Curb Stop Valve Access Cleanout

pope_of_chilitown · May 13, 2013

It turns out the plug to the pipe that leads down to the curb stop valve out in front of my house got busted somehow. Now the pipe is plugged with whatever crud made it's way in there so the valve is inaccessible. The only reason I even knew about it was because the city water guys came by and painted the cap and then sent me a letter telling me to clean out the pipe and replace the cap within 30 days or else they would do it (at a cost).

How do I clean this pipe out? I'm not sure how long the pipe is down to the valve. I shined a flashlight down the pipe and all I could see was standing water about two feet down. I thought I might be able to stick a shop vac hose down there but the pipe is too narrow.

How would a plumber clean this out? Would it be costly?

johnjh2o · May 13, 2013

In most cases it would require digging it up. The depth of the valve will depend on where you live and how far down the frost line goes.

Caduceus · May 13, 2013

This is a link to a site that shows some of the types of tools you may need. I'm not promoting the site, just giving an example.
http://www.pollardwater.com/pages_product/P515auger.asp

As John said, you probably have to dig it up because it's broken. Get a few quotes from plumbers, at least three. They may need to replace the extension or the whole thing and prices vary on materials and labor. I recommend a plumber because you are dealing with the service and if you have a problem you could end up with a real mess on your hands. Damaging the service or the valve while digging is always a possibility. Chances are it would be more cost effective than having the water company do it and a plumber should have all of the necessary tools to handle it without you purchasing them as well as the materials to do the repair.
If the plumber can clear the box with the auger, repair box covers may be available in your area at supply houses. They have a set screw to hold the top on and inside repair caps are available for larger curb boxes if the break is close enough to grade, but an on site inspection is needed to accurately assess to type of work needed.

pope_of_chilitown · May 14, 2013

John and Caduceus,

Why would it likely need to be dug up? Do you think the mud damaged the valve in some way?

Thanks for your help!

johnjh2o · May 14, 2013

You can try other methods to clean it out but in most cases you will end up digging it up.

Caduceus · May 14, 2013

The curb box is just a cover to protect the valve and allow limited access to people who need to get to it. Once the box top or a portion of the shaft is broken, it can be difficult to repair or replace. The simple repair is only in a best case scenario. Without being there to look at it with the wide variety of boxes in the US and also the potential problems that you could run into, the most simple advice for the fix is to dig it up and replace it.
It's one of those "figure it out as you go" problems that an experienced plumber can deal with. I have augered boxes and found shifting in the shaft and the valve isn't even under the box anymore. Once you have a compromise in the box, mother nature takes over and you never know what you will find. Then again you might get lucky and it's all straight and in place and no problems.
Most boxes I've serviced need to be dug up and I'm sure John has had the same experiences. Like I said, you may get lucky but without being right there to see the circumstances we can't be definite. It's a tricky one to nail down to only one answer over the internet. The method of service is improvisational.

Caduceus · May 14, 2013

I should add that in my area the water company usually owns the box and the valve, but not the service line. I may have only encountered this 20 times in my career with other jurisdictions. John has probably seen more of these situations than I have.