies. In a home with no basement but rather a slab floor, the main water line travels below the frost line depth reaching under the slab, and does a 90-degree turn vertically through the slab floor at the location of the "utilities room", typically in the home where your water heater, furnace and washer/dryer are located. In my home (slab ranch home), a lower 25% of the closet in the "utility room" houses the main water line feed up through the slab, which then has a main house shutoff valve, then the meter, then an array of shutoff valves for each line going to each water fixture in the house and outdoor faucets. Unlike California, we can't have our "utility room" in the garage, our garages for the most part are not heated and the water would freeze in the winter. We have to drain our outdoor lines every fall to prevent freezing, unless you have a stand-off outdoor faucet handle shutoff valve, which actually shuts off the water 12" from the faucet handle inside the basement which prevents freezing. I am sure Michigan has a lower freeze line, and Minnesota an even lower freeze line, and Canada could be as low as 60 inches. Fun fact: Geothermal heating/cooling actually uses this phenomena as once below the freeze line, the soil is a constant 55 degrees. So rather than heating 10 degree air, it's cheaper to extract heat from 55 degree soil, and rather than removing moisture and exhausting to 85 degree air, its cheaper to exchange heat to the 55 degree soil.
How deep is yours? We are in the Midwest so sometimes they would be a bit deep to reach. From what I have seen southern states it is much easier to reach with a crescent wrench.
Unless you own multiple houses, a plumber or general contractor you shouldn't have one of those tools or even think about buying one. The reason you shouldn't own one is because it's easy for someone to use it for illegal acts, like turning on water service when it's been shutoff due to non payment. Sometimes cities don't even want someone touching the water shutoff and require you to have them come out. It's best to just call the city when you have a water issue because you don't want to possibly piss them off and get fined because you didn't want to call them & most cities can tell when a valve has been messed with.
@@KameraShy That's why you're not supposed to mess with with them and if caught you could be in legal trouble or be fined and not have water until the fine is paid.
@@justincase2071 These are only sold for that reason, an emergency but you're really not supposed to have one because too many people use them to turn on water illegally.
I agree. In my area in SoCal we have a shutoff just past the meter. Another one before it goes into house and a valve at top of water heater. And we still have meter readers running around the neighborhood.
For those having trouble locating a buried shut off box or water line, just bend a couple wire coat hangers and try water witching. It does work. However, I would be reluctant to mess with the street shut off because those valves are old and could break. That would be a mess.
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Show a Close-Up of the U-Shaped Bottom of the long-handled curb key !
Please.
A 1" pipe nipple with a slot cut in it to fit our 90º shutoff and then use a reducer coupling to connect the longer 1/2" pipe extension up to whatever handle type you want to make. Also a crescent wrench works easy if you get on knees to turn it. Here in Florida, my water shutoff is 2" in the dirt, no frostline here.
Yeah, for the southern states I image a Crescent is the way to go so you are hauling around speciality tools 👍
Midwesterner who moved to Dallas. There IS NO INSIDE water shut off - Whaaaaaat??? Just found and figured out how to shut it off outside. It's about a foot deep. My Dad is now pleased. :D
IIRC a curb key was one of the earliest items I bought after I purchased my house. Very handy indeed.
💯
Where did you buy it, I’ve never seen one at the hardware store?
@@edsyphan3425 I bought it about 20 years ago, I think at Lowe's. Home Depot or Menard's would possibly have them as well. A local old-timey hardware store, if they didn't stock them, would probably know where to get them.
Tip to find your water main out at the curb if you're having trouble: I had some difficulty locating my main shutoff out at the curb, called the water company, they came out in a few hours, when they got there, they told me that there is often a "W" or other indicator scratched into the concrete at the curb which corresponds to the left-right location (relative to the mark on the curb concrete) of the water main for that house. In my case, that water main valve was directly in line with the "W" in the concrete, but was about 8 feet back from the curb and had bushes over top of it and sod partially grown over it. I would have NEVER found it without digging up who knows how much of the lawn...
Good stuff, thanks for the tip!
