# Installing WHER25 RO system



## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

I'm trying to install my new RO system and i am having trouble because i can't find the shutoff valve for the water in the kitchen sink.  I can see and shutoff all the other bathroom sinks, but i just can't find the valve for the water in the kitchen sink.  Has anyone else have this issue or have any suggestions on where to look for the valves?  I looked out in the garage, and i can't find them out there either.  The only valve that ive found out there was connected to the hot water heater.  I'll try to get a pic up of the area under the sink in a few minutes.  Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

solarz


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## diablo_cannabis (Feb 1, 2009)

find your water heater. there should be shut off valves for both the hot and cold near there.


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

Here are some shots from under the sink.  I've turned off all the power to the house and have been letting the cold water run at the kitchen sink for the last 20 minutes or so...??

solarz


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

diablo_cannabis said:
			
		

> find your water heater. there should be shut off valves for both the hot and cold near there.



There's only a valve for the hot water by  the hot water heater.  Thanks for the suggestion though.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 1, 2009)

Are you on a private well?


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

I can cut the hot water off with no problem...the dang cold water is still running.  How long does it take before the water is completely off once the power to the house is cut?


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Are you on a private well?


I'm not sure...i live in the city...so i guess i'm on city water.  I called the water plant the other day to get an analysis of the water....so i'm guessing the answer to your question is no.  I'm on city water.


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## Tater (Feb 1, 2009)

Water doesn't run off of power.  It runs off of pressure.  Find your water meter and follow the line till you find a valve then shut it off.


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

Tater,
would that be out there by the curb of the house?  I talked to a plumber who told me that i needed to cut the power b/c the pump would stop pumping the water to the faucet or something to that effect.  

So if the meter that you are talking about is the one out in front of the house, how do i turn it off?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 1, 2009)

solarz said:
			
		

> Tater,
> would that be out there by the curb of the house?  I talked to a plumber who told me that i needed to cut the power b/c the pump would stop pumping the water to the faucet or something to that effect.
> 
> So if the meter that you are talking about is the one out in front of the house, how do i turn it off?



Shutting the power off only works if you are on a private well and have a water pump.  

You might want to consider a plumber for this job.  If you run into any problems, you will have to keep the water off to the entire house.  How (exactly) are you planning on connecting to the existing water line?


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

THG,
the cold water is ran to the kitchen faucet thru a copper tube.  The installation pack that came with the RO system has a self puncturing clamp that connects the tubing from the RO to the existing water line (if it was iron tubing, i'd have to pre-drill the hole).

I think that tater is somewhat on the right track, b/c i can remember my pops cutting the water off to our house buy twisting something in the ground out by the curb.  I was just going by what the plumber told me b/c he claimed that he's turned the water in this same house off the way that he instructed.  I'm beginning to think it's not going to work like this at all.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 1, 2009)

Well, if you have a meter at the street, you do not have a private well and turning the power off will not shut the water off.  The water meter belongs to the water company and many municipalities do not allow homeowners to mess with the meter.  If you do not have a separate water shut off inside your home and you do not have a stop at the kitchen sink, you may not be able to do anything.

IMO, a needle valve is absolutely the worst thing that you can possibly use to tap into an existing water line.  Although the installation of a needle valve can be made without turning the water off, I would not recommend it in your case, since you appear to have no way to turn your water off.  You also have to make sure that the pipe size you have under your sink matches the size of the needle valve assembly.  You also have to tap into your drain for the bypass water.

Like I said, you may want to hire a plumber or a good knowledgeable  handyperson for this task.


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

THG,
i have the ability to turn the water off inside the house...i just can't do it for the kitchen sink.  i can turn the water (both cold and hot) off in the other two bathrooms in the house, but i don't have the knobs in under the kitchen sink, as i do in the other bathrooms.  I mat just install the dang thing in the bathroom since i can control the water there. 

Also, since you say the pin thing is a bad idea, how would you recommend i do it?  I've also checked, and my adapter that came with the RO is for 1 1/2 inch fittings and my pvc under the sink is that size.  So i'm good in every place, except i can't control the water under the kitchen sink.  THG, please advise me on a better way of tapping into the existing water line (i'm porbably going to install it in the bathroom).

Thanks,
solarz


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## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 1, 2009)

When I say that you do not have the ability to shut off the water, I meant that you apparently do not have a main water shut off for the entire house.

Well, the best way would still entail shutting the water off to the house, barring that, I would put a compression tee on the water line to the sink.  Off the tee, I would put a compression shut off valve, and then run my line to the RO.  The 1-1/2" drain under the sink is standard for a kitchen sink.  But a bathroom sink can have 1-1/4", so make sure your bathroom has 1-1/2" drain.  Make sure that this is installed on the inlet side of the p-trap.


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

Yeah, after thinking about it, i think that it would be best if i kept it on the kitchen sink.  I'm just going to have to wait until tomorrow and try to get in touch with the plumber who previously did work on the house.  Hopefully he can come over and get it installed for a little of nothing. 

