Shutoff valve before water meter: Whose problem?

[Dan]

Well, I went down & shut off the valve, then backed off the nut slightly. Began to leak more, so I opened a nearby faucet to remove pressure on the outlet side & the leaking stopped. I slacked off the nut about half way; no leaking, so it seems I may be able to repack the valve w/o shutting off the outside water control. I'll go to the hdwr store & see what they have for this before proceeding further. Plus I'm having to soak the screw that retains the valve handle in penetrating oil to get it out w/o risking breaking it off. Ironically, after all this when I reopened the valve, the leak has substantially quit.

No doubt not for long, however.

When it comes to plumbing, I'd rather do electrical ;-)

Dan

Dan wrote:

[El-Jay]

When it comes to electrical, I'd rather do plumbing. I can sometimes outrun a water leak, but have never been able to outrun electricity.

[ES]

replying to Dan, ES wrote: leaking shotoff valve on the City side of the water meter is the cities responsibility. Senior Engineer, Public Works(retired)

[bob haller]

just tighten the packing nut 1/2 to 1 turn. or tighten till the leak stops..

[Don Y]

ISTR everything up to and INCLUDING the meter is the city's (or, "water company's") responsibility. The output of the water meter is the homeowner/customer's problem.

[clare]

If it is inside the house (virtually all water meters here in Ontario and most of Canada are) the shutoff valve ahead of the meter inside the house is the homeowner's responsibility. The shutoff hydrant at the street is the end of the "public works" responsibility.

When they came to change the meter at my house, the shutoff leaked so they had to shut it off at the street. While waiting for them to shut it off I ran out and got a new 1/4 turn valve and I had it replaced in minutes while the public works guy readied the new meter for installation..

Saved me a $100 plumber's call and doing it while they had it shut off saved me the call-out fee to shut it off at the street. Since they had to do it to change the meter, it was a NO CHARGE call-out.

[Taxed and Spent]

Or back off the packing nut and add more packing. A piece of string will do. Then tighten backup.

[Vic Smith]

When I replaced the galvanized in my 2-flat in Chicago there was a small meter pit with a valve in the front parkway. Cast iron cover. I closed the inside valve (3/4" gate valve) at the end of the lead pipe service, but was I was still getting a solid flow of water out of the basement sink. I worked the valve good, but it was shot. It needed replacement. So I closed the outside pit valve (3/4" gate again) but it made no difference that I could see in the flow from the basement faucet. Worked that one good too, but that valve was shot too. That's just what happens with 60 year old unused valves. Made up the new opened valve with a teflon taped short nipple and got a buddy to hold up a big galvanized wash tub. Same kind we used to bathe in when I was a tyke spending the summer with my ma's folks in the Ozarks. When I cranked off that old valve it seemed like there was full city water pressure coming out of the lead pipe. We both got splashed and half soaked. He actually dropped the tub for an instant. But I was pretty fast cranking in the new valve and shutting it off. Had it ready and at hand. Probably spilled 3-4 gallons, most of it caught by the tub. That outside city valve was doing squat.

[Don Y]

Gate valves don't fare well over time. Esp if you have mineral deposits in the water.

I installed a ball valve *at* the house (downstream from the valve on the load side of the water meter by the curb) so that I could be

*sure* the water was off when I wanted it to be so. Another downstream from that to allow the irrigation water to be stopped and an electrically operated valve to gate the domestic water supply (plus half-a-dozen ball valves to allow the water filter and water softener to be selectively bypassed, as needed. (ditto for the water heater)

When/if the city needs to replace their valve(s), they physically deform the water main to pinch it closed to interrupt the flow.

[clare]

Woulkdn't have solved my problem -They could not stop the water flow to change the water meter.