Mine got buried when he city tore out the street to install new sewer lines. I took a 5 ft. crow bar and started jabbing it into the ground until I heard a tink and that's how I was able to locate the cover. I now dug out the dirt around it, so it doesn't get buried in dirt and snow again. A metal detector would have worked to, if you actually had one.
I found mine easily with a metal detector. Actually, accidently. I wasn't looking for it, I was just metal detecting. It was 3ft inside the sidewalk and the sidewalk is sunk there. I notified the city in case it's leaking.
Not mentioned... I assume that you turn the valve clockwise to shut off the valve? Like putting a cap on a bottle? Is it a quarter turn? Half turn? I'd hate to wreck the valve.
Good point. I'm surprised that nobody else even asked why the valve in the video is being turned in the direction that normally OPENS valves.
Thanks for showing this! Always wondered how to get the cover open -- and the answer is always "vise grips." 😁🤦♂️ I'm in a position where my water main is WAY less accessible (all the way through a crawlspace under my house) than the utility cover (in the middle of our front yard). Is there any reason you can think of I shouldn't use that valve for the (hopefully rare) case of a main shutoff? Any reason to think this valve is less durable than my main ball valve, etc.?
Thanks for the info! I can't turn the valve seems to be stuck any solution would be greatly appreciated.
Any updates? Mine is stuck too
i found it real easy and open it real fast. found it with the lawn mower
In most cases, I think you can call the city if your soil has subsided and if it protrude above grade.
They can change-out or shorten the access pipe so that is below your lawn surface AFAIK.
Sometimes, the curb is marked, and if the shut off valve is in the yard, your driveway edge will be marked with a "W", a " I " or a " II ". Where the curb and driveway marks cross is the location. My builder did this for my Sewer clean-out location, never checked or asked if he also did for water shutoff valve. Perhaps the different markings is correlated with what is being located.
Any tips on how to locate the curb shut off ?
Anyone thinking about getting one of these should check with their water department and make sure it’s not illegal to tamper with the curb box.
Yes. It may not be illegal, but that curb stop is typically the property of the water company, and if you break it, you'll pay fines, the cost to replace, and probably any wasted water. If you call the water company and have them shut it off, if they break it, it won't cost you anything.
I would only consider turning off the curb stop myself if it was because my house was flooding (i.e. worth the risk.) For other planned repair work, just call the water company and pay the small charge to have them do it.
@@bnasty267 Makes sense. But installing a shut off valve on the your side of the meter saves time and you are responsible for the line on your side anyway. At least in SoCal.
Relax they sell these at home depot.
@@paulc5585 Yes.But some cities curb stop water shut off is their property.Can’t touch it.Not even plumbers.
@@potatoasap1315 That goes for everywhere because too many people turn their water on after it's shut off. The curb shutoff is city property everywhere you pay the city for water and is illegal to tamper with it just like gas & electric.
Thank you. But why in the world is the valve in the video being turned counter clockwise when the purpose is to show people how to "shut off water at the curb"? These unexplained details can cause major confusion to non-experts, like most of the people who come to RUclips for help with tasks like this.
I don’t know where you are in the Midwest, but I’m in the Chicago area and here we have “buffalo boxes”. They have a 5 sided recessed plug, which needs a special tool to remove. The town where I’m at, will open the top screw for you if you call. Years ago (1980) I had a neighbor that was a tool & die maker and he made us some 7’ keys for this & I still have 2. Works the same as yours, 1/4 turn & water is off, Thanks.....Jim
PS......replace your incoming valve with a 1/4 turn, full flow ball valve, and your problems will be over forever!
nope.. the rotation mechanism on ball valves can break. Anything is breakable.
Hey Jim, yeah I am downstate from you in Illinois and depending on the town we have different setups for the cover / box. Ball valve is an option but I will dive a bit deeper next week to take a look at the best option 🤞.
@@EverydayHomeRepairs in this area, since about 1988, all municipalities require 1/4 turn ball valves entering the house as the main shut-off. Many municipalities also require or have a option for a second meter w/valve for outdoor water (pay back is a couple of years, because they don’t charge sewer for this water). I also use 1/4 turn ball valves supplying water to all sinks and toilets ( they never get stuck or hard to pen or leak like regular valves ).
