Bathtub shutoff?

[chigundo]

This is what's behind the access panel in my bedroom, which is the back of the tub faucet in the bathroom. I have a leak (drip drip drip) and before I take the handles off to get a look at the compression valves, I wanted to just shut the water off locally instead of to the whole house. Does this look like something I can shut off here? I was thinking putting a wrench to one of the bolts at the top of the hot/cold water that you can see in the pic here.. but wasn't sure.

[jadnashua]

Don't think that would do it...wouldn't be the first time I was wrong, though!

Only a small percentage of tub/shower valves get installed with shutoffs. The more common types use a valve with a screw slot - align the slot with the flow, it's open, turn it 90-degrees, and it's off. From what I'm told, by the time you need one, it may no longer work since it would be as old as the main valve, so not many people put them in.

[chigundo]

I was afraid of that. I hate giving my main shutoff valve attention.. it's a 1949 so the more i turn it off the scarier I get at it breaking. The drip is almost worth it.

[FloridaOrange]

If you do turn off your water maybe now is the time to put in a new shut off for your house. You could do it and leave the old one in place so you're only turning off the old valve once more.

[hj]

Those are connections for an separate shower valve which was sometimes done in the old days to make a four handle tub/shower installation.