Every home owner should have a meter key. A meter key is a special tool used to turn the water service on and off at the meter. It has an open end made to fit over and grip the valve in order to turn it.
They look like this and can be purchased at your local hardware store. They are necessary to turn your water off in case of an emergency. Yes, I know that every house should have an emergency shut off valve but how many of your know where it is? How many of you know that it actually works? I thought so. (The best thing to do would be to have your local plumber install an emergency shut off valve.)
More often than not when we go to make a plumbing repair we find that the emergency shut off valve for the home has been buried in the flower bed or does not even work. So we end up turning the water off at the meter using a meter key.
You should know what your rules and regulations are for your water company. Some water companies will not allow you to tamper with the meter and they may have locked meter boxes to prevent you from gaining access to the meter.
If your meter box is not locked and the water company allows you to turn the water on and off at their meter, a meter key will help. Place the key on top of the valve and turn it clock wise until the water is off. Most meters only require a quarter of a turn.
Rooter Man Plumbing and Drain Service
Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Goose Creek, Summerville Plumbing Repair
