If you think the shutoffs inside your house are old and untouched, you
had better not look at the shutoff at the street!
I once hired a plumber to replace the main shutoff inside the basement.
He came, but forgot the tool needed to turn off the water at the street
(which was the only reason I had to call a plumber in the first place).
I think he billed me for the time it took to go back and get it.
If you decide to replace the main shutoff yourself, I know you
can get the tool to turn off the water at the street at HD, etc.
It's nothing fancy, just a two-pronged fork-like thing on
the end of a four-foot piece of pipe, with a T-handle on
the top end.
Doug Braun
At 11:51 AM 10/22/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>I'm looking to reroute the outdoor spigot for some remodelling in the
>basement, unfortunately there is no shutoff for it, as it comes directly off
>the house's water supply. There are two shutoffs where the water comes in
>the house, one before and after the water meter. Both look old and untouched,
>for at least as long as I've been there (4 years).
>
>What's invoved with contacting the water dept. to have it shutoff at the
>street (should I bother installing a new shutoff?) or does anyone have any
>good tips for making sure the shutoff will actually work for me after a long
>period of unuse. I recall something about penetrating oil to loose up the
>valve and maybe "moisturize" the packing nut so it won't fail or leak after I
>turn it back on (or off).
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