It’s every homeowner’s nightmare. A burst pipe behind the toilet or washing machine causes an uncontrollable leak. Unless you stop that leak, you risk your home turning into Niagara Falls. Yeah, you could call a plumber, but how much flooding will occur before they get there?
You need to know how to turn off water to your house yourself, right when that leak starts. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t know where their water shutoff valve is, much less how to turn it off. Let’s fix that.
>> Join Our Email List for Home Improvement Tips Sent Straight to Your Inbox
If you don’t already know where your main water shutoff valve is, the first step is to locate it. Each house is different, and the water shutoff valve location could be in a different place, depending on where you live. Here's how to find yours.
First some bakground. Your city or town has a main water line that runs water through the entire municipality. This main line branches off into smaller lines that feed water into individual homes and businesses. One of these branch lines goes to your house, but before it gets there, it flows through a valve underground that the water company can shut off.
You can shut water off to your house using the main street valve, but you should only do this in an emergency (if the other valve we will discuss in a moment fails) or if there is a leak between the house and street. It can be difficult to access this main shutoff valve, and you will need a special tool called a meter key to turn it. What’s more, you will have to lift a cover to access this valve, and there could be dangerous critters like scorpions and spiders living underneath.
Instead of starting with the main street valve, look for the water shutoff valve in your house. It should be across from the main street valve and facing the street. Oftentimes, you will find it in a garage or basement at eye level. Turning this valve will stop any water from reaching your house. However, there may be some residual water in your plumbing system, so don't be alarmed if you open the tap and some continues to flow out.
Still having issues finding it? Check your home inspection report. The report should notate the location of your water shutoff valve and may even provide a photo to help you identify it. As a last resort, a professional plumber should be able to locate it for you.
Once you have found the main water shutoff valve in your house, it’s easy to turn off the water.
There are two common types of main water shutoff valves:
You may be wondering if there’s a way to turn water off to just the leaky fixture without dehydrating your entire house. There is. Here are instructions on how to turn off water to some common home fixtures.
If your water heater has sprung a leak, you will want to quickly shut off its water supply. Locate the water heater shutoff valve on the water pipe leading into the heater. If it’s a ball valve, give it a quarter turn until it’s perpendicular to the pipe. For a gate valve, tighten it to the right.
Your toilet water shutoff valve will be located behind the toilet near the floor. The type of valve may vary. Many times, toilets and other individual water fixtures use an angle stop valve. Turn it clockwise to stop the flow of water. Turn it counterclockwise to resume flow.
Whether you are turning off water to a bathroom or kitchen sink, the water shutoff valves for hot and cold water will be under the fixture, usually in a cabinet. Since many people keep items in their sink cabinets, you may have to spend some time clearing the way.
To shut off the sink valves, turn them clockwise. To resume water flow, turn them counterclockwise.
Caution: Many toilet and sink shutoff valves are made of cheap plastic that can easily crack if you turn it too hard. Never try to force the valve past its limit.
Many times, the dishwasher water supply valve will be in the same cabinet as the kitchen sink shutoff valve. Otherwise, you should find it behind the dishwasher itself, which you will have to move to gain access.
The dishwasher supply valve will most likely be a ball valve or an angle stop valve. You will find it on the water pipe that runs into the dishwasher. Turn the valve clockwise to close it.
Washing machines can cause devastating leaks if their water pipes burst. You will find your washing machine shutoff valve either behind or to the side of the unit. If it’s behind, you might need to get help moving the washer a bit to access the shutoff valves. There should be one valve for hot water and one for cold water.
Older washing machines tend to have gate valves. Turn them to the right to shut the water supply. Newer models may have ball valves. Give the ball valves a quarter turn each to turn off the water.
Once the emergency has passed, turn the water back on to your house or individual fixtures by doing the opposite of what you did before with the water shutoff. Turn ball valves parallel to the pipe. Turn gate valves and angle stop valves counterclockwise or “lefty loosey.” First, you will hear the hissing sound of air being pushed through the pipes, which is normal. Continue opening the valves slowly to let the air escape. After a few moments, water will start flowing again, although you may still see trapped air escaping for a while afterward.
Sometimes, you may try to turn the water shutoff valve handle without any success, especially if you have never turned it before. That’s because, over time, limescale deposits accumulate on the rubber seal inside the valve and inhibit movement.
There are a few solutions to this problem. First, NEVER turn the valve by force or it might break off, and you will need to pay for a repair.
One method is to alternate slightly moving the valve counterclockwise and clockwise until it breaks free. Do this slowly and patiently as, again, any forcible turn may cause damage.
If that doesn’t work, put on safety gloves, dip a rag in boiling hot water, and place the hot rag over the valve to loosen up the buildup. Then, try gently turning it in each direction again.
Still not working? Spray some penetrating oil on the valve joint and let it sit for an hour. Afterward, try loosening up the valve again to turn. At this point, you should get it to move.
To prevent a stuck water shutoff valve, make a point to turn it every few months or once a year to prevent limescale buildup. The longer it sits untouched, the more difficulty you’ll have when you do need to shut it.
It’s important to know how to shut your water valves, but today there is technology that can do this automatically if you are not home. An automatic water shut off valve, such as a LeakSmart valve, connects to your home’s main water supply line and blocks the flow of water if it detects a leak somewhere in the house.
The smart water valve uses wireless technology to communicate with leak sensors installed near different water fixtures throughout your home. If water starts to pool, the sensor will detect it and send a signal to the shutoff valve to close. You can also control and monitor the shutoff valve using a wireless app.
Some automatic water shutoff valves attach right onto the main ball valve on your water line and physically turn it when a leak is detected. Others are connected directly to the water line and become the actual valve that closes. Either way, this technology gives you peace-of-mind knowing that leaks and potential floods will be nipped in the bud.
If you are planning to go out of town for anything more than a couple of days, we recommend you turn off the water supply to your house. Frozen pipes can burst, especially in wintertime, and if you are not home to notice, you could return to a disaster.
Knowing where your main water shutoff valve is and how to turn the water off can stop a flood and save your house one day. It's a skill that every homeowner, young and old, should master.