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How To Shut Off The Water In Your House: Guide

It’s likely that you’ll have to shut off your home’s water supply at some point, whether for a plumbing repair or before leaving for an extended trip. Then, there are the times when you have to turn off the water immediately, such as when a pipe bursts behind the wall and water starts pouring into your bathroom. It’s crucial to know where the main water valves are and how they work, even if you haven’t had any recent need for repairs or emergencies. They won’t get caught if you close and reopen them at regular intervals, and you’ll also be able to check for corrosion and damaged connections.

If water is fast seeping through the ceiling on the second level, you may not have time to search for the water supply valves because they are not always in the same place from house to house. It’s probably a good idea to learn how to shut off the water before there’s an emergency (or water all over the floor) at your property. Also, make sure your loved ones know where the valves are so they can shut off the water in an emergency. Having this information on hand will simplify routine maintenance and, in the worst-case situation, prevent you from having to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on repairs.

  • For Sink Faucets

Shutoff valves for sink faucets are usually situated under the sink, close to the tubes that bring water to the faucet’s tailpieces. A hot and cold water faucet will have two valves, one for hot water and the other for cold water.

  • For Toilets

There is only one valve to turn off the water to a toilet (toilets flush with cold water), and it is typically positioned on the floor near the toilet tank’s base, just below the water supply valve. To the left side of the tank’s bottom, you’ll find the water supply valve.

  • For Shower

You can find the access panel for a shower or tub by looking around its perimeter. You might find it across the wall from the bathroom’s shower or tub. It could be under the floor in the basement or a ceiling access panel on the floor below if it’s not behind an access panel. The apex and the wall of a shower are always capped off by quality manufacturing (valves). If you take off the decorative cover (escutcheon), you can get to them. Inquire about the contractor’s use of a valve with stops if you’re concerned. All skyscrapers have to have this, by law.

  • For Dishwashers

It is common practice to install a fixture shutoff valve on the water supply tube leading to the dishwasher. This is typically situated beneath the kitchen sink base cabinet, potentially close to the water supply shutoff valves.

  • For Ice Maker

Turning off the water supply to a refrigerator’s ice maker or water dispenser is as simple as closing the little saddle valve or fixture shutdown valve located on the copper or mesh supply tube leading to the fridge. The refrigerator’s water line may connect to the water line for the sink’s faucets at some point below the counter.

  • Stopping Water Service at the Meter

Turn water off at the meter. There may be two shutoff valves, one on the customer’s side and one on the city’s side of the meter, in a water meter box. As a last resort, many municipalities prohibit homeowners from tampering with plumbing components located on the outside of the water meter. You shouldn’t mess with this valve unless absolutely necessary (like when your main shut-off valve on the house side is broken or nonexistent) because the plumbing lines beyond the meter belong to the city.

Water Shutoff Procedure in Case of Emergencies

You can stop the flow of water to your home in a handful of different ways. Find the main water shutoff valve in your home if you have a water emergency. You’ll find this valve on the exterior wall of your home, usually near the entrance. Typically, you can turn this valve off with just your bare hands. To cut off water to the home, crank the handle clockwise.

Today’s Fun Fact:

Acts of Service Plumbing has great Christian values. Discover why at About Us | Plumbing Tulsa | Acts of Service Plumbing today!

Our clients love our workmanship. One of them is: Paul Davis Corporate – Restoration and Emergency Service Provider

Did You Know?

At Acts of Service Plumbing, we understand the value of integrity. Sure, image is important, but without a strong foundation established on the pillars of loyalty, excellence in service, reliability, and honor, then we are not building lasting relationships in our clients. It crumbles. We choose to build our relationships on strong foundation. One way demonstrate integrity is by providing articles with helpful plumbing knowledge and wisdom to help Tulsa residents and people in the surrounding communities thrive. Count on us for the best Plumbing Tulsa repairs.

Working with our clients and ensuring they receive the best solutions is so important to us. We do not aim neither work towards performing shortcuts. Let’s be honest, shortcuts hurts true progress. We want to see our customers experience long-term success, not short-term success. Of course, it is not always easy to do things with integrity, but it is so rewarding. In fact one person once said going the extra mile is worth is because there are no traffic jams on that route. Our company agrees with that thought. We believe in our doing our best, holding true to our word and listening to our customers. By doing this every day, good things can happen. Workmanship such as this pleases our customers.