According to Hunker, the best way to quickly and easily locate water pipes in the yard is to use a pipe locator device. Locators are electronic devices that help to pinpoint the location of plastic and metal pipes underground.
Depending on your home, your emergency water shut-off valve can be located in one of a few different places. The first place is outside near your water meter. Your water meter will either be located on the side of your house or in the front of your house near the street, and it will likely be in a covered box.
Your home’s outdoor water shut-off valve is usually located near the ceiling, on the inside of the wall where the outdoor faucet is located. If the outdoor shut-off valve is tap- or knob-style, turn it clockwise, or to the right, to shut it off (remember: righty-tighty, lefty-loosey).
Every home was required to have a main water shut-off valve installed inside the home when it was built. For most emergencies or repairs, shutting off the proper inside valve is all you will need to do. However, there are also underground shut-off valves installed outside at the property line.
The water shutoff valve is usually hidden
More often than not, a water isolation valve is hidden in some dark corner of the house. While some water shutoff valves can be found on an outside wall in the utility area, most homes have their water shutoff valves located in the basement or in the garage.
811: A Critical Safety Tool
The electric, oil, gas, and phone/cable lines are owned by the utility right up to the meter, so these are covered by 811. The water and sewer lines are public until you hit the property line; here they become private. 811 does not cover them after this point.
Electromagnetic locating is the most frequently employed method used to detect underground assets made of or containing conductive materials such as steel or copper. Infrastructure assets such as water, natural gas, fuel lines, electricity and telephone would utilise this method of locating.
When you dial 811, you will automatically be connected to a representative from your state’s 811 center who will ask you simple questions about the location and details of your digging project. If you make your request online, you will enter the same information into a form.
It’s required by law to call 811, so failure to notify can also result in fines, something that’s sure to grab homeowners’ attention. Of course, the worst-case scenario is that damage resulting from a no call excavation leads to serious injury or death.
You’ll find the gas shutoff valve on the supply pipe that rises from the ground and connects to the meter. You may see two valves; one before the meter and one after it. Turn off the valve before the meter, nearest to the ground, so that the gas is turned off before it reaches the meter.
To shut off the water supply, turn the valve clockwise to close. To turn the water back on, simply turn the valve anti-clockwise. Turn it on and off slowly, never force it. if you over tighten or use excessive force to operate the stop tap you may damage it.
The external stop tap is often located near the boundary of a premises under a small cover, about the size of a CD case. If you have a water meter, it will generally be located in the same pit or chamber as the meter.
Put your hand on the valve and place your ear near to it. If you feel or hear any water running, it is a sign that the valve’s seal is leaking. Most of the time, however, you will hear and feel a gentle “click” sound as the valve closes and water will cease running through the valve as the water is shut off.
The Power of a Utility Locator
Using a utility locator (also called a pipe & cable locator), you can pick up an electromagnetic signal from the utility from the surface without any digging. This can help you to trace and mark the full extent of the pipe or cable. In other words, there is no more blind digging.
Most agencies prefer candidates with at least one year of experience locating utilities, particularly with the use of locating equipment. Applicants also need a state driver’s license and, in many cases, a safe driving record. Most utility locators receive additional training after being hired.
For customers of some telephone companies in Canada and in the U.S., 6-1-1 is the abbreviated dialing telephone number used to report a problem with telephone service, or with a payphone. It is an N11 code of the North American Numbering Plan that are used for special services.
As has been said previously, there is no minimum or maximum legal depth of which you can dig holes in your backyard residential lot without calling 811 or consulting the local building authorities, meaning that you have to call 811 before digging any kind of hole.
What is 811? In case you did not know, 811 is the national “Call Before You Dig” phone number designated by the Federal Communications Commission. …
Property owners can call 811 requesting private locates for any non-utility owned facilities (such as underground power or gas lines to an outbuilding). If you expose gas or electric lines that haven’t been marked, or damage a line, stop excavating and call the utility immediately.
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