Short version:
I have a simple question: Can a plumber help me find my main water shut-off valve?
Just to preempt: I'm not really looking for suggestions on where my main water shut-off valve is. I've already done a bunch of research on that and looked everywhere. What I want to know is whether a plumber would have some way of deducing where it is beyond just knowing where they usually are.
Long version:
I bought a recently renovated house a few years ago. I have to do some work that requires turning off my water, but I cannot find the shut-off valve anywhere. There is a meter in an underground box in the yard, and the city's / 'curbside' shut-off is in there, but I'm not legally supposed to use that. Based on one suggestion, I asked the city (Tampa, FL) whether they have 'house-side' shut-offs in the same box as the meter, just on the opposite side of the curbside shut-off, and they told me they do not.
I've followed every recommendation for how to find my shut-off. There is no basement. There is nothing under any sink besides the individual valves. The pipe going into the water heater disappears into the wall without any valve. I've walked the line from the outdoor meter to my house looking to see if there was another underground box - if there is it is good and buried. I've walked the perimeter of the house; there is nothing.
I contacted the city to see if there were plans for the house (either the original plans or the renovation). The original plans are not on file, and the renovation makes no mention of the shut-off.
I checked my home inspection. There is a box for the main shut-off, and it does instruct the inspector to note the location, but he did not. The only comment is 'inspected.' (I suspect that was untrue, or he just looked at the city's shut-off).
So at this point, I am left with three possibilities that I see: 1) there is no house-side shut-off, 2) it is buried underground, and 3) the people who renovated obscured it behind drywall, some fixture, or something like that.
So what I want to know is: Before I start cutting holes in my drywall in the most likely locations, hoping to get lucky, or digging up my yard to track the whole pipe from meter to house, do I have anything to gain from calling a plumber? Will a plumber be able to figure out where it is (or whether it exists) without cutting hopeful holes? Or would they just say "usually, they'd be here, here, or here" but there's no way of knowing without breaking some eggs?
I know where the likely spots are, and I can cut holes in the drywall there myself; I don't want to waste a plumber's time (and my money) to get that answer. So I figured it would be good to ask generally before hiring someone to ask specifically.
I appreciate any thoughts!
I have a simple question: Can a plumber help me find my main water shut-off valve?
Just to preempt: I'm not really looking for suggestions on where my main water shut-off valve is. I've already done a bunch of research on that and looked everywhere. What I want to know is whether a plumber would have some way of deducing where it is beyond just knowing where they usually are.
Long version:
I bought a recently renovated house a few years ago. I have to do some work that requires turning off my water, but I cannot find the shut-off valve anywhere. There is a meter in an underground box in the yard, and the city's / 'curbside' shut-off is in there, but I'm not legally supposed to use that. Based on one suggestion, I asked the city (Tampa, FL) whether they have 'house-side' shut-offs in the same box as the meter, just on the opposite side of the curbside shut-off, and they told me they do not.
I've followed every recommendation for how to find my shut-off. There is no basement. There is nothing under any sink besides the individual valves. The pipe going into the water heater disappears into the wall without any valve. I've walked the line from the outdoor meter to my house looking to see if there was another underground box - if there is it is good and buried. I've walked the perimeter of the house; there is nothing.
I contacted the city to see if there were plans for the house (either the original plans or the renovation). The original plans are not on file, and the renovation makes no mention of the shut-off.
I checked my home inspection. There is a box for the main shut-off, and it does instruct the inspector to note the location, but he did not. The only comment is 'inspected.' (I suspect that was untrue, or he just looked at the city's shut-off).
So at this point, I am left with three possibilities that I see: 1) there is no house-side shut-off, 2) it is buried underground, and 3) the people who renovated obscured it behind drywall, some fixture, or something like that.
So what I want to know is: Before I start cutting holes in my drywall in the most likely locations, hoping to get lucky, or digging up my yard to track the whole pipe from meter to house, do I have anything to gain from calling a plumber? Will a plumber be able to figure out where it is (or whether it exists) without cutting hopeful holes? Or would they just say "usually, they'd be here, here, or here" but there's no way of knowing without breaking some eggs?
I know where the likely spots are, and I can cut holes in the drywall there myself; I don't want to waste a plumber's time (and my money) to get that answer. So I figured it would be good to ask generally before hiring someone to ask specifically.
I appreciate any thoughts!