@@apex007 as long as the interior is Teflon, no problem. In 40 years I have never experienced a break. I was an engineer in this field. Today....where’s it coming from? China, this maybe the problem. Jim
Have you checked out the EZT curb key? Please do a review of one. The company that makes it is eztpro
My outside cap comes tight off. Hit it a couple times with mower. I am not going to shut off myself. I want to remove 2 inside shutoffs and replace one to ball valve. Valves in series will limit flow, and I think a ball valve offers better flow.
Read this. We got the tool from home depot. We try to close the valve located at about 3-4 feet deep and the valve only opened half way. Water stopped, then we cut the home pipe to replace the leaking valve. Suddenly, water came in full and we ended calling city emergency services. Do not attempt to close that street valve with the home depot tool.
Very informative but I would suggest checking with your local water supply distributor before doing this. Oftentimes this is illegal and if you damage the shut off, you will be fined and charged to fix it. Many times they will dispatch someone to shut the water off for you without a charge. Also, after years of never being used it can be difficult to find the box. It will be buried under a thick layer of grass or dirt. Many times a metal detector needs to be used to find it. The cap or the shutoff may be badly rusted and difficult to remove or turn off. Your shutoff may also control the water supply to one or more of your neighbors. Be careful!
Good info, by the way isn’t the Meter near the shutoff. Meaning it is accessed often by the meter reader and usually exposed near curb or easement. Unless your area uses electronic reading. We still have meter readers.
Every municipality is different. The water meter is found after the shutoff somewhere towards the house. It can be somewhere outside or in the home. The meter gives a read out of actual water used so they know what to charge you. This must be read and told to the water company. Nowadays they have smart meters which automatically send out a radio frequency with that information. A representative from the water company drives by in a vehicle with a receiver and collects the data without even stopping or getting out of the car!
Hey Scott. Happy New Year.
Quick question. The town came and re did the streets and sidewalks. They actually poured concrete over the curb box. I do need to change the valve
in the building to a ball valve or something newer than what is there now. If I ever had a serious problem, there would be no way to control it.
Any tips on how to find the curb box under concrete? Thanks in advance for your help.
Lanny
Here in Southeast Michigan, we have a pentagon key located on the sidewalk. We have to call the city for a shutoff. I tried the vice grip but it's tight as hell! Great info for everyone Scott!
Thanks Keith, yeah if the cover hasn’t been opened for years then you will probably need the right key so you can really lean into it and apply some extra torque.
Keith how does that work for us in case of an emergency?
Many cities now require a 'homeowner'/ (contractor) installed valve just past the meter. As in Keith's situation above some cities charge for a turn off and turn on, so y'all know.
@@omar10wahab I have no idea but I believe the fire department may have a key for emergencies
You need to get the tri-wrench from Oatey. It’s for the 5 sided nut and you have enough leverage to turn it.
Suppose I damage the curb stop, do I have to repair it? Wouldn't it be easier to call the city water works to shut off the valve.
I would add to your video that if the curb shutoff is really difficult to turn then to stop and contact the city. In my region, you break it, the city repairs and gives a hefty bill. Not a fine but bill.
That's what I was trying to figure out is how much to turn the valve. My assumption was to turn the arrow from straight (as inline with the pipe) to 90 deg. But when I turned it, it turned past the 90 deg. mark to less than 180 deg. More than 90 but less than 180. Just trying to shut off, as shut off under the house is already off, as to not freeze while renovating. As I have not heat and crawlspace needs sealing up to go as well. there is just about a foot of copper out of ground under house but but valve is at the the foot mark.
SO do I turn till it stops or just 90 deg?
So I got the Curb Stop open. We bought a curb key at Menards but when we tried to go down the 4 feet or so and we couldn't find the valve. Now granted it was dark and I don't think my buddy got a good look with a phone flashlight but he was convinced we had the wrong curb key, My question is are there different variations of a curb key? The house was built in 1988 so I would think it has a standard valve and there was only one model curb key in the store, anyone know? I'm in the NW suburbs of Chicago.
