# Main Cold Water Shutoff Won't Turn Back On! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662 "2013-11-11T18:48:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662/21 "2013-11-14T04:51:10Z")
Tips for prolonged periods w/o running water. In the US, most houses still have tank-style water heaters - 40 to 200 gallons of water which can be accessed from a hose bib at the bottom of the tank. As long as you didn’t drain the system via that bib, it is still there until you turn on the hot water. DON"T TURN ON THE HOT WATER UNTIL YOU KNOW THE COLD SUPPLY IS BACK! Turn off the heat source to keep the tank from self-destructing by heating an empty tanks. Draw a 2 gallon bucket and place beside toilet for flush. Use a cleaner container for drinking water. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662/22 "2013-11-14T04:56:05Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > These tract boxes doesn’t stop with stupid - in addition to the public shut-offs, not only do these use **Zinsco breakers** (betcha never heard of of them. but use a 2-compartment box - the meter is on one side and the breakers are on the other. The breaker section can be locked, but the meter cannot, and, no, they don’t they don’t use locking meter mount rings. > > Any ideas? Oh yes I have heard of Zinsco. My two buildings have them in them and what a pain. As for quality of breakers and panels in a building I list them as, Brand new good breakers and panels, Neww breakers and panels, Old good, old, Junk, Trash, then new Zinsco, then old Zinsco. If I had Zinsco panels in my house I would replace them as soon as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662/23 "2013-11-14T04:57:20Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > use caution when putting a lock on utility shutoffs. you don’t want to have an emergency need to shut off and not have a key immediately available. One way around this danger is break away padlocks. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662/24 "2013-11-14T05:03:40Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > While we are here - with a 1 1/4 coming out of the ground, what gas/torch will be required to sweat this stuff. > I did 1" with propane, but that was indoors. I have an old brazing O[sub]2[/sub] and something in a black tank, but suspect that would be overkill. Was told “the yellow stuff” by one person. > Any ideas? I would use Mapp Gas (yellow) If you are careful you can use a brazing tourch, but it will be easy to over heat the fittings. You want to use a Rose Bud tip. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662/25 "2013-11-14T21:33:46Z")
```auto | house | / hose |/ bib - Y-------T----------T---------| | | to sprinkler x | | | | X Shut-off (1 1/4' copper sweat T at top. Sweat to thread at bottom | | | | ``` Here is a crude diagram of the mess. This town passed a law requiring all front lawns to be irrigated, which explains some of the bizarreness. The shut off to be replaced is in a fixed location neither the top or bottom location of the start can be changed - I can cut he top pipe above the valve, and I can unscrew the sweat-to-thread at the bottom. Remember the mess of tree roots surrounding the supply line. I have seen the clam-shell type of patches for both steel and PVC - do such things (2 pieces of a union clamped in place while being sweated? Any other ideas of getting 14" of pipe (usable length + thread length on one end and sweat length on the other) into a 12" space without completely disassembling the entire supply and sprinkler piping? I have heard of which eve ir is - righthanded-leftthanded or lefthanded-righthanded nippples where by turning a single nipple in a single direction tightens both ends. Any ideas? As always ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662/26 "2013-11-14T23:39:59Z")
If this situation happened to me I would have resolved it one way or another in the past three days-- but the OP hasn’t been back. BlueSkye: What did you do? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662/27 "2013-11-14T23:49:14Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > If this situation happened to me I would have resolved it one way or another in the past three days-- but the OP hasn’t been back. > > BlueSkye: What did you do? I’d have paid a plumber and be embarrassed to admit it. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-cold-water-shutoff-wont-turn-back-on/673662.md?page=1)