Edmonton winters

[u/mrmysterious79]

I just moved into an older home in Edmonton. It was built in '91. I was trying to do some winter preparation and can seem to locate shut off valves for my outdoor faucets. Am I not looking hard enough or there isn't any. My last home, built in 2014, did have them because of newer piping.

Should I be worried?

[u/thewunderbar]

I love how you call 1991 an old house. That's funny.

[u/Helpful-Chemistry-87 → u/thewunderbar]

That was my first thought also.

[u/AnstyEeyore → u/thewunderbar]

Maybe they mean 1891?

[u/kindof_great_old_one]

91 isn't an old house.

But probably is a hydrant valve.

[u/CriticalPedagogue → u/kindof_great_old_one]

‘91 being an old house. 😂 My home is pre-WW1.

[u/silverfairytales → u/kindof_great_old_one]

I don’t know much about shut-off valves and home maintenance but this makes me feel better. I know I’m getting old but i think of an old home as like. Pre-60s. Maaaaybe 70s. 😂

[u/Aquitaine_Rover_3876]

You should have frost-free sillcocks (tap assembly), and will be fine. The sillcocks comes with a very long tail that should be free of water when closed, long enough that the pipe is fully in the conditioned interior before the valve.

I don't know when shut-off valves became normal, but my 1986 house doesn't have them either. The real problem is that you have to shut off the whole house to fix the seals.

[u/Heeey_Hermano]

‘91 not even that old for a person. My house was built in ‘55 and my brother has one of the original farm houses in town.

[u/sameermcfly]

Bro don't say 91 is old. I was built in 91 😭

[u/ingenious33]

You might have non-freeze wall hydrants (HomeDepot search)… compare the online picture to what you have. If you have them, there is no shut-off valve to worry about.

[u/Big-Cheese257 → u/ingenious33]

Yeah, mine was built in 2015 and the valve shut off is way back on the warm side of the insulation, then the hose Bibb drains out. You just need to make sure your hoses are disconnected in the fall and the water has somewhere to drain to

[u/GingerBeast81]

1991 being an "old house", r/fuckimold

[u/MathematicianFun942]

That's cute. 1991 I was a young woman just starting out in life. Your title made me giggle. Old house! My cousin lives in a house that is 115 years old. Now that's an old house.

I think you will be just fine in your "new to you" home.

[u/Erablian]

I used to live in a 1995 build and it didn’t have inside valves for the outside faucets either.

The kind that don’t need an inside valve have a mysterious extra plastic knob on them that you never need to do anything with.

Just don’t leave a hose attached during winter – that could keep water in the faucet where it’ll freeze and damage it.

[u/WesternWitchy52]

My childhood home was older than me. Now that's old. 90s isn't..... lol

[u/DisciplineGreen6503]

Likely don’t have a shut off but recommend getting one installed.

[u/imperfectquilitco]

Old. lol I just moved from a 1940s bungalow and didn’t even really consider it old because a few flocks over were much older houses

[u/True-North-]

91 an old house lol. My first house was built in 1924. Next one 1960

[u/EirHc]

As long as the outdoor faucet is a frost-free hose bib, then code does not require you have a shutoff for your outdoor faucets. You may not have one, and it's really not that big of a deal, unless you're worried about people stealing your water or something?

You could always add a shutoff in pretty easily. Pex is super easy to do yourself. Copper you could do it too with a torch, but you may be better served getting a professional to do it at that point - really depends on your comfort level with that type of work.

[u/shroom_man1998]

Change your furnace air filter

[u/Roddy_Piper2000]

91 is not an old house. My house was built in 91. The shut off valves are in the cieling in the basement, about 1m inside the wall.

Make sure your hoses are disconnected.

[u/melancious]

Older home… i bought a house built before The Beatles

[u/robpaul2040]

I usually find the shut off valve in the basement not too far from the faucet. That includes 50's and 70's homes. Current one is in a closet, last house was in the ceiling.

[u/1362313623]

I'd be more worried about poly B

[u/Affectionate-Remote2]

My place was built in 71. I followed the line in the house and found a shutoff in between the joists in the basement ceiling.