I have a shut off ball valve in my basement but there is also a main shut off valve outside that the water works can only turn off. Years ago when converting my drive way to concrete from asphalt the contractor found the main outdoor shut off. It was under the drive way! Someone actually buried the main shut off with asphalt!
Joseph, I wouldn’t worry about the city shut off because if they need to, they’ll get to it. It’s good you have the shut off in the basement as that one is your only concern. I would turn that valve on and off to exercise it.
I went to my meter box to shut off water to the house. I had my key ready, but when I opened the box there, I did not see a standard valve. All I saw was the pentagon-shaped nut. I am still not sure what this is or nor what to do in order to shut off water. Any advice??
I just found your site I have a question for your Father and fellow Michigander No one can give me an answer as to why my hydro therapy tub upstairs Only produces black wster with flecks! The rest of the hot water to sinks upstairs seems clear Help😮
So when you fill the tub, you get black water, or does black water come out of the jets? You could be getting the flecks from the anode rod in your water heater that is deteriorating. Those flecks show up more in a large white surface area like a tub. If that’s the problem, drain the heater and flush it out several times. If you want, you can replace the rod with an aluminum one or just plug the opening with a 3/4” IP plug. If the black water is coming out of the jets, put water in the tub, add a couple of cups of bleach and turn the jets on for about 30 minutes. Are you able to check the connections to the tub water supply? Make sure they didn’t use washing machine hoses. If they did, replace with braided stainless steel hoses. I really think the black water and flecks are coming from the water heater.
What if you live in a community where houses don’t have water meters yet? And you don’t have a basement only a crawlspace and it does get cold here. Thank you for your answer in advance.
You did include condo in your question but it was limited from the answer. What is a typical place for a condo owner to look? I found one that shuts not water on the heater, one that shuts the bath in a closet but none for general cold water.
Pirooz Pakdel, sounds like it is an older condo and they did not provide shutoffs for each unit. The association is responsible for any damages because a particular unit can’t be shut off if there is a problem.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber many thanks. Since the note I have found out just that! I am having one installed . thought each line of condos has one buried outside somewhere. In an emergency getting to it is time consuming and one ends up shutting the liquid to everyone in that line. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. You have a great video blog site 👍👍
Diana, Clorox tablets are dangerous in a toilet tank. They can damage the flapper and fill valve. When the tablet gets too small, they can go down the flush valve hole and creates a problem with the flush.
Doris, if you live in an area that has a basement, the meter is found in the basement. If you have a warm crawl space, you can find it there. If living in a warm climate, you’ll find the meter at the street or your water shutoff would be at the house. I don’t know your situation to tell you how to connect the hose to an indoor tap.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber the cut off is 'for' the back acres. House is fine. There are water faucets for the barns out back. Bought the property as is. All water faucets out back are dry. Must be a valve somewhere.
AMERICAN VIKING GSD, is this a real old barn? If so, the water supply might have been abandoned. Might be easier to go from the house with a new pipe and tie it in to one of the faucets. Another thing to try is put air pressure on the old piping and see if it holds. That will tell if the piping is any good. You might even see air blowing up the dirt. Just had another brain fart……run a garden hose from the house to the barn and turn it on and see if there is water coming out of the ground. To connect the garden hose to a barn valve use a washing machine hose.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber great idea sir. I'll try running water backwards through the faucet from a known wet faucet to see if at least the pipes are good. If no leaking then at the least we know pipes are good. The property is a track style / longer than wide. So renting the ditch witch and trenching in new pex will be costly. Thank you so much for replying and helping me out here. I have a hose that I can put 2 female connections on and go faucet to faucet. I don't have connector's for air pressure but I will definitely try the water. Though air pressure will be less costly and more precise and give quicker result as to whether the pipes are broken and should be justly abandoned. Thank you again sir. I subbed to your channel. Try to be a little more grumpy in the videos just to ham it up a little Lol just kidding sir.
