My faucet's running and I can't catch it...

October 17, 2023 9:00 PM

Bathtub faucet broke an hour ago. Now turning the handle doesn't have any effect, and the water is running at full force. Bonus difficulty level: we live in an apartment in which the closet containing our unit's water heater is locked, and only management has the key. Apartment maintenance is not responding. Any ideas?

It's the middle of the night. We filed a maintenance request through the apartment building's official maintenance portal, as per protocol, but we don't know if there's an person monitoring the requests overnight (doubtful, because it usually takes them days to weeks to respond even when the issue is very urgent). There is no number to call.

I don't think it's in huge danger of flooding tonight, because we have the water coming out of the showerhead and it's draining normally. But I'm nervous that it'll back up at some point overnight (our drain isn't great), and besides, even if it doesn't flood I really don't want to pay whatever water bill results from running the shower all night long.

Called a plumber, who nicely explained to me that there was nothing he could do without access to the water heater.

Our only idea so far is to try picking the lock to the water heater closet to turn it off, but we haven't succeeded. Any other creative ideas would be very welcome. Thanks!

posted by ravioli ravioli give me the formuoli to Home & Garden (13 answers total)

You answered it yourself -- 24-hour locksmith!
posted by JimN2TAW at 9:05 PM on October 17, 2023

So I am intensely not a plumber but I've had some bad plumbing luck lately.

If you can find a diagram or photo of a similar style faucet, that might help figuring your way around the anatomy of your shower and what might have broken, and whether it's worth trying to get into the faucet or handle. That'll also help you find more specific advice on r/plumbing or YouTube or wherever.

I'm going to take as read that you're SURE there's no emergency water shutoff valve you can access in your unit, even behind a panel or somewhere inside the shower handle assembly. My main shutoff valve is in a locked closet in another building, but I have valves for each line inside that help with some (not all) leaks. If that's what's in your locked water heater closet and you're not turning off water for forty other people like I am, then yeah a locksmith might be the one to help you out.

I once had an emergency plumber turn on all the other water in my unit full blast, I think so the water pressure wasn't all coming through the one blown valve. I couldn't tell if it helped, but might be worth trying if you get worried about your drain.

I've heard though luckily never had to try that in some places you can ask for one-off forgiveness from the water company for a leak, I have no idea if or how that works, but maybe worth a shot.

I will be wishing you good plumbing luck from afar, it's stressful as hell.
posted by jameaterblues at 9:45 PM on October 17, 2023

Turn the handle to let water flow from the faucet, remove the showerhead, stopper the showerpipe or the showerhead inlet, screw the showerhead back on, flip the handle. Just tested, works here. You might need a pipe wrench (or alligator pliers) to get it started. Pipe dope or PTFE tape should stop drips. Good luck.
posted by backwoods at 9:47 PM on October 17, 2023 [4 favorites]

I would look a whole lot harder for a number to call. Possible sources - fliers around your building with notices, your rental agreement, strata or HOA documents, your neighbours, the email signature of that guy that you emailed for that building years ago.

In my building leaks are an emergency due to the potential for major damages for neighbouring units. Find a person to call in the morning.
posted by shock muppet at 10:01 PM on October 17, 2023 [4 favorites]

(I am a mechanic who responds to emergency residential calls in a few apartment buildings where I work)

Whatever phone numbers you can find from your documents (like your lease) or your neighbors, blow up their phones.

You are justified in breaking the door to your water heater if you feel you need to.

You can call the fire department via 911 and they can shut off water to the building, if necessary. They can figure out how to do that.

At some point you need to document all your attempts to contact the proper people. And they need to give you a phone number for future calls, and give that number to your benefits. It is absolutely stupid, irresponsible, and absurd that they do not have a 24 hour phone number that someone answers, even if they get woken up.

Good luck.
posted by panhopticon at 11:35 PM on October 17, 2023 [7 favorites]

I used to be a firefighter, but was probably not a firefighter in your jurisdiction. Please do not call 911 for this. We cannot shut water off in an inhabited building for a plumbing leak not related to the sprinkler system; sometimes residential sprinklers are tied into the building’s main water lines. This now becomes a significant life safety issue. Building maintenance or property management would need to be contacted (with a keyholder preferably on scene) and a fire watch would be needed hourly until the system is restored, if the idea was even entertained. If the sprinkler system is involved, the alarm company will be too. It’s not as simple as going out in the yard of a single family structure and quarter-turning the valve.

I would contact the emergency number for the water department/utility authority, a locksmith, and a 24 hr plumber. Document EVERYTHING. Have times and pictures and keep copies of all of the bills to submit to the utility office.
posted by sara is disenchanted at 3:49 AM on October 18, 2023 [14 favorites]

Depending on the layout of your bathroom, sometimes bathtubs have their own separate water valve that will turn off the water to just that faucet. For instance, if you look under your kitchen or bathroom sinks, do you see a handle or handles there that turn off the water to only that sink? If so, that might also be the way the tub was installed. Look around to see if there's a small panel somewhere in the bathroom, likely set in the wall on the other side of the tub faucets (if it's laid out that way), or a small panel lower than the tub faucet, maybe even in the tub surround. If you see one, open it or pry it open (in my house this sometimes means using a flathead screwdriver gently). Not every bathroom is plumbed this way, but if yours is, bingo, you can turn off the water to the tub that way.
posted by cocoagirl at 5:01 AM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

The panel for a shutoff valve might also be on the other side of the wall in an adjoining room.
posted by AndrewInDC at 6:18 AM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

^ that, or in a linen closet if you have one
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 7:12 AM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

There should be a trouble door at the rear of where the shower / tub controls are, with a shutoff. Look for a removable panel in the wall behind the shower.
posted by vitout at 9:04 AM on October 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

The faucet handle may have a screw inside it that has come loose. Use a knife to pop off the trim, and then use a screwdriver and try to tighten the screw back down. Then try to turn off the faucet.
posted by soylent00FF00 at 10:22 AM on October 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

I live in an apartment with out an access panel for water. I have also changed a faucet cartridge without turning the water off (for the same reason as you). Once.

Just read the instructions and maybe watch a couple youtubes, expect to get wet, and if it's a tub faucet then you're mostly safe from water getting everywhere. Maybe get a second pair of hands to hold the shower curtain closed if necessary. Put some towels down.

On the other hand, I imagine you don't pay for water in your unit? Aside from noise and conservation concerns, it can be left to be your landlord's problem. If they don't want zillion dollar water bills, they can hire maintenance with better response times.
posted by rhizome at 7:51 PM on October 18, 2023

Worst case scenario, run out to Home Depot and buy yourself a showerhead that has a shutoff of its own, install that, direct the water to the showerhead, turn it off there. The showerhead shutoff will probably not turn off 100% but it'll be a small fraction of the normal flow.

Or maybe one of these?
posted by kindall at 7:36 AM on October 20, 2023