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Originally Posted by Blueblaze
Well, I just did another extensive search of the garage, and I can positively, absolutely confirm -- that house has no water shut-off valve other than the one in the ground on the city side of the meter. And there is no box containing another valve in the five feet that separates the water meter from the garage.
I'm no plumber, but I was once an electrician, and I'm pretty sure there is a national plumbing code, same as there is a national electrical code. I'd bet dollars to donuts that the first item in that code is the provision that there be a way for the home owner to shut off the water in an emergency, that doesn't require a special tool. But I guess I'll reserve my lawsuit money for the day my house is ruined by water damage that could have been prevented by the missing shutoff valve.
My temporary solution was to buy a tool for the city's valve and hang it in the garage. I used it to shut off the water until next season, and I added instructions in the "welcome" book for how to shut off the water in case of a leak.
Long term, I plan to hire a plumber to install a real valve somewhere that can be operated either manually or remotely. Something like this one, which says it can detect a leak even without moisture sensors: Amazon.com |
Thanks for the update. You are correct about the building code. This is from the 2020 Florida plumbing code:
606.1. Location of full-open valves. Full-open valves shall be installed in the following locations:
1. On the building water service pipe from the public water supply near the curb.
2. On the water distribution supply pipe at the entrance into the structure.
3. On the discharge side of every water meter.
4. On the base of every water riser pipe in occupancies other than multiple-family residential occupancies that are two stories or less in height and in one- and two-family residential occupancies.
5. On the top of every water down-feed pipe in occupancies other than one- and two-family residential occupancies.
6. On the entrance to every water supply pipe to a dwelling unit, except where supplying a single fixture equipped with individual stops.
7. On the water supply pipe to a gravity or pressurized water tank.
8. On the water supply pipe to every water heater.
When you do install a valve, I would highly recommend that you install a manual valve, even if you install a remote operating valve. I also suggest that you ask a few neighbors in your villa section if they have a shutoff valve. If other houses have a valve on the back wall of the garage, it is possible that the drywall installer just covered it over without installing the access panel.