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system shut off valve

Kenc

New Member

Posts: 2

1

Friday, July 6th 2012, 9:25am

system shut off valve

Hi, New to the forum with a quick question...My sprinkler system shut off is located about 4 feet down a PVC pipe. I use a long key to turn it on and off. I took the cap off this morning and there is water in the tube about half way to the top. I've never noticed this before. Is this an issue with the valve or normal?
Thanks

mrfixit

Moderator

Posts: 1,299

Location: USA

2

Friday, July 6th 2012, 10:31am

That's a lot of water. Sounds like a leak to me.
Make sure it's not coming from somewhere else before you start digging. Like surface water.
I'd turn the water off. Pump out all the water or let it soak in. Then turn the water back on. Now look down the pipe.
Can you see the water leaking out of the top of the valve? It might be as simple as tightening the nut just below the handle of the valve.
Not so easy to get to in your case.

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 3,603

Location: Metro NYC

3

Saturday, July 7th 2012, 1:19pm

old-style curb stop valves have a built-in outlet drain, and closing the valve opens that drain

Kenc

New Member

Posts: 2

4

Monday, July 9th 2012, 7:46am

shut off valve

Thanks for the responses.
The shut off is a ball valve and I "tweaked" it a tiny bit and think I found the sweet spot so that seepage is now not occurring. Now I'm thinking about the future... what if the valve has to be replaced or fixed - I can imagine the size of the hole that wopuld be required to access the valve since it is so far underground. Is there anything I (or a plumber) can do to move the shutoff so that it is more accessible?
Thanks

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 3,603

Location: Metro NYC

5

Monday, July 9th 2012, 8:56am

You might best plan to replace the valve with a real curb stop

valovic

New Member

Posts: 9

6

Thursday, January 17th 2013, 6:30pm

What's a curb stop

I'm getting ready to install my system. My water main is out a the street. How far down doe sthe valve need to be? Below the frost line? The water meter is only 12" below the surface. I was going to tap into the main supply and ahve the valve about 12" under.
that the hell is a curb stop valve?
I'm in DE. 32" frost line
Am I just better off connecting it from the house at the 1" main and then going out?

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 3,603

Location: Metro NYC

7

Friday, January 18th 2013, 1:28pm

a "curb stop" is a shutoff valve that is located below the frost line near to the point where a water main in the street is tapped for the supply to a home - the name comes from their usual location - they are the first valve in a home's city water supply, and as such, are built to a high standard of strength and reliability, as might any valve located so deep underground (and especially so in the use upstream of a basement water meter, where any upstream leaks waste water no one has paid for yet)

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