Frozen water main - suggestions?

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
is your meter out in the street/yard ?

if i didn't have my truck torn apart....
 

seanrunnette

Brain Damaged Ray Romano
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I wonder if that outside water meter is actually frozen, it's the most exposed
Two guys named Nick leaned over into the pit with their cell phone light and said all was good on the Town side.
...maybe a good time to sweat in a ball valve main shut off.
You've got a dirty mind. And your grasp of French is fantastic. I'll have the Steak Frites. (I have no idea what you said.)

SRSLY, do you think the mains shut off is that five sided nut? Gotta be, right?
 

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
A cheap pair of vice grips should be able to round it off no problem. Give it a shot.

Seriously though, if the line is frozen, would that valve work?...
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
Two guys named Nick leaned over into the pit with their cell phone light and said all was good on the Town side.

You've got a dirty mind. And your grasp of French is fantastic. I'll have the Steak Frites. (I have no idea what you said.)

SRSLY, do you think the mains shut off is that five sided nut? Gotta be, right?

google ballcock when ya get a chance.

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the shutoff at the main is usually under a metal cover, a couple feet down, by the road, and requires a long handled T wrench to shut it off.
T wrench, just like the allen keys to work on your bike, but taller (haha?) - there are a couple different types -
but it is at the start of the run near the main (you know the one that breaks and floods a street.)


run hose from your neighbors hose bib to the hose bib on the side of your house - turn it on so you have water for a couple hours.
while it is still above freezing.
 
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gtluke

The Moped
google ballcock when ya get a chance.

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the shutoff at the main is usually under a metal cover, a couple feet down, by the road, and requires a long handled T wrench to shut it off.
T wrench, just like the allen keys to work on your bike, but taller (haha?) - there are a couple different types -
but it is at the start of the run near the main (you know the one that breaks and floods a street.)


run hose from your neighbors hose bib to the hose bib on the side of your house - turn it on so you have water for a couple hours.
while it is still above freezing.
Best idea yet.
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
I assume you will be staying awhile since it’s a new home. Get thru the problem then do it right and do it all over. Not my money just my opinion.
 

rlb

Well-Known Member
In NJ some meters are in the house and some are out by the street. Water co wants them by the street, because if your line leaks in your lawn your meter runs and you get billed for it.

You want to find the valve so you can clamp onto it right? You just need to clamp onto something metal in there, maybe the part of the pipe that faces the house?
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
the problem being that it can be frozen before the meter, rather than between the meter and the house.
but you gotta start somewhere.

clamp onto the pipe on the output side of the meter (there should be an arrow that you can't see), and one in the house, and fire it up.
or maybe clamp the other side, close to the ground - i'm not sure the current will pass through the meter - sometimes they are isolated electrically.
 

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
The pic I'm asking about is a shot of what's under this, which is right where you said it would be.
View attachment 61698

i guess that little nut could be the shut off. there should be some other equipment tho....
man - denville is old school - we had the meter in the house in boonton. i'd still like if water is getting to the meter.........
do you have a long enough ratchet extension to reach that?
 

trailhead

JORBA: Wildcat/Splitrock
JORBA.ORG
if I interpret this correctly, the pit with the meter is in the crawlspace or adjacent to the foundation of the house. Why not put an electric space heater in there?
 

seanrunnette

Brain Damaged Ray Romano
Team MTBNJ Halter's
i'd still like if water is getting to the meter.........
I was able to get a water jet out of the lil screw marked below. I think that MAY be to test just this scenario. Flowing freely. At least to there.
IMG_20180110_143332.jpg
if I interpret this correctly, the pit with the meter is in the crawlspace or adjacent to the foundation of the house. Why not put an electric space heater in there?
Sadly, this is by the street, 80+ feet from the house. We've filled it with straw on the advice our contractor/neighbor, but it really doesn't seem to be the problem.
 

rlb

Well-Known Member
Meter pit by the curb is not uncommon in NJ. It all depends on when it was installed and who owned your water company at the time. I have NJAW (used to be Elizabethtown Water). Some people in my neighborhood have street meters, I have a basement meter.
 

seanrunnette

Brain Damaged Ray Romano
Team MTBNJ Halter's
i guess that little nut could be the shut off.
Two things make me think it is:
1 - getting the water turned back on last year, another contractor excavated the pit through three feet of snow and turned it on. He only dug one hole. I know this because he told me about it daily for the next week, as the plumber struggled to fix 20+ pipe breaks.
2 - the nut on the left side is five sided, which is Town-speak for "you don't have THIS kind of wrench, so it's secure and you can f*ck off back to your house now!"
 

pooriggy

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I would clamp Hot Shot onto pipe coming into the house, since it is only 16"deep and most likely the area that will be prone to freezing. The pit out by the street, I would assume is at least 30" deep.
 

seanrunnette

Brain Damaged Ray Romano
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I would clamp Hot Shot onto pipe coming into the house, since it is only 16"deep and most likely the area that will be prone to freezing. The pit out by the street, I would assume is at least 30" deep.
Once/if we get our hands on the Hot Shot, that's exactly the plan. And like all plans, it won't survive contact with the enemy.
 
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