How do I tell which copper pipe is the inlet of the water coming into the house? One of the pipe is thicker, could that be the inlet?

<a href="http://s598.photobucket.com/albums/tt61/pearlywhitecalvus/Stuff/?action=view&amp;current=DE8B9077-D2E8-4D52-B1A1-3FC916948BDC-10197-00000A83DCEB7504_zps4f24c610.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt61/pearlywhitecalvus/Stuff/DE8B9077-D2E8-4D52-B1A1-3FC916948BDC-10197-00000A83DCEB7504_zps4f24c610.jpg" border="0" alt="Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App"></a>

Can't see you link, try again or post pic here. Scroll down click on go advance, click on manage attachments, browse for picture, open then click upload.

I was ble to look at the photo by redesigning the link (I will post it). That is a mess. I see some of the pipes have bits of pipe insulation on them - hot water maybe or heat? I'll let someone else look. Here's the link.
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps4f24c610.jpg

You will need to copy and paste

Thanks Handyman. Impossible to tell with out wider prospective. Frankly those pipe look like some kind of heating system (probably hot water floor) to me.

Yeah. I was thinking the same thing that it is some kind of home made manifold system.

Thanks handyman for fixing my picture.

They are cool to the touch and routes to the water heater and my washer. There is no label on them at all. I am trying to install a water softener myself and have no idea which pipe to tap into...

Post a pic further up the wall. To post a picture on this site, upload picture in JPEG format and see my post (#2) above.

I have uploaded additional pictures.

The last picture is the water valve, how do I know which one is the main shut off? I know the one on the top is to the outside faucet, but not sure which one of the other two is the main one.

Tough to guess on this. Short of shutting the water off at the meter, and cutting all the colds coming out of the floor, then turning the water back on to see witch one water comes out of, it will be hard to say from here. Might not be a bad idea to do this any way and add shut offs to each pipe that is penetrating the floor for future control. Hate to say it, but unless every one of those pipes is type K, you will eventually have a leak under ground, so isolation valves will come in handy someday.

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hkstroud, I guess I should've read those first, haha. Both those two tags states that those are my stop and waste valves for the outside lawn faucets. I guess the only one without the tag would be the main shut off then?

As for mygirlsdad77, I am not sure what type of pipes they are. The townhouse is 19 years old and it was like this when I purchased it almost 2 years ago.

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Great Job Harold, Thanks.

John

Agree with most of what Harold posted, except as presented below in the picture... ;)

Harold, thanks again, you've been very helpful thus far. The only thing remaining now is to determind which one of the two pipes coming out of the ground is the one I need to tap into...

I am planning to cut right in between the first and middle pipe from the left and tap right into both the cold and hot water supply. That is if the first pipe from the left is where the water is coming into the house. Is there a way to test it without cutting the pipe first?

Open several hot water faucets, preferably two handle faucets, so you know you have only opened hot side. Feel the pipes as close to the floor as possible. You should be able to feel the water moving through the pipe on its way to the water heater.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hkstroud

Open several hot water faucets, preferably two handle faucets, so you know you have only opened hot side. Feel the pipes as close to the floor as possible. You should be able to feel the water moving through the pipe on its way to the water heater.

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Tried doing that last night and all three pipes felt like water are moving through them. All my faucets are the one knob kind, which might effect the result a little. Any other way to tell at all?

Only other way that I can think of is to start cutting pipes. What are your plumbing skills.

I agree with Harold, but am still unclear where the water meter is in relation to the water heater? Is the water meter close to the water heater, on the other side of the room? Back to you...

Not only water lines but look at the gas lines too!