🧰 Common Locations for Shut-Off Valves
In most homes, it's usually located near the house's perimeter, around the area where your water meter is installed. What is this? Other places to check include the front, back, or side of your home or near your garden hose spigot.
On the front yard-side of the house, you will find the main shut-off valve under the water hose connection. This valve will shut down the whole-house water supply. Sometimes the main shut-off valve is in the same area above, just buried in the ground.
Most outdoor faucets are connected to a shut-off value in your home. This valve controls the flow of water to the outdoor faucet. Usually, the shut-off valve is located in the basement, crawl space or utility room. There are two primary types of shut-off valves; the gate valve and the ball valve.
Your internal stop tap (also sometimes called a stop valve or stopcock) is the point where you can shut off the water supply to your home or business. It looks like a spout-less tap or lever and sits between two lengths of pipe acting as a connector.
Knowing about your water shut off valves can be the solution to this problem for you. Every home has two main water shutoff valves: one inside the house and the other by where your property meets the street.
If the previous methods fail, there could be another valve located at the beginning of your water main, at the boundary line of your property and the street or sidewalk, called a curb valve.
Before freezing weather arrives, external faucets and hose bibbs must be turned off. Forgetting to do so might lead to pipe bursts and ice jams. To prepare your hose bibbs for the winter: Disconnect the water supply from your house to the hose.
The most common reasons why a tap won't turn off are: The tap handle is stripped. The tap needs a new washer. The valve is broken.
For homes built on a slab, check in the garage or near your water heater. The incoming water line usually comes through the foundation near the front side of your house. Follow this line up to the water meter. Just past the meter should be the main water shut-off valve, a red or green handle or knob.
A shut off valve might also be referred to as a lock out valve, cut off valve, a shutdown valve, an emergency shutdown valve, a ball valve, or an exhausting ball valve.
The valve is typically located within 3 to 5 feet of where the water main enters the home. If you don't find it on the front wall, check for a mechanical room, or near the water heater or furnace. In a crawl space or with slab construction, the shut-off valve may be right inside the crawl space.
Gate valves are some of the most common water shut-off valve types. As their name suggests, gate valves use a gate mechanism that lifts and lowers when you adjust the external handle or knob at the top of the valve.
Stop valves have a stem under their handle that rises and lowers as the valve is turned off and on. The stem is not visible when the stop valve is closed.
Even if you're only leaving for a few days, it's a great idea to shut off the water supply to your house. It's quick and easy to do and it lets you have one less worry while you're away. You don't need to turn off the water at every valve under sinks, behind the toilet, or near the water heater.
There may be a hidden plumbing leak in the walls of your home, or maybe your toilet is running when it's not in use. These “hidden” leaks can cause your home to be using water even when your main water valve is turned off.
If you had no luck under the kitchen sink, the next places to check are your downstairs toilet or utility room if you have them. The stopcock may be hiding behind your washing machine, or under the sink next to the downstairs loo.
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.
Sometimes each outdoor faucet or spigot can be connected to its own water shut off valve. Close the water shut off valve. This is usually done by rotating the handle to the right or in a clockwise direction. Make sure the handle is turned until it cannot turn any further.