I wish you could go more into detail about the water meter key tool especially the opening width. The width of the bar on top of the city water shutoff valve is 5/16th and most water meter keys have an opening width of 3/4 inch which is quite larger so it only makes a small amount of contact on the ends of the bar when turning the valve. The only meter key I could find with a smaller opening was a Bully brand which had a 3/8 inch opening. Does the opening width of the meter key matter? I sure hope you can answer my question because I live out in a rural area and I can't find any help from the water company. Thanks. I have found your videos very helpful and informative.
The size does not matter as long as it will turn the valve. It's probably made that way one size fits all.
@@keithbuckner7296Hi Keith, thank you for your reply. I appreciate it.
Biggest problem is that in the northeast they are 6 feet deep and the hole is plugged with dirt, so there is no access to the valve. You have to call the water company to clean it out
That would be a bad scenario if you had an emergency 😬
Use a shop vac to clean out the dirt.
Stupid question: I have a pentagon-shaped water shut-off valve in my alley. How do I go about tuning water off/on?
I'm a west coaster so the shut off valve is maybe 12" below the surface.
The problem I face on a regular basis is that the valve is stuck. I've out cheaters on the T handle of the key and twisted to the point that the shaft twists into a pretzel without ever rotating the valve stem.
I'd love to learn what to do when that happens.
Same here - just over-torqued a T key today. Frankly, I don’t think there is much else you can do without a machine like a spin doctor.
@@MrAwesomeSaucem I am the retired President of the Plumbers & Steamfitters union in my area. I was a steamfitter and not a plumber so I queried both the head guy of my union and the head of our training center--both of whom are plumbers--and the both suggested calling the water company.
My problem with that is if there is an emergency and I need to shut off the main (before the main valve at my house), I may not be able to wait a day or two until they come out. Or if I'm doing a job where I need to turn the water off for a brief period before turning it back on, playing the waiting game won't cut it for the homeowner. It would be nice to know how to shut the valve without breaking it.
@@FineFlicks342 If it is a public water main valve, you will probably have to contact your local public works department to sort it out - municipal valves are usually off limits to anyone else. If it is privately managed by somebody else, I would suggest contacting whomever manages these valves.
If you are looking to fix this issue yourself, I have a few suggestions. First, determine if there is any dirt, mud, or other debris preventing it from moving, and if so I would suggest flushing it out with some water to loosen it up. If this is not the issue and the nut is simply corroded, i would suggest trying to work the key back and forth as much as possible to grind out the rust. Beyond that, I’m not sure there is much you can do.
I know this is 2 years later, but maybe WD-40 or other lubricant that helps cause bolts/nuts to loosen would be advisable to use prior to twisting. Spray, let it soak for an hour, come back and try to turn.
2nd thought, rig up a system like rooftopvoter3015 commented above, and add a top end impact driver attachment, attach impact driver, and do quick trigger bursts.
@@mikejones4308 Thanks for the suggestion.
For more than a half century I built and maintained oil refineries--places where bolts and valves simply did not want to budge. I'm well versed in the many different types of penetrating oils but they seem to be ineffective on the valves. One of the problems is that the apes of valves are dramatically different than most valves and penetrating oil doesn't;t soak in where it's needed.
It doesn't help that these valves are in a valve box and maybe a foot below ground elevation making it almost impossible to get a wrench on the 'handle' and get the leverage you need.
Thank you!
Our neighborhood they're all buried somewhere in the yard after 50 years I doubt any kind of key would work on them
Shouldnt ur video show u turning house shutoff to RIGHT, not left, to shutoff house water?
And what happens when the street valve won't shut off, or only partially shuts off?
City has to come and dig where your service line attaches to the main and shut it off there. This is usually why you're not suppose to get in n the meter box but call the water company to shut it off. I've had to fix several where people have torn things up. We have an ordinance that makes you pay for the repair as well. Having a crew dig up the street and fix it usually gets expensive very quickly.
Which way to turn off?
Which way to turn on?
my valve is always buried under mud so i installed a pair of vise grips and left them attached..
I had to shut off the water and the main valve at the house was stuck from lack of use so i had to turn it off at the meter and of course it was under several inches of mud !
A couple years ago, I went to shut my water main off in the basement so that I could change the washers on my tub faucets (because for some reason, the people who built this house didn't think the bathtub needed its own shutoffs. I found that not only could I not fully shut the water off, the valve started leaking. I called a plumber and was told I'd need to locate my curb shutoff.
