1

This might be a very basic question. But I just bought a new house and it has a valve on the wall outside my house:

enter image description here

I tried to turn the valve to match the hole, both clockwise and counter-clockwise but the water never got shut off inside the house.

enter image description here

I realized when I turned it, the back nuts are also moving (red circle):

enter image description here

Am I supposed to get a wrench to hold the nuts in place?

Please advise.

HP.
  • 1,862
  • 12
  • 70
  • 104
  • 7
    Pictured is a gas meter and gas valve. Outside water valves will be underground if your area freezes. Look for a steel cover in the lawn. (Edit: well round cover in the yard, they usually aren’t metal anymore because of remote meter reading technologies) – Tyson Aug 06 '18 at 08:37
  • Well I feel really dumb now..haha how do you know it's a gas valve? Look like I need to do more searching around the front yard then. – HP. Aug 06 '18 at 08:43
  • After awhile you just know what these things look like . Your profile says your in Seattle which is a mild winter climate but I would imagine water still stays underground to prevent possible freezing. – Tyson Aug 06 '18 at 08:50
  • 1
    Sometimes water meter/water shutoff is inside. Generally tho it will be outside in a meter pit. Inside meters are more often found in very old construction. – Tyson Aug 06 '18 at 08:54
  • 1
    BTW are you turning the water off or on? There should be a homeowners main shut-off inside. The street valve with the meter is generally more often used by the water provider. – Tyson Aug 06 '18 at 08:59
  • The water meter will have a shut-off valve on the supply side. The water meter is usually underground at the street in an enclosure with a round cast iron cover about 12 to 18 inches in diameter. You'd need a special water meter "key" to open it and maybe some practice in using it. Most jurisdictions require new construction to have a set of owner installed and maintained water valves next to a house, but in only a few years (at least in Dallas TX) the valves would freeze up and be inoperable. I always use the city cut-off valve when I need to shut off the water. – Jim Stewart Aug 06 '18 at 10:56
  • 1
    BTW your combination of "inexperience" and ambition is going to lead you to damage something and maybe injure yourself or someone else. Decades ago I was in that category and I know from personal experience. Think and delay if you are at all doubtful that what you are about to do is necessary or makes sense. – Jim Stewart Aug 06 '18 at 11:00
  • 1
    The valve you indicate is the gas shut-off. If you have any gas appliances with a standing pilot light, the pilot may have gone out. If you had wrenched on the nut on the back side, this could have loosened the valve to the point it leaked; the gas company would have had to make an involved service call. – Jim Stewart Aug 06 '18 at 11:05
  • @JimStewart in my area water meter covers aren’t secured, just lift the lid. I do see pictures on google tho of what you mention, looks like a 5 sided nut? – Tyson Aug 06 '18 at 12:22
  • In the PNW I have not seen Pentagon nuts on the service, some times you can get to the main shutoff through the meter reader hole but most of the time the lid needs to be pulled and the valves uncovered as dirt and silt gets into the box. Not many homes have inside main shutoff in my area a few hours south. – Ed Beal Aug 06 '18 at 14:08
  • In our area the water meter covers are not held on with a nut of any kind. There is a crude spring loaded lock which is accessed from the outside by a water meter key. The meter readers unlatch it in an instant; it can take me awhile. https://www.grainger.com/product/34A513?cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!50916805677!!!g!71851510759!&ef_id=Wb6hZAAABW5VfXMN:20180806143027:s – Jim Stewart Aug 06 '18 at 14:31
  • But it seems other localities use a (presumably captive) bolt to hold the meter cover down. https://www.grainger.com/product/38HV31?cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!264922886832!!!g!439235505103!&ef_id=Wb6hZAAABW5VfXMN:20180806150008:s – Jim Stewart Aug 06 '18 at 15:02
  • 1
    Usually, but not always, there is a water shut of for the whole house that is inside the house right where the water line enters the house or near it. This is so you can turn off the water to the house for emergency's or repairs without having to call the water company to shut off the water at the underground valve. If you do not have one then get one installed while the water is off for whatever project you are doing now. Use a quarter turn valve. – Alaska Man Aug 06 '18 at 16:53
  • I just realized part of your question was turning off the meter and wanting to hold the nut on the right. You don't want to do that only turn the the left side that has the lock loop, your water meter will have a similar valve that when the loops are aligned a lock can be installed that's how they shut off the water and natural gas. – Ed Beal Aug 06 '18 at 18:34
  • I am thrilled to see the number of comments. I finally found the water shut off valve at the street level and it's a concrete box full of rock/dirt. I had to dig 1 foot deep to see the meter and I am still in the process to find the valve. – HP. Aug 07 '18 at 08:12

2 Answers2

2

The main shutoff for city water in the majority of the Pacific north west is at the curb. If an older home it will be a concrete box with a metal plate the meter reader lifts to read the usage. Clean off the grass and dirt open the plate some times you will need to lift the top off to get to the shutoff. Lift and wiggle using the meter reader hole and you will find the shutoff valve some times covered with a little dirt. Don't jerk up on the cement cover or it may crack/break. If a newer home the box may be green plastic similar removal process. As others have said your photo is of the gas meter& shutoff. Don't feel like a fool you now know where to shut the gas off if you smell gas in the house. Down south of you they recommend a gas wrench to be strapped to the pipe, a few years back the utility was offering cheap stamped ones for 2$ but a crescent or open end wrench will work, this was for earthquake safety since they are saying the big one off shore is due in the next 100 years and you may not be able to find a wrench (night , building damage or other problem) having the wrench at the shutoff could prevent a fire.

Ed Beal
  • 102,735
  • 4
  • 75
  • 155
0

the reason this is not turning off your water is because this is your GAS meter!

In Seattle, your water meter is in a concrete vault box out near the street somewhere. the outside of it looks like this:enter image description here

Inside, there is a meter and a valve. Like this: enter image description here

Once you are done, call the Gas company to have them inspect your gas meter now that you have messed with the valve tension. It could be leaking now and very dangerous.

JRaef
  • 14,944
  • 1
  • 18
  • 40
  • I don't think op messed with the valve tension, they asked if they were supposed to hold the nuts on the back side with a wrench, they didnt say that they did. Turning the tab side of the valve will not mess up the spring – Matt Aug 26 '21 at 02:27