Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Mystery domestic water line

Options
Grallert
Grallert Member Posts: 975
in THE MAIN WALL

I'm in a pickle. I'm trying to isolate a 1" water line. This in a building completed in 1926. It was built as a gymnasium but has been used for many things over the years. At the far end are two bathrooms, one in either far corner. There is a toilet in each and a sink in an adjoining powder room. These are supplied with cold water only and has never had a hoy line as far as I can tell. The building is on a slab steam heat is supplied over head in the vaulted attic space. I can not for the life of me find the water supply. I've been looking for nearly ten years. I was able to freeze three out of the four supplies. Two sinks and one toilet. The toilets are antique 1" Sloan valves neither hold. Is there a way to find the supply like a sound machine or a metal detector or anything? Kind of driving me nuts. The designer wants the room renovated and the floor tiles and toilet updated.

Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

Comments

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 975
    centenial basement 1928.pdf
    centenial basement 1928 (2).pdf

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

    decgg
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 13,598

    a locator will find it more or less if it is metallic.

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,903

    Hi, How about hooking up a wire tracing device that sends a signal down the metal pipe? That could let you trace and find the pipe's location. A search for "wire tracing tool" gives some options. 🤔

    Yours, Larry

    mattmia2
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 13,598

    automatic hot water heaters weren't common until after wwii so a lot of older buildings didn't have dhw. some utilities didn't meter water, they just charged a flat rate so it may just come in to the building from the street somewhere.

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 975
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1861257#Comment_1861257

    This is my worry, though it could make my life a whole lot easier. I'll touch base with the city and see if they can help.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 975

    I will call someone with a tracer as well. I'm surprised there was no DHW because there was always hot water in the main building. Maybe the thought was that it was not needed for a gymnasium. There were showers on the opposite end and of course they had hot water.

    Thanks for your input guys.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 13,598
    edited July 30
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1861252#Comment_1861252

    a toner and banana will work if it is close to the surface, if it is buried deep in the structure or ground you will need the type of tracing equipment they use for utilities.

    the city might have records too, but if it just is an outbuilding served from a main building the city wouldn't know anything about that. There is however probably a shutoff in the main building.

    decgg
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,473

    Our gym built in the 70's had a water service at each end.

    Although there is a main valve on each end, there is also an outside curb stop which utilities will locate or have on a map. I would check with them first.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 18,279

    i would poke around the electrical panel and find the ground wire. Usually there will be a ground from the panel to the water line.

    Also check anny rooms with water like the boiler room although you have probably done that.

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 25,390

    An infrared camera may work if you can run real hot or cold through the lines. It finds radiant lines very quickly.

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    mattmia2
  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 975

    We've come to the conclusion that the service is out side the building. It is not to be found in the main building which it is connected to. My hope is that the grounds keeper has a memory of where a shut might be. He has to find his thinking cap but has a memory of where two exterior valves might be,

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,903

    Hi, I saw this on Ebay "Metrotech Model-420 Pipe And Cable Locator Vintage Transmitter/Receiver". It's not expensive. A locator that can be attached to the pipe inside will let you trace the line wherever it goes.

    Yours, Larry

    mattmia2Grallert
  • Grallert
    Grallert Member Posts: 975

    It's amazing to me how inexpensive these tools are becoming. And the number of them available. I'll have a looks at that tool and maybe it will be added to our collection. In the mean time I have an outfit coming this morning to trace the lines with their tracer. I I remember I'll record it.

    Miss Hall's School service mechanic, greenhouse manager, teacher, dog walker and designated driver

Categories