What Is a Curb Stop?

It's important to understand each kind of valve and how they operate to select the best one for your plumbing installation. It would help if you familiarized yourself with curb stop valves. You've likely heard of this type of valve, but do you know anything about it? Do you even know what is a curb stop valve?

How Do Curb Stops Work?

This valve functions as an on/off switch for water to a home or building. In other words, it's a water service shutoff valve. Typically, the city or township has installed this valve. Some private systems also have curb stops installed if there are multiple buildings on a common water source. Most of these valves are enclosed in curb stop boxes. The cast-iron housing protects a pipe that extends to ground level with a removable cover. The curb stop water valve is accessed with a special wrench or key, which slides down the pipe and turns the valve on or off.

How to Find the Curb Stop Valve

what is a curb stop and how to find a curb stop illustration

As mentioned, the curb stop box is what you need to be looking for. It's almost a certainty that it's located near the sidewalk (or street if you don't have a sidewalk) at the front edge of your property. Once you find it, you can operate it if you have a key (or if the municipality has configured it in a way that is more convenient).

Types of Curb Stop Valves

Typically, when people talk about the type of curb stop valve, they mean one of two types:

Standard: This type is typically located in the sidewalk or near it on the home or property.
Corporation Stop: this means the stop is directly attached to the main.

Save on Curb Stops Online

Now that you've learned the basics, you should be ready to proceed with your replacement project. The next step is choosing your curb stop valve. No matter what you need, you'll be able to find the best valves here at PlumbersStock. If you still have questions, let us know. Contact us because we probably have the best valve for the job. For contractors or homeowners buying bulk, hit us up about special deals.