I live in a townhouse in Florida and our shut-off valve is in front under ground for each unit. Some neighbors have had a plumber come out and move it above ground. Do you feel that this is a good idea or a waste of money ? thanks for your time..
ARMY, if it is a nice subterranean box that is not full of dirt and it’s easy to turn the valve on and off, I’d leave it alone. If there is a gate valve ( these have round handles) then I would change it to a ball valve that has a lever and is a 1/4 turn valve. If you do need to change the valve, then I would move it above ground.
Isaac Hernandez, first you need to locate the well tank. There is normally a shut off valve at the well tank that will turn the house water off. If not, turn the power off to the well and open up all the faucets until the water flow stops. Then install a shut off valve at the well tank.
Britney Durham, look in the water heater closet to see if the shut-off valve is there. If you have a crawl space, look there. If you are on city water service, call the water department and they’ll come and help you find it.
Hi grumpy Plummer! Any advice for Texans right now? I’m stubbled across your page looking for water heater tips. Right now city of Austin has lost water pressure to the point where most homes are without water. So my pipes arnt frozen (I think/hope) but we went ahead and cut off the main water line to the house when we lost water from the city. Do I need to turn off my water heater? I read that we only need to turn it off if it’s empty. How do I know if it’s empty? Lol I must sound dumb and I probably am but I just haven’t had an experience like this before. Thanks for your time.
Ashley, open up every hot and cold faucets in the house. Make sure the faucets at the lowest point of the water lines are open so the other faucets will drain to that point. You want to turn off the gas or electric to the water heater. Drain the heater by putting a hose on the drain at the bottom of the heater ( about 10 minutes should be enough).Don’t worry about draining it completely. When it gets above freezing and you have power again, you want to turn the drain off on the heater, turn your water back on. When you get water coming out on your cold faucets, shut them off. Leave the hot faucets open until you get water running out of all hot faucets. Turn faucets off and turn your water heater back on. (The water heater must be full of water before you turn it on.) I hope this is understandable....if you need clarification, write me back.
I bought a 1999 mobile home with the land that belonged to the people behind me orginally. My water meter is in front of their house which is about 250 feet away. I have a hose bib in line with the water meter but no one can find the shutoff valve to the house. The water heater is about 15 ft to the right and there's a septic tank close to the hose bib.
Mary, because you have your own meter, you could use the shut off at the meter when you want to work on your home. Usually they have a water hook up coming through the bottom of the water heater closet. Did you look underneath the closet?
@@TheGrumpyPlumber well I appreciate you trying to help me. I did take the panel off that was in front of the water heater outside in the carport. It is a water heater closet but it's not a real door on there it's a heavy panel that has to be lifted off. I got really upset when I saw the hot water heater because it is a hot water heater for a house not a mobile home. See the problem is I've been taken advantage of all my life and I bought this mobile home from the original owners who are Navajo Indians. Whoever they had do the electric Surely did that wrong because there are Outlets outside that look just like the ones inside, there's no cover over them. The water heater is just sitting on the floor of the closet. It's electric. But about three feet away and turning the corner there is a little gray metal box that could be like a cover because I see some kind of a gray pipe coming up into it out of the ground. The master bathroom is on the other side of that wall. I paid for a house inspector and he should have told me where the main water shut off to the house was. I'm in Arizona. The mobile is a 1999.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber after living in California for about 50 years and raised in Minnesota, I will not touch that meter at the street with a ten-foot pole. There is a water pipe coming out from under the hot water heater just like you said and there's a hose bib attached to it so I guess that's where the shut-off should be. It was leaking when I moved in and I was going to just let it leak and collect the water and use it other places like the other people had been doing. But my brother-in-law fixed it. He could never find the main water shut off to the house either. My bill has been rising since December and I replaced the flapper in the toilet which proved to be leaking. The neighbor on the next block where my meter is told me that my meter was flooded and was flooding the street for 20 days last year and that he called the water company to come and repair it twice. On Friday they wouldn't admit to anything. I live in unincorporated Maricopa County. On my deed it says no city no town. I pay County taxes but I pay no City anything.
