Any tips for using a water key? The length is 60 inches. When I stick it down the shaft the bottom has plenty of mud I can push it through. At that length I can't see anything down the shaft prior. I've tried with a flashlight. I can hit some spots of metal, and lots of spots where it will just sink through the mud. How do I find the right spot where the key is in place to be turned? If there was less mud would it be easier, and if so any idea how to clean things up? I've never had one so deep before.

 

You might try a shop vac. Just spitballing.

 

You might ask the water dept and see what they say.

 

Like the others have said. I think the first task is to get the mud out of the meter well so you can see the meter and shutoff valve. Without doing that you're just poking around in the mud hoping to get lucky. I'd duct tape a length of PVC pipe onto the end of a shop vac hose. Stick it down into the mud and use a garden hose with a nozzle set to stream. Use the jet of water to loosen and break up the mud so the shop vac can suck it out.

 

Sounds to me like this is just the curb stop and not a meter well.

 

When I had the town come out to check a water main leak, they had a pac-man looking shovel thing at the end of a long pole. He was able to dig the mud and dirt out of the shutoff well so he could get to the shutoff.

I would give the water department a call. Unless you're in a big city, many will come out at no charge and help you out. They'd rather do that than have to fix something later. They'll probably help get it uncovered and give you a few tips too!

 

I literally can't see anything looking down the pipe with my cellphone as a flashlight (and tried taking a photo) so I don't think clearing the mud will help the view. It's just too narrow and too far down! That said I will work on trying to clear the mud out so I can try to feel for the right spot with the key. What if I dumped water down there without sucking it back out, is there some direction the water would wash to or would it just sit in my pipe making looser mud?

I also found a photo online that I think tells me the orientation so I know which way to hold the key. I'm hoping to not involve my water company, they're awful. They probably will charge a fee as they try to buckle and dime you. One time I moved into a new place and called to have my water and gas switched into my name. Someone came out to the house and everything and there was a fee that would be attached to my next bill. Then at 8pm or so, suddenly no gas or water. The new landlord called AFTER me about having the services shut off from his name. So the *******s came back out and disconnected me. Then argued it was too late to come back out and fix THEIR mistake, I'd have to wait to between 8 and 8 the following day to let the guy in to re light all my pilots. And I was charged another fee for coming out of the house.

On top of the money, I don't have a "real" plumber it's a friend of mine. But he's really. Busy being self employed, always jetting off from one job to another. So trying to time him with the water company will be hell.

 

Do as has been said many times. Contact your Water Dept. They deal with this all the time and know how to take care of it. Your story about moving into a new place is unrelated to this issue.

 

Uh, no the story is not unrelated. A primary issue of why I do not want to call the water company is because when I moved into a new place they charged me TWO house call fees for no reason. First time the services were on, there was no reason (other than new gas stove. Water and gas are together here) because the utilities were ON. Yet they came out and charged me for it. Then they screwed up and came back out and turned my services off. After which I had to pay another home visit fee plus reconnect fee.

Second reason is I'm going to have to go without water for a day or days if I have to time when my friend can come over with when the water company can shut off and then turn back on the water. This really isn't an option due to my medical issues. I have a central line (permanent iv in my chest that goes straight to my heart) so I need to.wash my hands every time prior to accessing it. It getting infected means my life is at risk, I've spent a month in the hospital and nearly died when I developed sepsis from an equipment failure allowing yeast into the line.

So while calling the water company may be the simplest option for some people, it's much more complicated than just getting my key to work for me.

I was away for a week with Thanksgiving, but now I'm hoping to get this taken care of. I really need to do laundry but I'm afraid of the water not draining and backing up.

 

I thought the issue was turning the water "On" (or "Off"), but now it sounds like a sewer issue. Which is it? Surely there isn't a valve on the sewer line.

 

I'm not sure about what you mean for which is it. The problem I'm posting about is turning the water off so my friend can look at the plumbing, and take things apart (because I've already checked for clogs and disassembled under sink plumbing finding nothing) I'm afraid to do laundry because I don't know what might happen. With the sinks or shower you can just turn the water off if there's a drain issue. Not many options for where the water will go on a full front loader washing machine.

I'm not asking for help on the plumbing issue here. I was asking for help turning off the water at the curb so my friend can fix my plumbing. Unfortunately it's still not fixed because I haven't been able to wrangle my friend, and so I haven't bothered on my own with trying to turn the water on and off. I can't afford a professional plumber so I have to wait on my friend to be available. But he does a lot of trade jobs and is very busy.

 

If it's a drain issue I fail to see any need to turn the water off. It sounds like the washer drain is plugged and unless there is a clean out underneath the floor that you can access the washer will need to come out from the wall.

 

This sounds like a drain issue and not an issue of how to turn the water off at the curb.

 

This may sound too obvious, but I'd double check basement for a main shutoff valve, OR for shutoff valves to the washer.

A street water key is for the municipal valve that turns your water service on/off.

Most homes have added an interior "emergency water shutoff valve" so the owner / plumber can shut off water when working on the water supply.

Checking why drain pipes don't drain has nothing to do with turning off water to the water supply pipes.

You are not talking about water supply, you're talking about water draining,

Eh, when the washer drains it makes a gurgling sound. If you hear that the water is not draining, and it sounds like a glass filling up, you just push the dial in, the washer immediately stops pumping water out.

Something's not making sense here, or is being lost in translation...