New House with No Main Water Shutoff Valve

[George E. Cawthon]

Not if the shut off valve is located at the far end of the crawl space and access is through a hatch in the floor of a closet with about a zillion things piled on it, like at my house. I've never turned the inside house valve off, always used the valve at the street. Besides it only requires a Crescent wrench. Now if I needed a special wrench, I would paint the handle RED and would hang it by the garage door and always replace it whenever I used it. Course that would keep some idiot child or spouse from moving it, but if I had an idiot child or idiot spouse (or an idiot me) I would buy a second wrench and hide it in a special place that I would not likely forget.

What I can't imagine is having a flood from a broken pipe or valve and waiting for the water company to come turn the water off.

[Dick]

Actually, I can turn off everything except the outside faucets which are freeze-proof. The water from the meter goes first to our water softener which feeds all house faucets. I can turn it off there. Not perfect, but better than nothing.

[Dick]

There is one valve before the water meter. That's the city's responsibility. There is another valve after the water meter along with a pressure regulator. That's my responsibility. I own everything after the meter. Everything is in the same underground vault.

[DanG]

Ask for a water shut off key at ACE, Home Depot, Lowe's, a local plumbing shop, etc.

(top posted for your convenience) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) [e-mail]

[MikeP]

It is not 100k in the hands of the builders, it is 100K plus markup that was not passed on to the buyers.

FWIW in many parts of the USA the practical place to install the cut off is at the street, just past the water meter. We do not have basements (too expensive), meters are installed at the street \property line (the only place the water company will install them).

[MLD]

Don't be too sure. Had the city shut off the main in the street so that my house shut off valve could be replaced. Guess what? The street-to-valve extension shaft snapped in two. City gets Back hoe--dig up street--replace extension shaft--fill hole--hot top over dug up street.------- Now, you don't want to get involved in all of that do you? MLD

[Dick]

No, and I wouldn't. If the city breaks it, the city fixes it. Anyway, if your shutoff valve is defective, what choices do you really have? Got to shut it off somewhere.

[Bill]

yes keys are available to deal with water main cut off valves...go to the Home Depot hand tool department and ask for a "Crescent Wrench" or any other brand of "Adjustable Wrench"...stick it down in your water meter box and turn the water off.

Bill

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Not that simple. Where do you live? The poster is in CT. Our water mains are 48" or deeper. That takes a mighty long arm to reach down that far with an adjustable. I'd not be surprised to find them even deeper as you go farther north.