How do I know if my water valve is on or off?

Author: Edison Lowe  |  Last update: Wednesday, July 30, 2025

To determine if a water valve is open or closed, there is a simple general rule you can usually follow. Basically, if the handle is turned 90 degrees to the flow, the valve is switched off.

How do I tell if my water valve is open or closed?

When the handle of a ball valve is parallel to the valve or pipe, it's open. When it's perpendicular, it's closed. This makes it easy know if a ball valve is open or closed, just by looking at it. The ball valve below is in the open position.

How do you know if a valve is on or off?

Ball valves are very intuitive. When it is off, the handle is perpendicular to the pipe, providing a nice visual representation that it is blocking flow. The valve is on when the handle is parallel with the pipe.

How to tell if water is on or off?

To verify the water is off, turn on the water anywhere in your home or around your property. Alternatively, if the water is off, the indicator on the face of the meter will stop turning or counting. To turn the water back on, slowly turn the valve one-quarter turn counterclockwise.

Which side valve is open?

Generally speaking, the valves are basically clockwise to close valve and opened counterclockwise, or left open and right closed.

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How do I make sure my water valve is off?

If it is located inside your house, it will most likely be a gate or “wheel” valve that you'll simply turn clockwise to stop the flow of water. Another way to shut off the water is to go to the water meter box. Just be careful not to mess with the city shutoff side of the meter.

How do I know if my valves are closed?

Gate valves usually come with a lever or handwheel to regulate their positions. When the handle aligns with the direction of the piping, the valve is open. Conversely, when the handle is perpendicular, the valve is closed position.

Which way is the water inlet valve on off position?

So you can recognise it again by the valve position:
  1. If it's in the same direction as the pipe, it's open.
  2. If it's at a right angle to the direction of the pipe, it's fully closed.

Which valve is on off valve?

On-Off Valves

An on-off valve is a much less precise instrument than the control valve. It either allows for unimpeded flow or it shuts off flow completely. There are a couple of different styles of on-off valves, including ball, plug, butterfly, gate, and globe valves.

How do I find my water shut off valve?

The main water shutoff valve is usually in the mechanical room, closet near the water heater, or laundry room. It may also be under the kitchen sink or in a similar location. Exterior wall: If your home is in a warmer part of the country, the main water line is likely not buried below the frost line.

What way is open on a water valve?

When it comes to which way you should turn the valve, keep in mind the old saying “righty tighty, lefty loosey.” In other words, turning a valve clockwise or to the right, will restrict the flow of water, while turning it counterclockwise or to the left, will allow water to flow.

Who is responsible for replacing the main water shut off valve?

Most of the time, homeowners are responsible for replacing a main water shut-off valve. This is because the property owner also owns the water service line from the shut-off valve near their property line to their house. That means they must maintain, repair, or replace it when needed.

How to tell if a water valve is open or closed?

Basically, if the handle is turned 90 degrees to the flow, the valve is switched off. Contrastingly, if the handle remains in line with the flow path, it is on, and fully functional in alignment with your shower system.

Does every house have a water shut-off valve?

Every home was required to have a main water shut-off valve installed inside the home when it was built. For most emergencies or repairs, shutting off the proper inside valve is all you will need to do. However, there are also underground shut-off valves installed outside at the property line.

What happens if I turn off the water to my house?

When you turn off your main water supply, water will not get supplied into the house. However, outside water sprinklers will still work.

What position is valve open?

Open position: The handle is aligned parallel to the pipe, signifying that the valve permits flow.

How do I turn off water to my house outside?

Your house valve is typically located on the outside of your home. It may be in the front, on the side or in the backyard. Look for a hose bib (outside faucet) next to your home with a pipe coming up from the ground (Photo 1). The house valve is located on that pipe between the ground and the hose bib.

Which valve is normally open?

A normally open solenoid valve controls the flow of gas or liquid. This valve differs in the way that the flow is started or stopped. When a normally open solenoid valve is not powered, the plunger is down, which means that a flow is allowed through the valve.

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