Turning Off Your House's Water Main: Quick Guidance

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If you attempt to shut the water off to your fixtures by utilizing an angle stop and that does not work you will need to shut of the water pipe to make your repair. There are likewise many other factors you might need to close the water pipe like repairing frozen pipes, repairing leakages, changing fixtures or faucets.
Many individuals are not aware that they even have a water pipe shutoff right in their own home and just call a plumber of never end up doing the fixing until things obtain actually bad since they merely do not know that shutting the water main is truly very easy.
One of the most common locations a water main will certainly be situated in home is in your boiler room, cellar, or a removed panel in an area for your home.
Once you discover the water pipe you will merely transform the shutoff clockwise to close all the water off in your home up until you have actually ended up the fixing. Some homes will have a ball valve with a lever that you can pull rather than count on shut the water off.

How to Find Your Home Water Main

Weather is becoming more extreme every year. That means higher risks of flash floods and storm surges, even in places normally not used to it. Today, we’ll give you some guidance on how to find your home’s water main (shutoff valve). Knowing where your water shutoff valve is can prevent catastrophic flood damage, longer-term plumbing damage, and help you stop plumbing leaks. It’s also something that’s just good to know.

Where is your home water main (shutoff valve)?

Inside your house, likely on a wall on the street side of your house

In warmer climates, outside your home near an outside faucet

Outside your house, near your curb, under a plastic or metal lid likely marked water

Outside your house, near your private well pump and/or near your pressure tank

The first three options apply if you use municipal water (i.e., city water). The fourth option applies if you use well water. So, the first step in finding your main water shutoff valve is figuring out whether your water supply is municipal or well. In general (but not always), if you pay a water bill, chances are you use municipal water.

Now, let’s look at some specific tips for finding each kind of water shutoff valve. The best time to do this is before you need to. So, take a few minutes on a nice day to look for your shutoff valve, instead of waiting until you need to know where it is.

Where to look INSIDE your house for the shutoff valve

First, start by going outside to the front of your house. Look for a faucet that comes out from the wall on the outside. This will help you narrow down where your indoor water shutoff valve might be.

Next, go back inside and to the lowest part of your house (basement or first floor). Recall where the outdoor faucet was. Walk to the location on your inside wall, about where the outside faucet appears on the outside. If you see either a lever or a wheel valve connected to metal pipes, you’ve likely found your water shutoff valve. (If not, go to the next section.)

Then, turn the valve clockwise (to the right) until it stops. If it’s a lever-style valve (i.e., ball valve), you’ll turn it a quarter turn so that the valve is perpendicular (i.e., like a cross) to the pipe it’s connected to. If it’s a wheel-style valve (i.e., gate valve), turn the wheel clockwise until it stops.

Near an outside faucet

If you live in a warmer climate, check the faucets connected to your house. You’ll likely see that one of your faucets has either a lever or wheel valve right next to it. That’s your shutoff valve.

Turn the valve clockwise (to the right) until it stops. It it’s a lever-style valve (i.e., ball valve), you’ll turn it a quarter turn so that the valve is perpendicular (i.e., like a cross) to the pipe it’s connected to. If it’s a wheel-style valve (i.e., gate valve), turn the wheel clockwise until it stops.

In the ground near your curb

If you didn’t find your main water supply inside or connected to your house, check your street-side curb. Your shutoff valve may be housed in a cement box with a plastic or metal lid that says water. You’ll need a water meter key, which you can buy at a hardware store, or sturdy pliers for this.

First, you’ll first want to remove the lid. If the lid is locked, you’ll need to call your municipal water service for instructions on how to open it.

If there’s dirt or sand inside, remove it and put it to the side. You’ll need to put it back when you’re through, as the dirt or sand prevents freezing.

Next, you’ll likely see two valves. Only use the valve that is closest to your house. The other valve is the city valve, which you don’t want to fiddle with. (You likely won’t be able to, since it requires special tools, but just steer clear of it entirely.)

Using the water meter key or your pliers, turn the valve clockwise to close it. Reverse the process to turn it back on. But remember: When turning the water back on, GO SLOW with your counterclockwise turn.

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