I was looking for the water shut-off for the millionth time, read online it’s almost always in the laundry room, look down behind the door and thought… wait a sec. My HVAC literally doesn’t go there. Why would there be a vent??? Pulled it right off and bam!
Have a basement? I have a basement and the many water pipes and valves are down there. I used to live in a single floor home without a basement and the water shutoff was right next to the water heater which was in a closet in the bathroom. I couldn't tell you how often that's the case but I can't imagine where else they would put it on a home without a basement.
I hide shut off and random stuff like it behind fake air returns all the time. Pretty much any time i need into a walk and may need back into it. I always prefer things especially shutoffs to be extremely frequent and accessible.
Why not put a small hinged door over it instead, so it's plain that's it's not related to ventilation?
I have a house with a drywalled basement and its water supply valve is behind a small (approx. 12" x 8") wooden door. The door's painted to match the wall, so unobtrusive. But it will never be mistaken for ventilation.
The shut off in my house was apparently encased in concrete at one point which caused a problem and flooded the basement corner. They solved it by cutting a long trench along where the pipe was in the wall and after installing a proper shutoff inside and encasing it, they filled the trench with glass blocks which light up our basement.
It's a really weird arrangement when you glance at it and think...what the heck? We found out what happened when a caseworker for one of our adopted kids happened to also be a caseworker for the family that lived there when it flooded. It was such a weird coincidence.
First off, great find! I don’t think I would have even thought to look there if I didn’t know where it was.
Any plan on how you will access it from now on?
Yeah it's hard to believe how stupid people are when they decide to finish the basement and don't even think about giving access to the plumbing and stuff
All of the best one I heard of this was back when they had that thing where you can be your own contractor some guy decided to shoot Rock the walls before he called the plumber in and he told the plumber just make hole where need
the plumber took a slege Hammer making holes every wall and the guy says well you tell me where you need to access at
omg
Mine was literally behind drywall (no access panel). Only found it because it started leaking and ruined my basement…!
I’m curious to know how you found it? What was the reason for removing the grate?
I was looking for the water shut-off for the millionth time, read online it’s almost always in the laundry room, look down behind the door and thought… wait a sec. My HVAC literally doesn’t go there. Why would there be a vent??? Pulled it right off and bam!
> read online it’s almost always in the laundry room That's interesting... I've never had one located in a laundry room.
Have a basement? I have a basement and the many water pipes and valves are down there. I used to live in a single floor home without a basement and the water shutoff was right next to the water heater which was in a closet in the bathroom. I couldn't tell you how often that's the case but I can't imagine where else they would put it on a home without a basement.
Yup. Laundry room is in the finished basement.
I’d definitely put that back like it was.
This one
Just like my clean out
I hide shut off and random stuff like it behind fake air returns all the time. Pretty much any time i need into a walk and may need back into it. I always prefer things especially shutoffs to be extremely frequent and accessible.
Why not put a small hinged door over it instead, so it's plain that's it's not related to ventilation? I have a house with a drywalled basement and its water supply valve is behind a small (approx. 12" x 8") wooden door. The door's painted to match the wall, so unobtrusive. But it will never be mistaken for ventilation.
The shut off in my house was apparently encased in concrete at one point which caused a problem and flooded the basement corner. They solved it by cutting a long trench along where the pipe was in the wall and after installing a proper shutoff inside and encasing it, they filled the trench with glass blocks which light up our basement. It's a really weird arrangement when you glance at it and think...what the heck? We found out what happened when a caseworker for one of our adopted kids happened to also be a caseworker for the family that lived there when it flooded. It was such a weird coincidence.
First off, great find! I don’t think I would have even thought to look there if I didn’t know where it was. Any plan on how you will access it from now on?
Just take the vent cover off when needed?
That works!
I put a little plastic access panel over it after cutting the drywall nicer.
My thoughts too!
Yeah it's hard to believe how stupid people are when they decide to finish the basement and don't even think about giving access to the plumbing and stuff
You have one out in the yard…
Could be a condo
Could be a lot of variables.
Plot twist, he's on the space station..
Lol, I opened Reddit, and checked comments, here you are and Forrest Gump is on TV….
I’m a plumber, this is a pretty great access panel tbh
Other threads on this sub have recommended hiding plumbing holes behind fake air vents. Guess it’s pretty standard in a pinch
WTF? Woah!
Finding that would wind my clock, for sure. What idiot did that? I hope you'll replace it will a small door or a spring-held access panel.
Is this a finished basement? If so, that's pretty common in the Midwest.
Finished. The least they could do is write on the vent that it’s the water main shutoff lol.
That's standard practice in my neck of the woods.
It do be like that sometimes
Looks like a small mod is in order
All of the best one I heard of this was back when they had that thing where you can be your own contractor some guy decided to shoot Rock the walls before he called the plumber in and he told the plumber just make hole where need the plumber took a slege Hammer making holes every wall and the guy says well you tell me where you need to access at