How to turn off the water in an emergency

This post, how to turn off the water in an emergency will help you find the water shut off valves. This will include your fixtures, your home’s main water valve, and also your property’s water main valve.

Because odds are you will have a water leak in your home, at sometime in the future. It could be a pipe break, a washer hose leaking, toilet over flow, valve leak. There are many reasons and causes you could have water damage in your home. The longer it takes to turn the water off, the greater the damage. Learn now, how to turn off the water in an emergency

How to turn off the water in an emergency

Unfortunately, most home owners and their families have no clue how to stop the water flow. I owned a restoration business and I have personally seen this over and over. Certainly, every second counts, that’s why your time spent reading this post now, you just can’t put a value on. Because the amount of damages, cost, time and aggravation it can save you during a water damage claim. Especially, since this post will explain how to find and turn off the water at many locations, in an emergency. Because you need to stop water before flooding the entire house. Therefore knowing now is better than trying to learn what to do when you have a flood. Alternatively, in an emergency, it may be faster to turn off the water directly at the leaking fixture, like a toilet or sink.

How to turn off the water in an emergency

How to turn off the water in an emergency. Besides turning off the main water valve, sometimes the quickest way may be directly at the source of the leak. Because, items like sinks or toilets, even many appliances, will have their own shut off valves. This method is best if possible, as it will not turn off the water to the whole house. Turning off the main water valve will work, but shuts all water off.

You will also find this post very helpful, the link is at the bottom of the post. Water damage prevention tips.

How to turn off the water in an emergency

Turning off the water from the fixture

As most plumbing fixtures have their own shut off valves. Which you should find under or behind the fixture.

If your leak is a result of a leaking pipe or fixture at a sink. There should be two shut off valves under the sink. Sometimes the valves are in a cabinet under the sink. There is a hot water and cold water pipe with valves. I recommend turning both valves clockwise/right to turn the water off.

When you have a toilet leak or over flow you can stop the water by turning the valve off. Toilets will have a valve under the tank, on the wall behind the toilet. See the photo below.

Washing Machines

Another common problem, washer hoses breaking. Washing machines, typically have a panel behind them with two valves. Because these are above the unit, you do not need to pull it out from the wall. Immediately turn off both the hot and cold water taps.

Appliances, like dishwashers, also have a shut off valve, it may be in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. When you have a refrigerators leak. Almost always there is a shut off valve behind them. So pull the appliance out and look behind it.

How To Turn Valves Off

While most valves will have a round, oval handle others may have a lever handle. Turn them clockwise/right to turn the valve off. While valves with straight lever handles, you also must turn right to shut the water off also. The difference, it is easier to know when it is off. As the handle should be pointing out from hose or pipe when closed.

Bath Tubs

In many cases, bath tubs do not have a shut off valve at the tub. They will need the main water valve to be turned off. When you have an older home, there may be a panel on a wall back of the valves. Although it may be in adjoining room.

Turning off the main water shut off valve

While there are many cases where turning off the water at the fixture is enough. There are also just as many situations where you must turn off the water from the main water valve. See video, link below. To avoid a major flood in your home. An example would be when a pipe breaks in the wall or floor.

Most importantly, the water main valve for condos and apartment buildings are often centralized and controlled by the building management. If turning the water off at a fixture doesn’t stop the leak, you will need to contact your building management office.

Turning off the main water valve attached to the house

Finding your house’s main water shut off valve often depends on where you live. Climate affects the location.

When in cooler climates, the main water shut off valve could be in a basement or a utility room. That is because it has to be protected from the elements. In a warmer climate, it may be outside against a wall or in a box on the ground.

Here are some examples of what you are looking for.

While most main water valves have straight lever handles. Turn the lever right to shut the water off. The handle should be pointing out from hose or pipe when closed.

Sometimes the pipe will go through a wall and the valve may be in the basement or cellar. The valve should be inside on the wall where the pipe enters. These may have a round handle, turn right to turn off.

Turning off the main water valve for your property in an emergency

Most homes have two main shut offs. One attached to the house and one near the street which attaches to the city pipes.

Typically, turning off the water at the main water valve attached to the house will stop any leaks. Occasionally, it may be necessary to turn off the water to the entire property. For example, if you accidently hit a water pipe or a tree root causes a crack in the pipe that floods the lawn.

Look for the water meter box near the street in front of the house. Lift the cover to expose the meter.

The valve and meter may have dirt over it, move the dirt aside to turn off the valve. You’ll want to re-cover the valve with the dirt when finished. The dirt helps protect it from freezing.

There should be a shut off valve attached to the meter. See the picture below.

The picture shows one of the most common styles. To turn it off, position the valve out of line with the pipe, as shown in the photo below. This example has a stop position and will only turn one way.

This style handle is on when inline with the pipe and off when pointing out from the pipe.

If you are still having problems locating your shut off valves

During working hours, if your home is new, you can call the builder and ask where would the main water shut off valve be. You can also call your water utility provider and ask them the same question.

If you know your neighbors, ask one of them if they know where the water main would be. It’s typically the same for a neighborhood.

Why is it important to shut of the water as quick as possible?

When you have a pipe break in your home every second counts.

When a 1” pipe with normal water pressure breaks in your home you are looking at approximately 500-550 gallons of water every 15 minutes.

Think of it like this, that’s equal to 9.5 to 10 full 55-gallon barrels of water. Now imagine dumping them in your home every 15 minutes.

That volume of water will cause major damage to your home that you can’t even imagine being possible.

For this reason alone, it is ever so important everyone in your home knows exactly where and how to turn off the water in an emergency.

Even family members who may not be able to turn the shut off valves themselves. Remember in an emergency they could tell someone who is willing to help, where the valves are.

Turn off the water from the main water valve (and other valves) (video)

I hope this post on how to turn off your water in an emergency has been helpful to you and has helped prevent major damage to your home. Also check our water damage prevention tips

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