Mary, if they came and fixed the meter or the leak, it was their problem. Anything on the house side is your problem. I would install a shut off before the hose bib ( use a good ball valve). Then you can shut the water off to your house with the new valve, then go and check if there is any water flow through at the meter. The meter has a triangle on the glass cover and if that moves, just the slightest bit, it will tell you that it is leaking on the house side. Good luck.
Mary, P.S. they just use a standard electric water heater for mobile homes as there is not a heater made just for mobile homes. If I’m wrong and someone tells you different, don’t buy an electric mobile home heater. The next time you replace the heater, put it in a water heater pan. For safety, buy an alarm that would detect water on the floor. You can get them at a hardware store. It is about the size of a cigarette pack and you need batteries. So sorry you have been taken advantage of. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.
For about an hour. The city ended up giving 14 homes that were on my street free 30 day water service, therefore there last statements bill, waived. They than sent me the bill. About $1400…
That’s pretty good that you figured out how the turn the water off to the whole street! I turned off the wrong meter when there were a large group of meters together and got yelled at.
I found the valve alright, but telling me "follow the meter and it's right there" didn't help. Nice of you to make a video, but please include some substance.
I have a shut off ball valve in my basement but there is also a main shut off valve outside that the water works can only turn off. Years ago when converting my drive way to concrete from asphalt the contractor found the main outdoor shut off. It was under the drive way! Someone actually buried the main shut off with asphalt!
Joseph, I wouldn’t worry about the city shut off because if they need to, they’ll get to it. It’s good you have the shut off in the basement as that one is your only concern. I would turn that valve on and off to exercise it.
My shutoff at the street was under a plate, but I had to dig about a foot to get to pipes!
I went to my meter box to shut off water to the house. I had my key ready, but when I opened the box there, I did not see a standard valve. All I saw was the pentagon-shaped nut. I am still not sure what this is or nor what to do in order to shut off water. Any advice??
I just found your site
I have a question for your Father and fellow Michigander
No one can give me an answer as to why my hydro therapy tub upstairs
Only produces black wster with flecks!
The rest of the hot water to sinks upstairs seems clear
Help😮
So when you fill the tub, you get black water, or does black water come out of the jets? You could be getting the flecks from the anode rod in your water heater that is deteriorating. Those flecks show up more in a large white surface area like a tub. If that’s the problem, drain the heater and flush it out several times. If you want, you can replace the rod with an aluminum one or just plug the opening with a 3/4” IP plug. If the black water is coming out of the jets, put water in the tub, add a couple of cups of bleach and turn the jets on for about 30 minutes. Are you able to check the connections to the tub water supply? Make sure they didn’t use washing machine hoses. If they did, replace with braided stainless steel hoses. I really think the black water and flecks are coming from the water heater.
And, if you live in a one-story house?
What if you live in a community where houses don’t have water meters yet? And you don’t have a basement only a crawlspace and it does get cold here. Thank you for your answer in advance.
Videos are great. Your intro is too long though.
You did include condo in your question but it was limited from the answer. What is a typical place for a condo owner to look? I found one that shuts not water on the heater, one that shuts the bath in a closet but none for general cold water.
Pirooz Pakdel, sounds like it is an older condo and they did not provide shutoffs for each unit. The association is responsible for any damages because a particular unit can’t be shut off if there is a problem.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber many thanks. Since the note I have found out just that! I am having one installed . thought each line of condos has one buried outside somewhere. In an emergency getting to it is time consuming and one ends up shutting the liquid to everyone in that line. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. You have a great video blog site 👍👍
Does the Clorox tablet put in back water tank bad for hardware in tank?
Diana, Clorox tablets are dangerous in a toilet tank. They can damage the flapper and fill valve. When the tablet gets too small, they can go down the flush valve hole and creates a problem with the flush.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber thank you I will stop.
Pics worth a thousand words Grumpy
I need your help I can’t find it in my mobile home the city turn on water but no water is coming out
Marcela Barela, the water shut off valve is probably located near the water heater under the mobile home. You’ll find it.