BTW, i believe that i can shut off the water to the entire house...i have an irrigation control valve outside next to the water meter out by the curb.  The only issue is i don't really know how to cut it off.  It was covered with mud, and i dug most of it out, but i still can't figure out how to shut the water off.


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## papabeach1 (Feb 1, 2009)

do you have rebar with a "key" on the attach on the end of rebar and has handles on the top of rebar  where you can go to that curb and open that little steel circle shaped top, and locate the value key for that rebar to connect and twist it to turn it off? 
just my redneck thought..  maybe tater know more.. hmm..


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## Tater (Feb 1, 2009)

Every house in a city has a shutoff valve outside by the street buried in the ground.  Its there so the city can shut off your water in case of an emergency, look for a round metal top to it usually about 4inches across , it could be buried though, if its there it will be no more than a few feet from the road.

After reading your last post it sounds like you found it.  You need a special tool to shut it off.  I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that if you find your water meter and where the line comes into your house (usually its in the rafters of your basement) follow that line there should be a shut off no more than a few feet from the water meter.


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

Yes, i did find it, but i don't have the tool to turn the water off.  I don't have a basement (in the south...we have attics).  But it is at the very edge of my front yard, out by the curb...and that is the round metal plate that you were refering to tater.  I don't know where the water valve would be in any close proximity to that spot out by the curb.


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## Stark (Feb 1, 2009)

I install sprinkler systems and have to find water shut off all the time. this is how i locate them.

Stand at your water meter and look in a straight line at your house. The shut off will be 2 to 3 feet from the house in a straight line with the meter. If it's a newer house you be looking for 6 to 8 in pipe with a cap on it. take the cap off the shut off will be in the bottom. You will need a water key to turn it....water key= 3 foot rod with a t handle and a 2 prong fork on the end. if it's an older house it may be in a box up tight to the house. 

You mentioned an irrigation box it's not likely to be in it.

You can also shut the water off at the meter. Take the lid off the meter box. there will be a valve on both sides of the meter. Turn the one on the house side of the meter off. It wont have a handle on it. You can use a pair of pliers to turn it off, takes 1/4 turn. 

Hope this helps you. Was going to post link of some pics of a water meter so you know what you're looking at, but i havn't posted enough yet


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## solarz (Feb 1, 2009)

Thanks stark.  I will have to go out and check on that.  Where can i get a water key from?  I don't have one...or at least i don't know that i have one...so i would need a little help on that.  I will go out and take a walk around the house with the flash light to see what i can find.  Whenever you get enough posts, please post the pic of the valve.


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## diablo_cannabis (Feb 1, 2009)

the "t" handle tool will look like this.







you can find them at pretty much any hardware store.



can you take a picture of the valve out on the curb? mine is just a ball valve with a lockable handle. you might be able to use pliers to turn the valve off. then all you have to do is flush a toilet or run the cold water till it runs out.

look for your home's water main out on the curb should look like this.


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## Tater (Feb 2, 2009)

There is no way this should be this hard.  Just follow the line from the meter like I've been saying and Stark said and you'll find your shutoff valve.  If you damage that valve outside in the ground the city will hold you responsible, trust me, went through it with my place even though it was broken when I moved in.  The city is who told me it was broken, I fought them long enough and they agreed to fix it on their dime. 3 years later still broke.


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## Tater (Feb 2, 2009)

Oh and don't feel to bad, unless someone has shown you how do you know right?  I mean I couldn't pay a water bill when I first moved out because I didn't know how to pay it, had to phone mom and ask lol.


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## solarz (Feb 2, 2009)

I was able to get the water shut off...but i had to go thru the main valve outside.  The thing is, this is an older house and they didn't install shut off valves on the kitchen sink, but installed them on all the other sinks.  That was the major problem, i couldn't JUST turn off the kitchen cold water supply.  I'm going to finish up on the installation in a bit, had to run to the Depot for some extras.  I'll let you know how it turned out.


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## solarz (Feb 2, 2009)

Well, i finally have everything installed and the system is going thru the pressurizing phase now.  The only real issue i have is deciding whether i want to take my sink sprayer out and use that hole to mount the faucet for the RO, or keep the sprayer and somehow mount the Ro faucet under the sink to where it will still be allowed to drain freely without spitting water back up.  Any suggestions?


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## CasualGrower (Feb 2, 2009)

In the first picture I see the shutoff valves for the sink faucets...... They are sitting behind the drain lines.... However depending on age, they may not function properly, ( I got a couple in my old house that you can turn all day and not shut off the water, I am gonna replace them some day, it is job number 697 on the list).

I am not sure how the plumbing works down south, but I would think that there should be a shut off just a few feet if not in the first foot where the water enters the house....  Do you have a utility room or maybe it is in a crawlspace???


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## Tater (Feb 3, 2009)

Thats what I was saying, looks like he got it taken care of though.


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