[SteveCanada]

does this look like the main shut off ? guess you turn with socket to close ? I want to cut pvc in garage and install a easy access shutoff. cant find a main shutoff in garage just sprinklers

[Keefelane66]

There should be a access panel in garage near utility panel about 12 inches off floor.

[retiredguy123]

I don't know, but go to the water meter box. There will be a shutoff valve on the house side of the meter. You can buy a long T-shaped tool at Lowe's to shut off the valve. Here is a link.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Sou...Key/5013951461

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Keefelane66

There should be a access panel in garage near utility panel about 12 inches off floor.

Yes, most houses have these, but some don't.

[retiredguy123]

OP, are you sure there is an exposed PVC pipe in the garage that will allow a valve to shut off the water to the entire house? I have not seen that piping arrangement. In most houses, the main water pipe is under the slab and enters the house inside a wall. If you are referring to the pipe that goes to the water heater or to the washer, that may not shut off the water to the entire house.

[Altavia]

Photo looks like the top of a water meter?

Don't know about here but in some places, the water company will fine you for shutting off (tampering) at the meter.

Definitely don't want to modify the piping at the meter.

Old plumbing can easily break. To be safe, call and let them deal with it.

https://www.districtgov.org/departme...pdf?v=20231221

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by Keefelane66

There should be a access panel in garage near utility panel about 12 inches off floor.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Yes, most houses have these, but some don't.

Are you sure about "but some don't".
Seems that would be against code.
If i lived where there was no shut off in the garage and had a significant water leak.........would have to go and dig a hole to shut off the water......really??

[Blueblaze]

I went through this exact same exercise last year on my rental CYV off 466A in Sumter County. I suspect thousands of them do not have a shutoff valve inside the home accessible to the homeowner, as required by every plumbing code I have ever lived under. As near as I can tell, it just depends on whichever plumber did your house. My neighbor on one side has the usual cheap plastic shutoff in the garage. The neighbor on the other side can't find his, so it's probably like mine. That's not the case in Marion County where I live, on the North side. Everyone I know there has a shutoff in the garage, as required by code.

I called a plumber to install a shutoff valve, and he dug up the yard next to the garage and found the cheap PVC valve buried in the yard that was supposed to pass for a shut off valve. It was going to cost a fortune to extend it to the garage and make a hole in the concrete/stucco wall. So I had him replace the cheap valve with something that might actually work on the day it is needed, and had him put it inside a box that cannot be buried under gravel and landscaping, just like the city's two water meters less than 5 ft away. I also had him install a shutoff on the irrigation line, which was entirely missing.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Are you sure about "but some don't".
Seems that would be against code.
If i lived where there was no shut off in the garage and had a significant water leak.........would have to go and dig a hole to shut off the water......really??

Yes, definitely some do not have a valve inside the house.

[Hape2Bhr]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

OP, are you sure there is an exposed PVC pipe in the garage that will allow a valve to shut off the water to the entire house? I have not seen that piping arrangement. In most houses, the main water pipe is under the slab and enters the house inside a wall. If you are referring to the pipe that goes to the water heater or to the washer, that may not shut off the water to the entire house.

We have a courtyard villa with a PVC shutoff outside the garage about one foot off the ground. Inside, before the filtering system there is another PVC shutoff. Neither will turn enough to physically shut off the water; both stop turning at about an 1/8 of a turn rather than a 1/4 turn. It feels as though forcing it further will be doing some sort of damage. Any suggestions I could attempt, or do I need a plumber?

[gorillarick]

Yes (the picture), there should be a valve there under a few inches of mud.

(dig around with hand. You don't want to damage pipe, etc.)

Turn lever CW (clockwise) to close. That means OFF.
(lever should line-up with pipe before turning-off)

Turn lever CCW (counter clock wise) to turn back ON.

Make sure you are turning in the correct direction or you could damage the piping.
If correct direction, and still way too hard to turn; you should probably call a plumber, instead of doing hundreds? in damage.

Yes, turn-off in garage if possible.

[tophcfa]

We have two water shut offs at our home. The valve in the garage shuts off everything except for our pools auto leveling system, the hose bib in our birdcage, and our irrigation. I replaced the cheap plastic valve that came with the house with a quality brass fitting so I can turn the valve on/off as needed without worrying about it breaking. To shut off the water to everything, we need to dig a hole in the ground next to our driveway and open a box that contains a very difficult valve to turn that requires a special tool. I MacGyver’ed up a tool by bending a piece or rebar and grinding down the end that fits into the valve fitting. Our house is located north of 466, where the irrigation water is the same as our homes potable water, so others may have a different configuration.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Hape2Bhr

We have a courtyard villa with a PVC shutoff outside the garage about one foot off the ground. Inside, before the filtering system there is another PVC shutoff. Neither will turn enough to physically shut off the water; both stop turning at about an 1/8 of a turn rather than a 1/4 turn. It feels as though forcing it further will be doing some sort of damage. Any suggestions I could attempt, or do I need a plumber?

I purchased this tool to turn the plastic valve, and it works great for me. I use the 3/4 inch tool. I don't know if it will work in your situation.

Amazon.com

[jamorela]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

Are you sure about "but some don't".
Seems that would be against code.
If i lived where there was no shut off in the garage and had a significant water leak.........would have to go and dig a hole to shut off the water......really??

This has been discussed before. I live in a courtyard villa and the main shut off is outside!

[Pgcacace]

When we had a major leak in 2021 with 1995 China copper tubing, we had Mike Scott Plumbing replace all the pipes in the house. They ran a pipe into the garage after the main and water sprinklers. It has an easy lever to shut off water into the house. It was a good decision.