How do you connect a hose too a indoor tap
Doris, if you live in an area that has a basement, the meter is found in the basement. If you have a warm crawl space, you can find it there. If living in a warm climate, you’ll find the meter at the street or your water shutoff would be at the house. I don’t know your situation to tell you how to connect the hose to an indoor tap.
How do you find it when it's buried maybe 10 inches in the back 20 acres?
AMERICAN VIKING GSD, get a metal detector. Are you kidding me that it’s in the back 20 acres? You need to put one closer to the house.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber the cut off is 'for' the back acres. House is fine. There are water faucets for the barns out back. Bought the property as is. All water faucets out back are dry. Must be a valve somewhere.
AMERICAN VIKING GSD, is this a real old barn? If so, the water supply might have been abandoned. Might be easier to go from the house with a new pipe and tie it in to one of the faucets. Another thing to try is put air pressure on the old piping and see if it holds. That will tell if the piping is any good. You might even see air blowing up the dirt. Just had another brain fart……run a garden hose from the house to the barn and turn it on and see if there is water coming out of the ground. To connect the garden hose to a barn valve use a washing machine hose.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber great idea sir. I'll try running water backwards through the faucet from a known wet faucet to see if at least the pipes are good. If no leaking then at the least we know pipes are good.
The property is a track style / longer than wide.
So renting the ditch witch and trenching in new pex will be costly. Thank you so much for replying and helping me out here. I have a hose that I can put 2 female connections on and go faucet to faucet. I don't have connector's for air pressure but I will definitely try the water. Though air pressure will be less costly and more precise and give quicker result as to whether the pipes are broken and should be justly abandoned. Thank you again sir. I subbed to your channel. Try to be a little more grumpy in the videos just to ham it up a little Lol just kidding sir.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber will do asap
I live in a townhouse in Florida and our shut-off valve is in front under ground for each unit. Some neighbors have had a plumber come out and move it above ground. Do you feel that this is a good idea or a waste of money ? thanks for your time..
ARMY, if it is a nice subterranean box that is not full of dirt and it’s easy to turn the valve on and off, I’d leave it alone. If there is a gate valve ( these have round handles) then I would change it to a ball valve that has a lever and is a 1/4 turn valve. If you do need to change the valve, then I would move it above ground.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thank you...
How can we find the main shut off valve in a country home ?
Isaac Hernandez, first you need to locate the well tank. There is normally a shut off valve at the well tank that will turn the house water off. If not, turn the power off to the well and open up all the faucets until the water flow stops. Then install a shut off valve at the well tank.
I don’t have a basement and live in a cold climate. Any other ideas
Britney Durham, look in the water heater closet to see if the shut-off valve is there. If you have a crawl space, look there. If you are on city water service, call the water department and they’ll come and help you find it.
Hi grumpy Plummer! Any advice for Texans right now? I’m stubbled across your page looking for water heater tips. Right now city of Austin has lost water pressure to the point where most homes are without water. So my pipes arnt frozen (I think/hope) but we went ahead and cut off the main water line to the house when we lost water from the city. Do I need to turn off my water heater? I read that we only need to turn it off if it’s empty. How do I know if it’s empty? Lol I must sound dumb and I probably am but I just haven’t had an experience like this before. Thanks for your time.
Ashley, open up every hot and cold faucets in the house. Make sure the faucets at the lowest point of the water lines are open so the other faucets will drain to that point. You want to turn off the gas or electric to the water heater. Drain the heater by putting a hose on the drain at the bottom of the heater ( about 10 minutes should be enough).Don’t worry about draining it completely. When it gets above freezing and you have power again, you want to turn the drain off on the heater, turn your water back on. When you get water coming out on your cold faucets, shut them off. Leave the hot faucets open until you get water running out of all hot faucets. Turn faucets off and turn your water heater back on. (The water heater must be full of water before you turn it on.) I hope this is understandable....if you need clarification, write me back.
