Word for the wise
 

If you live in 10 year or older house I wouldn't use the plastic water ball shutoff valve after the water meter.

Why? The plastic ball valve seal maybe dry rotted due age? When you turn it off it breaks the seal and the deteriorated rubber may not seal when you turn it back on creating leak?

Use the valve at the water meter to avoid possible leak and headache to fix.

Why is it a headache? The pot that the ball valve sets in not big enough to replace the valve. You either have to dig up the water line far enough to splice in or using 90 degree elbows and modifiy the pot to fit the now.

IMO best to not use it and use the meter shut off, may save you headache?

Cheap ball valves
 

OK we had Isherwood the plumber remove the plastic ball valve in garage and put in a brass all brass, valve. It works fine. You may be interested, In Cal and Oregon when the plastic ball valve came on the market, many codes for many cities specified that the cheap valve could only be used on outside sprinkler systems and never in a house for any reason. The ball valve is noted for gumming up, the stem breaks and yet the handle turns and you think it is off and it is not off. Saw that right away on our villa. Village sales pointed to the valve and said, OH you do have a shutoff, right there, and BS it is a real bummer. So call Isherwood, he has replaced hundreds of them so he says.

bbbbbb:wave:

If you turn the valve off, all you have to do is turn on a faucet and wait for a drip to see if it's bad or not.