I contacted the city, since nothing was exposed and they gave me a diagram of roughly where it was. Cue a day of digging to find it. When I finally found it, about six inches down, it was completely rusted. The plumber came out, looked at it and said he couldn't open it. In fact, he cracked the cover while trying to loosen it. He said that even if he got it open, the valve inside was likely seized and if it broke while he tried to turn it off, I'd have to have the water company come out, dig it up and install a new one.
In the end, he crimped the water pipe in the basement to pinch off the flow, installed a half-turn valve , then uncrimped the pipe.
I put a cut off bucket with lid over the curb valve cover, added a concrete stone on top of it and buried it under a couple inches of dirt. I figure if they ever need to access it, it will be easier than trying to find it in the dirt again.
Sounds like a nightmare
I would've told you the real deal. That is, if I turn this and it does break, it's gonna start leaking and then I'm going to leave. Then just call the city and tell them that you see a lot of water in front of your house. When they realize that they are losing their water, and they can't bill you for it, they will come out and repair it free, they don't have any choice. ;)
I live in Toronto. If ask city to turn off curb valve will be charged $93+tax=$105.09. Buddy this only for turn off, usually plumber can't finish with 30 minutes, when the job done, city come over and turn on curb value they charge another $105.09.
So city will charge you $215.18.
The plumber will change you $300 at least.
Finally you have to pay more than $500, just replace this tiny value!!!
Turn off/on curb valve is not a high tech work and don't need much muscle as well and just take a few minutes can finish. Why charge so much!!!
Holy crap 🤯 thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for sharing 👍
Good information! Thank you for sharing! :-)
My pleasure!
Thanks. I need to get one of those shutoff tools. Where did you get yours at?
I got this one from Menards (home improvement store in the Midwest) for about $25. 👍
Home Depot or Lowe's.
great video!!!
Thanks 👍
Especially hard when there is a couple feet of snow on the ground
What if they shut the water off can I turn it on
Which way does the curb stop key turn to shut it off? Righty tighty? The video is unclear. Please advise. In NJ, the homeowner is responsible for this curbstop not the water company so I cant afford a problem. Thanks much.
Many water shut offs are the opposite of "righty tighty lefty loosey", i.e., you may have to turn the water valve counterclockwise to shut it off.
Here in Pa ours are 4Ft down but also we're not allowed to have curb keys they don't even want master plumer's having them. If you need the curb shut off the water company will come and do it for a fee
Rotate in what direction?
I believe open is clockwise and close is counterclockwise but since the valve only has 90 degrees of motion it will be pretty self explanatory.
Nice and easy!!!!!!!!!!
The off the shelf curb key won’t fit the access hole. The head is too big for the new cover the water company put. Any jig can you recommend?
Can’t you just remove the cover?
@@EverydayHomeRepairs once you remove the cover you only see a less than an inch hole to insert the key.
I wish it were that easy in our area.
First you find where the curb shut off is. My neighbor tell me that when they paved the street and put in curbs in about 50 years ago in the 1960's the shut off got covered over with about a foot of dirt to bring the yard level up to match the curb height. I have tried poking into the dirt with an ice pick where i think it it should be but so far no luck. The township claims they don't have drawings that would show the locations. They suggested i get a plumber who should have the proper tools to locate the shutoff.
Oh man! That sounds like a mess. Whomever is responsible for the water (township or other company) should have to come out and find the meter if it is buried, right?
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Thanks for the reply. The Township where I live buys their water from the nearby larger city, Apparently any work on the water supply is bid out and a contractor is hired to do repairs, back flushing the water lines which is currently being done. There is no one that works for the township that can find it or so i was told. The local fire departments have equipment and tools to find and shut the water off in an emergency so i am going to talk to them and see if I can get them to user there detector to locate it. If not i will keep pocking holes in the ground until i find that metal cover and i do know what it looks like.
Yea really that’s the townships responsibility to locate not yours!!
@@EverydayHomeRepairs The meter is in my basement and is read by a wireless device. The curb shut off is what is buried but my local Fire Department located it for me.
