Finding the shut-off valves to the external faucets.

[Daeyel]

Trying to winterize the house, and I cannot find a shutoff valve for the external faucets in the front and back yard.

In the basement, I have a veritable spaghetti bowl of pipes heading all directions, and numerous shutoff valves. Only one works to shut off the external faucets, but that's because it is the shut off valve to the entire house. Clearly inadequate. another one goes to a dead end pipe, and leaks when it is turned. No need to open it, of course. The last, I have no idea what it turns on or off.

I know plumbers have a way to trace a pipe through the house. What tool(s) do I need for this? I'd like to install a shut off valve with drain to each of the 2 external faucets in the basement, as it is much more accessible, but gotta find the pipes.

 

[Twowaxhack]

There may not be any cut off valves for the outside faucets.

 

[Daeyel]

That may be. If there are not, I want to install them. But first, I have to find the right pipes. There has to be a way to determine which pipe I need to put the shut offs on, other than just randomly installing them on all of them!

 

[Twowaxhack]

That may be. If there are not, I want to install them. But first, I have to find the right pipes. There has to be a way to determine which pipe I need to put the shut offs on, other than just randomly installing them on all of them!

What type pipe do you have ?

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Trace them by finding out which wall they are on. If the hose bibb is on the front wall of your house outside. Look on the front wall of your house inside.

 

[Daeyel]

What type pipe do you have ?

Copper and plastic

 

[Daeyel]

Trace them by finding out which wall they are on. If the hose bibb is on the front wall of your house outside. Look on the front wall of your house inside.

The pipe is buried behind a wall where it comes into the house. The basement is mostly finished, but there are sections we left alone due to the plumbing and air ducts. The pipes run there, so they aren't exactly in the walls, but they are also pretty inaccessible.

 

[Twowaxhack]

It’s not practical to trace the pipes. Move to plan B

 

[RS]

If they are frostproof sillcocks, shut offs with drains are not really necessary, I've never had them in any of the houses we have owned in Minnesota. If you really want to install them turn them on one at a time, wait to see which pipe gets cold.

 

[Daeyel]

Trace them by finding out which wall they are on. If the hose bibb is on the front wall of your house outside. Look on the front wall of your house inside.

The pipe is buried behind a wall where it comes into the house. The basement is mostly finished, but there are sections we left alone due to the plumbing and air ducts. The pipes run there, so they aren't exactly in the walls, but they are also pretty inaccessible.

 

[TomFOhio]

You really don't need valves in your lines to the outside faucets in order to winterize it. Unless you want them to be
there no matter what.. Are you using an air compressor?

 

[Daeyel]

What would the air compressor do, exactly?

 

[TomFOhio]

If you haven't ever winterized a house in a cold climate you might want to get on you tube and see how to do it. The air
compressor blows the water out of the pipes.