Log in

View Full Version : Can you shut off valve on the toilet for a few weeks


dotame
Oct 18, 2010, 08:07 AM

ballengerb1
Oct 18, 2010, 08:43 AM
Certainly but can you tell us why you need to? If your fill valve is leaking and refilling the tank shutting the valve would save you water but so would fixing the valve. What's up with your toilet issue?

ma0641
Oct 18, 2010, 12:27 PM
Sure. Many people do this when going away on vacation, particularly if the house shut off is hard to get to.

speedball1
Oct 18, 2010, 12:39 PM
Of course you can! But if you're going on vacation why not protect the entire house by shutting off the water at the meter or the house shutoff. It's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy. Good luck, Tom

dotame
Oct 18, 2010, 04:57 PM
The last time I went on vacation I there was a problem with the toilet and it ran for nine days before the landlord found it. I had a water bill of several hundred dollars. Just wanted to know if I could do this and play it safe this time.

dotame
Oct 18, 2010, 04:58 PM
Thanks for the advice

dotame
Oct 18, 2010, 04:59 PM
Thanks for the answer

ballengerb1
Oct 18, 2010, 05:20 PM
Each unit should have its own main shut off valve which would stop all water to the apartment/unit. This would be the safest thing since it was the toilet last time but could be something else next time.

massplumber2008
Oct 18, 2010, 06:55 PM
Hi Dotame...

Not to be a smartaker here, but it's the landlord's toilet so it's really the landlord's issue not yours.

In other words, just as an example, say you shut the shutoff off and the shutoff leaks or better yet fails to reopen when you return causing the owner to have to call a plumber in to fix the shutoff or the leak... will the landlord pay or will he/she try to charge you?

See, the way I see it, unless the owner asked you to mess with the shutoff and is willing to acknowledge that issues like I mentioned above can happen AND he/she is willing to take full responsibility then I have to advise against touching the plumbing.

You would not believe how many disputes I've seen arise and even end up in court where tenants were just "trying to be helpful"... ;)

Just presenting another perspective...

Mark