Ashley, P.S. you can do this as it could happen again. Very smart to be concerned about this.
I stay in a double wide trailer where is my water shut off ???
Chretha B, look underneath the double wide near the water heater to find the water shut off. That is where it is usually located.
No visuals of what you're actually looking for. What does an outside one look like if you live in a warm climate? Not very helpful.
I bought a 1999 mobile home with the land that belonged to the people behind me orginally. My water meter is in front of their house which is about 250 feet away. I have a hose bib in line with the water meter but no one can find the shutoff valve to the house. The water heater is about 15 ft to the right and there's a septic tank close to the hose bib.
Mary, because you have your own meter, you could use the shut off at the meter when you want to work on your home. Usually they have a water hook up coming through the bottom of the water heater closet. Did you look underneath the closet?
@@TheGrumpyPlumber well I appreciate you trying to help me. I did take the panel off that was in front of the water heater outside in the carport. It is a water heater closet but it's not a real door on there it's a heavy panel that has to be lifted off. I got really upset when I saw the hot water heater because it is a hot water heater for a house not a mobile home. See the problem is I've been taken advantage of all my life and I bought this mobile home from the original owners who are Navajo Indians. Whoever they had do the electric Surely did that wrong because there are Outlets outside that look just like the ones inside, there's no cover over them. The water heater is just sitting on the floor of the closet. It's electric. But about three feet away and turning the corner there is a little gray metal box that could be like a cover because I see some kind of a gray pipe coming up into it out of the ground. The master bathroom is on the other side of that wall. I paid for a house inspector and he should have told me where the main water shut off to the house was. I'm in Arizona. The mobile is a 1999.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber after living in California for about 50 years and raised in Minnesota,
I will not touch that meter at the street with a ten-foot pole.
There is a water pipe coming out from under the hot water heater just like you said and there's a hose bib attached to it so I guess that's where the shut-off should be. It was leaking when I moved in and I was going to just let it leak and collect the water and use it other places like the other people had been doing. But my brother-in-law fixed it. He could never find the main water shut off to the house either.
My bill has been rising since December and I replaced the flapper in the toilet which proved to be leaking.
The neighbor on the next block where my meter is told me that my meter was flooded and was flooding the street for 20 days last year and that he called the water company to come and repair it twice. On Friday they wouldn't admit to anything.
I live in unincorporated Maricopa County. On my deed it says no city no town. I pay County taxes but I pay no City anything.
Mary, if they came and fixed the meter or the leak, it was their problem. Anything on the house side is your problem. I would install a shut off before the hose bib ( use a good ball valve). Then you can shut the water off to your house with the new valve, then go and check if there is any water flow through at the meter. The meter has a triangle on the glass cover and if that moves, just the slightest bit, it will tell you that it is leaking on the house side. Good luck.
Mary, P.S. they just use a standard electric water heater for mobile homes as there is not a heater made just for mobile homes. If I’m wrong and someone tells you different, don’t buy an electric mobile home heater. The next time you replace the heater, put it in a water heater pan. For safety, buy an alarm that would detect water on the floor. You can get them at a hardware store. It is about the size of a cigarette pack and you need batteries. So sorry you have been taken advantage of. I’ll be happy to help in any way I can.
I accidentally shut off the whole streets water.
For about an hour. The city ended up giving 14 homes that were on my street free 30 day water service, therefore there last statements bill, waived.
They than sent me the bill. About $1400…
That’s pretty good that you figured out how the turn the water off to the whole street! I turned off the wrong meter when there were a large group of meters together and got yelled at.
Th meter was next to my homes meter. I did get the bill reduced half. A expensive mistake lol
That was complete waste of time.
Toooooo damn long intro my water is FLOWING RN and yards flooded by the end of it lol
Thanks for nothing.
Sounds like someone forgot to put a shut-off in. Call the water department. They will help you.
I found the valve alright, but telling me "follow the meter and it's right there" didn't help. Nice of you to make a video, but please include some substance.