Hi I have a outside water pipe that I use for the hose to water my lawn it has a leak. I checked indoors and I can’t find the valve that shuts that water off. I went to the main water valve in the house and there is a left and a right turn off. I turned off one by one and both shut off the water to the house. I can’t find the shut off valve for just the pipe in the backyard. Note that there is a bathroom that sits adjacent to that pipe but there’s only one valve underneath that would stop the water from flowing to the toilet. I have a old house roughly about 1925 1930 it was built. Can somebody help me locate the shut off valve for this pipe?
Outside Pipe used for water hose
- Thread starter charrbrad
- Start date
Help Support Plumbing Forums:
justin_dewan90
Well-Known Member
Might not have an isolated shut off for just that hose bib. It'd be under the house or in the basement, pending you have a crawl space or basement.
jeffmattero76
Well-Known Member
It is quite possible that there is no shutoff for that.
To find one, if it is there is one, follow the pipe backwards from the hose bibb into the house and keep following all the way back.
To find one, if it is there is one, follow the pipe backwards from the hose bibb into the house and keep following all the way back.
jeffmattero76
Well-Known Member
I am not there and cannot see what you are seeing. I am guessing you mean that the pipe is above the drywall on the ceiling. If that is the case and there is a shut off there should be an access panel or hatch that would allow you to get to the shut-off. If there isn't one of those my guess is you do not have a shut off.
Diehard
In Remembrance
Just to make sure I have my facts straight, did you say that shutting the water to the entire house DOES shut the water to the exterior pipe in question? Assuming the answer is yes.
Have you tried every valve in the house, one by one to see if any of them effect that exterior pipe?
Have you tried every valve in the house, one by one to see if any of them effect that exterior pipe?
Diehard
In Remembrance
Of course by experimenting with every valve, you may come across one that does control the pipe in question, in addition to one or more fixtures within the house. That way you at least find the one valve that would control the exterior pipe with the least impact on interior fixtures. If it exists of course!
If a valve, dedicated to the exterior pipe does exist, then the best thing you can do to locate it is, I believe, what you have been doing, and that's looking at proximity of where the line appears to exit the house. Then you would have to think about opening up observation spaces that may be the least disruptive and or easiest to repair.
Of course, the pipe would be at a depth as required by the area that you live in, as dictated by the frost depth.
For example in my case I would know the water line would be approximately 4 feet below grade and would transfer that depth to the foundation wall on the inside of the house. Do you have a basement level?
What do you mean when you say, "there is a left and a right turn off" at the meter? Do mean on each side of the meter?
If a valve, dedicated to the exterior pipe does exist, then the best thing you can do to locate it is, I believe, what you have been doing, and that's looking at proximity of where the line appears to exit the house. Then you would have to think about opening up observation spaces that may be the least disruptive and or easiest to repair.
Of course, the pipe would be at a depth as required by the area that you live in, as dictated by the frost depth.
For example in my case I would know the water line would be approximately 4 feet below grade and would transfer that depth to the foundation wall on the inside of the house. Do you have a basement level?
What do you mean when you say, "there is a left and a right turn off" at the meter? Do mean on each side of the meter?
Yes on each side of the meter. Thank you so much, I guess I have to keep looking. It’s an old house and from what I was told it had an extension built years ago. I’m just afraid that they may have built a wall around the shut off for the external pipe. Not sure if a plumber would be able to repair the leak without destroying walls.
Diehard
In Remembrance
don't know your exact length of that exterior pipe or the depth of bury. But I assume if you know it's leaking you must have a pretty good idea where to start digging. Once you find the leak, no reason why you can't fix it.
Jamesplumbing06
Well-Known Member
Yeah don’t spend too much time looking. Just because the current code says to have one doesn’t mean you are up to code. I can swear 1 of 100 houses over 10 years old will not likely have more shut offs than needed at main and hot system. If you have that many. I doubt you will find one.
Jamesplumbing06
Well-Known Member
But I just wanna align our vocabulary. You have an outside faucet and your looking for the valve to turn it shut it off without shutting off house? Take pictures of outdoor faucet. We can help you repair that faster probably faster than locating a ghost valve
