Where is My Main Water Shut Off Valve? And How Do I Turn it Off?
What is the Main Water Shut Off Valve?
The main water shut off valve controls the flow of fresh water into your entire home. Water arrives at your home from a public source of water like your municipality’s water supply. Sometimes, it comes from a private source like a well.
Water first has to get past a gatekeeper to flow through your pipes and find its way to the rest of the house. That gatekeeper is your main water shut off valve. When turned on, the flow of water is available everywhere in your home. When turned off, water is no longer available in your home.
There also are water shut off valves that control the flow of water into a specific fixture (as opposed to the entire house). The shut off valves under your toilet, kitchen sink, or washing machine are three examples.
Where is the Main Water Shut Off Valve?
The main valve for your water supply is usually found in the basement or utility room near the water meter, water heater, or on the front wall closest to the street.
In older apartment buildings, the main water supply valve is located in the basement. However, in some new buildings, main water supply valves are located on each floor in the utility room.
Wait, you don’t have a basement? No problem. Check one of your closets. It’s often found in the closet closest to the front door but could be in any utility closet. If you still can’t find it, look around your water heater (which might also be in a closet).
To make sure you’ve marked the correct valve, turn on a sink faucet and then shut off the main valve. If the water from the sink stops, then you’ve found the right valve.
Gate Valve
This type of shut off valve has a wheel-shaped know handle (or knob). It is most often found in older homes. It can be difficult to turn if it is dirty or has not been used in a long time.
Ball Valve
This type of shut off valve is more commonly seen in newer homes. It has a lever handle that requires only a quarter turn to shut it off. If installed properly, the lever is in line with the pipe that it’s attached to when turned on. When turned off, the lever is perpendicular (at a 90-degree right angle) to the pipe.
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The plumbing system of your house is a complex network of pipes as well as shut-off valves. The latter is made use of to control the water's circulation right into the pipes throughout the whole home. In case of an emergency, you can cut the water utilizing the shutoffs. This prevents substantial water damage from occurring.
Why Must I Bother with This?
Expert servicemen will certainly close off these valves when there are repair work in regional lines. As an example, your bathroom sink is defective, so you can readily discover the shut-off valve beneath the sink. Nevertheless, for significant leaks, you must close the mainline shut-off valve. If you will be away for vacation, it is also excellent practice to turn this off.
Recognizing just how to do this is crucial in an emergency. The longer you wait to close the shut-off valve, the much more extensive the damage will be. You might not have adequate time to figure out just how to shut the valves when you're panicking amidst an emergency. Learning it currently is the most effective thing so you can stay tranquil under pressure.
What Does the Shut-Off Shutoff Appear Like?
This is normally a handle that permits you to turn off the water for a particular appliance, a local location (for instance the whole second floor), or for the entire home. It is essential to know where these shutoffs are, so when something appear in any location of your residence, you can shut it as soon as possible. This will certainly help you stay clear of considerable water damage that will certainly set you back thousands to repair.
Where are These Found?
It might be challenging to locate them, specifically if your residential property allows. Your best choice is to call a water repair services company for advice. If you have a fairly moderate-sized residence, try looking for a handle or lever. This is generally found in the complying with locations:
If you have a house examination record from when you purchased your building, it should be suggested in those papers. Nonetheless, if you built it from square one, it needs to be in the plans. Generally, home builders mount the shutoffs near or within the main, ground-floor restrooms. The valves are supposed to be visible, some pick to camouflage them for aesthetic reasons.
When to Call an Expert?
Ought to the previously mentioned hold true for your local valves, you have no other option yet to shut down the major water line, reducing Click For More Information the resource of water in your whole residence. Then call the plumber to examine the problem as well as turned off the shutoff in that area only so you can use the rest of the plumbing in other areas of your home.
Bear in mind, these shutoffs are lifesavers as well as essential for any type of plumbing repair work. If you identify any type of leakages to protect against further damage, you can turn them off. Due to the fact that of a ruptured pipe, your home can get flooded not only through all-natural disasters but. In the event of a plumbing emergency, closed down these shutoffs to avoid issues that call a trusted water damage restoration copyright.
The plumbing system of your residence is a detailed network of pipelines as well as shut-off shutoffs. In the occasion of an emergency, you can reduce the water making use of the valves. The longer you wait to shut the shut-off shutoff, the a lot more substantial the damages will certainly be. It is necessary to know where these shutoffs are, so when something plants up in any area of your residence, you can close it right away. In the occasion of a plumbing emergency, shut down these valves to protect against issues that call a respectable water damage repair company.
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