repair leaky hot tub faucet by shutoff at heater?

[serrow]

Hello,

my condo will require me to shut down 2 columns of apartments in order to turn off the water in my unit. I have a leaky faucet in the shower, and I can tell the water is of the expensive warm variety. Can I merely shut down the supply for the water heater, and do this repair? its a 2 handle shower type... would i be missing anything here? any way that there would be leaks of mishaps doing this?

Thanks

[jimbo]

You can probably do it this way if you have a shutoff for the WH inlet, and if you are lucky and that valve is not frozen open from years of misuse!

Have you looked behind the shower valve escutcheons to see if you have local stops on hot and cold? It would would be a little stem with a screwdriver slot on the end.

No matter how you proceeed, make sure you locate ahead of time the MAIN BUILDING STOP, so that if things go to hell in a handbasket, you can run and make an emerency shutoff!

[jadnashua]

If it is a one-handle valve, you can't usually repair it without turning off both the hot and cold. As noted, if you are really lucky, the valve you have has service stops so you dont' have to turn off the building's water.

[serrow]

no, have not looked behind the escutcheons, but that would be the best bet for sure. I hope.
but wouldnt the escutcheons be oblong at that point? these are round.



There is the inlet at the WH, but it seems to spin freely without shutting off the water. will give it a shot later to be sure that it closes down the cold.

and its a 2-handle valve system.

[Verdeboy]

On a 2 handle faucet:

You may be able to turn off the hot water using a screwdriver behind the hot escutcheon.

There may be a plumbing access panel behind the shower with shut-off valves.

You can shut off the water inlet to the HW tank (if it works).