How to shut off your water
Find the main valve, close a gate or ball valve, and check at a faucet.
How to shut off your water
- Find it before you need it. It's where the water line comes into the house: the basement wall facing the street, a crawl space, the garage, a utility closet or near the water heater. In warm climates it may be outside by the foundation.
- Round wheel: turn it clockwise until it stops, by hand. Lever: a quarter turn, until the lever crosses the pipe.
- Check: open a faucet on the lowest floor. It should trickle and stop.
- If the pipes will be empty for long, turn the water heater off or to vacation, as its manual says.
Label the valve once you find it, so anyone in the house can shut it off in a hurry. Turn it off and on once a year so it doesn't seize.
Safety
- If water is near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel, don't walk through it. Shut off the power only if you can reach the panel staying dry; otherwise call the electric utility.
- Don't force a stuck or corroded valve: it can break and flood. Call a plumber or the water utility; the street-side curb stop often belongs to the utility.
- Never touch the gas valve (often a yellow handle). If you smell gas, leave and call the gas company or 911 from outside.
General information, not professional advice: your manual and local rules come first. You use this at your own risk; see our Terms.
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