Unable to find the Emergency Main Water Shut Off

cutelilram · Dec 7, 2015

I have a leaking pipe at the back of my house. The water appears to be coming out of a connecting piece that connects two water main pipes. I called a plumber today and he said he couldn't find the shut off valve at the front of the house.

My basement is slightly raised and I did find the shut valve near the water meter (which is also at the back of the house). However, shutting off this valve won't stop the water from flowing through the front of the house from the street and the leak is before the shut off valve in my furnace room.

There is only one trap door in the storage room near the front of the house that has the sewer drain and also another thing that is covered by a circular cap with a square on top. I am including a picture. I am not strong enough to remove the cap but I was wondering if anyone has seen this before and maybe could tell me if they think that could be the emergency shut off of water from the street.

Thanks.

HReedKnows · Dec 7, 2015

The picture that you added is a. Drain Clem out, look at the water meter there should be a valve directly next to the meter on your side of the piping.

HReedKnows · Dec 7, 2015

*drain clean out

cutelilram · Dec 7, 2015

But will that stop the complete flow of water into the house? My water meter is at the back of my house next to the boiler. The water main pipe runs from the front of the house to the back. There is a red circular valve that I turned. It shut off the water to all the faucets in the house but the pipe was still leaking because the pipe that is leaking comes before the valve. The water leak is also before the water meter. The water pipe runs along the floor near the outside wall inside the house.

Why would the main water supply shut off from the street be all the way at the back of the house? How can I remove the connector if the water is going to flow everywhere?
In the picture you can see the red valve to the right. The leak is on the left near the wall. The water meter is to the right of the red valve. The water flows from left to right in that picture.

HReedKnows · Dec 7, 2015

The direction of flow comes from the water meter throughout the house, can you take a picture of the meter? There should be a valve there, also if the meter is to the right of the valve (red handle) and the leak is to the left of the valve you should be able to isolate the leak (by turning the valve clockwise) there might be some water coming from the perforation due to the water in the piping, it should slow down.
I'm guessing that your leak is on the cold water because you haven't mentioned it being hot, I would still recommend that you shut the valve above your water heater just in case you have a cross connection. I found this online it might help

http://m.instructables.com/id/quotGhettoquot-Water-Meter-Key/

cutelilram · Dec 7, 2015

Thank you for the advice. I will try to turn all of the valves off after I shower later. The picture taken from far away shows the meter on the right and the leak is near the wall on the left. The red valve near the floor is the turn off for the house and pipe on the bottom is the water pipe. The water is cold.

The water meter is only connected to this pipe and the pipe runs the length of the house, front to back, where the meter is located. The pipe does not go out the exterior wall in the furnace room.

Thank you again!