Towns should have the equipment to locate water lines and shut off boxes. If not, the "officials" need to be voted out.
Am I getting this mixed up with something else, or are things just weird where there's no frost line? There's a shutoff valve accessible by hand at the water meter here. I've never seen another whole-house shutoff valve, although given how easily accessible the meter is I haven't actually looked.
I am confused. Doesn't every house have main shut off valve? Why go outside to shut off? I always just shut the main valve in the house.
I can only speak for what I've seen in my state. There is always a city shutoff before the meter and that utilizes the tool shown here. Outside where the line enters the house there would be a shut off valve as well. I've never seen a shutoff inside a house, and I do not think our code allows. I would say that each region differs in its requirements/codes.
@@socalcaiman You are in California, in Ohio the main water line enters the house underground (frost-line at my home is 36" below ground, so main water line will be lower than that to prevent freezing), comes through basement wall below that depth with an in-basement meter and a main house shut-off valve. From there, plumbing branches out to the house, each branch also having a shut-off valve in the basement but closer to the fixture it supplies. In a home with no basement but rather a slab floor, the main water line travels below the frost line depth reaching under the slab, and does a 90-degree turn vertically through the slab floor at the location of the "utilities room", typically in the home where your water heater, furnace and washer/dryer are located. In my home (slab ranch home), a lower 25% of the closet in the "utility room" houses the main water line feed up through the slab, which then has a main house shutoff valve, then the meter, then an array of shutoff valves for each line going to each water fixture in the house and outdoor faucets. Unlike California, we can't have our "utility room" in the garage, our garages for the most part are not heated and the water would freeze in the winter. We have to drain our outdoor lines every fall to prevent freezing, unless you have a stand-off outdoor faucet handle shutoff valve, which actually shuts off the water 12" from the faucet handle inside the basement which prevents freezing. I am sure Michigan has a lower freeze line, and Minnesota an even lower freeze line, and Canada could be as low as 60 inches. Fun fact: Geothermal heating/cooling actually uses this phenomena as once below the freeze line, the soil is a constant 55 degrees. So rather than heating 10 degree air, it's cheaper to extract heat from 55 degree soil, and rather than removing moisture and exhausting to 85 degree air, its cheaper to exchange heat to the 55 degree soil.
A lot of plumping threads are reversed.
Huh, all I did was use a crescent wrench on mine.
How deep is yours? We are in the Midwest so sometimes they would be a bit deep to reach. From what I have seen southern states it is much easier to reach with a crescent wrench.
What Time is it? Here, let me show you how to build a Chinese water clock.
For us rural people, just flick the breaker to the pump and the water is off.
You are your own water company 😉
It's going fine I guess.
Will I be fined ?
They changed ours we no longer can use our key we have to call a plumber or the city and that raises the bill 🙄🙄
Unless you own multiple houses, a plumber or general contractor you shouldn't have one of those tools or even think about buying one. The reason you shouldn't own one is because it's easy for someone to use it for illegal acts, like turning on water service when it's been shutoff due to non payment. Sometimes cities don't even want someone touching the water shutoff and require you to have them come out. It's best to just call the city when you have a water issue because you don't want to possibly piss them off and get fined because you didn't want to call them & most cities can tell when a valve has been messed with.
Almost every realtor and home inspector I know has these tools.....lol
I would be reluctant to mess with the street shut off because those valves are old and could break. That would be a mess.
@@KameraShy That's why you're not supposed to mess with with them and if caught you could be in legal trouble or be fined and not have water until the fine is paid.
@@Will-ik3sz They're not supposed to.
@@justincase2071 These are only sold for that reason, an emergency but you're really not supposed to have one because too many people use them to turn on water illegally.
That water valve can be repaired without turning off curb valve
By tightening the packing nut?
I agree. In my area in SoCal we have a shutoff just past the meter. Another one before it goes into house and a valve at top of water heater. And we still have meter readers running around the neighborhood.
🤣just call the city🤗
For those having trouble locating a buried shut off box or water line, just bend a couple wire coat hangers and try water witching. It does work. However, I would be reluctant to mess with the street shut off because those valves are old and could break. That would be a mess.
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👎👎👎👎