What Is A Water Meter Key
- 12.17.09
- Plumbing, Plumbing, Water Meter Key, Water Shut-off
- 4 Comments
One of the most important tools to have when you own a home is the water meter key. Water meter keys are important because you never know when a pipe in your house will decide it is time to have a blow out. The winter is the most likely season a pipe will bust in a most inconvenient time. Water expands in the line when it is frozen, causing the pipe to flex past its breaking point.
Get a water meter key this season, and learn how to use it. Here is a picture of a water meter key – I purchased this one from true value hardware for about $13. 
To use your water meter key, you will have to find your water meter and the shut-off valve next to it. Here is a picture of a typical water meter housing, they are usually located in your front yard although I have seen them in the side yard and sometimes even the back yard. 
If you have a bad water leak – open up the water meter housing and locate the valve, put the water key on the valve and turn it clockwise (usually righty tighty, lefty loosey). 
Valve and key close up.
If the valve doesn’t want to move, try the other way. Sometimes the valves are oriented a little different. My valve is a quarter turn valve, so I just turn it 90 degrees and its off, some valves need to be turned two or three times to completely shut (gate valve or plug valve)… If you have a quarter turn valve without stops it will turn either clockwise or counter clockwise and shut off (remember if you have no stops then only turn the valve 90 degrees)…Ok, now that I have you thoroughly confused…How can you tell if the water in the house has stopped. Look at the meter and notice a little red triangle, if it is spinning the water is still flowing, if it is stopped the water flow has stopped. If you have a digital meter, the numbers will be counting gallons while water still flows, and of course will stop counting when the water has stopped.
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I can say Amen to this. My next-door neighbors’ water supply line broke last spring, and not only had they no water meter key, the shut-off box was buried under the garage apron put in by a previous owner. They had a backyard full of water by the time the concrete was broken off and the box revealed.
Now you’ve reminded me to call the city and find out where my shut-off is. Buried someplace out there by the alley, I wager.
I was lucky enough to have one of these at my parents house about 14 years ago…their wash machine line busted and I couldn’t get to the regular shut-off. I had to cut the water off in the yard with the key.
Thank you for the comment!
Thank you so much, Great information… You keep writing and I’ll keep reading.
Thank you for reading…and commenting!
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