I live in an old house, built in about 1950, right now my bath tub faucet is really leaking alot. I'm guessing its just a washer needs to be replaced, but I need to turn the water off first.
Well, I looked for a local shutoff to the tub, but can't find one. I even checked the crawl space.
I'm on a community well so there is no water meter at my house. There is a circular hole right in front of my front yard water tap, and about 3 feet down I can see a nut. Well my landlord had left me with a T shaped bar she said was for turning off the water, however I can't find anything that can be operated by that t-bar, its just a rusty old nut about 19mm in size. Well I got a socket and hooked about 6 extentions together to reach down there and turned it clockwise but didn't do anything, no matter how far I turned it either direction nothing changed, now it seems to just spin both ways with no resistence.
2007-02-26 12:08:17 · 9 answers · asked by Rockstar from another dimension 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
If you don't mind the work then, dig the hole bigger and that way you can see what is needed to do the turning on the stripped shut off valve, you might be able to use vise-grips but, I would ask the land lord to do it.
2007-03-04 06:41:20 · answer #1 · answered by puddog57 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That nut is connected to the valve stem of your "curb stop". Sounds like the valve stem is broken. Have you checked to see if there's an access panel on the wall behind the tub faucet in the adjoinging room? You should also have a valve you can turn off near the hot water heater. Look for a valve knob between the hot water heater and where the piping leaves the house. That should be your main shutoff valve. If you can't find that or nothing else works, call a 24hr plumber.
Good Luck!
2007-02-26 12:17:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
if it's the hot side that is leaking, try shutting off the valve on the water heater. The pit in the front yard should have a pipe running through it, sounds to me like she gave you a curb key. The valve that it fits should be rectangular and most likely made of brass. I don't know what you turned but it probably ain't good that it turns freely now. It will be a 1/4 turn valve most likely. Find where the main comes into the house if you haven't already, trace it and look for a valve.
The shut off in the pit won't be a hex head, it will be square roughly 1/2" wide and an inch or so long.
2007-02-26 12:23:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may have to dig around in the hole until you see a round metal thing with a straight protuberance that will fit into the bar your landlord gave you.
If you have no success, CALL your landlord and ask for help locating the shutoff!
2007-02-26 12:17:57 · answer #4 · answered by flywho 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That is usually the main shut off for the house. I have turned mine off before i borrowed the wrench T shaped bar from i friend. It did to seem to turn along way before it stopped. Just remember i don't Know if its illegal with local DPW or not that's where i got the wrench from a friend that works there. They usually just don't hand them out to keep wrong doing (like turning off your troublesome neighbors)
2007-02-26 12:24:16 · answer #5 · answered by buckmans79 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The nut might be the nut that holds on the valve handle. Below that nut mighy be where your T=bar fits.
2007-03-05 15:31:00 · answer #6 · answered by JOHN B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like the nut/bolt rusted out. Call your landlord to come fix it.
2007-03-06 11:17:45 · answer #7 · answered by miladybc 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if i doubt call an expert out - look in your local yellow pages for a plumber
2007-03-04 15:01:25 · answer #8 · answered by firetrailman 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
being that your a renter i would think its the landlords problem. im sure its the landlords responisibility.
2007-03-06 10:56:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