Water damage is no joke. A simple dissembled faucet attachment, faulty pipe, excessively leaking toilet, or malfunctioning household appliance can cause extensive flood damage to your home’s interior. The damage could affect your floors, walls, ceiling, and furniture. No one wants to pay for home repairs if they can be avoided; that’s why it’s important to be aware of the potential dangers water poses to your home and how to shut off your water supply if necessary. Don’t start thinking, “Everything is functioning properly. I don’t need to know where the main water shut-off valve is.” Please, trust your Grove City Plumbing & Drain experts as we go over the importance of knowing where the main water shut-off valve is. We’ve seen numerous instances where if the homeowner had known where the main water shut-off valve was and how to turn it off, they would have been spared heartache and costly home repairs. So, don’t put it off any longer. Start by familiarizing yourself now with its location.
HOW CAN YOU LOCATE THE MAIN WATER SHUT-OFF VALVE?
If you’re looking to quickly shut off your water due to a repair or some type of home project, the best option is to turn off the water at the house’s shut-off valve. This will turn off all the water in your house, which can come in handy if, for example, water starts gushing randomly everywhere. Here are three ways you can locate this valve:
- Indoors: If you’re looking for the shut-off valve indoors, start by checking the basement at eye level or higher. If you don’t find it there, move on to the next floor (ground level). Here, you should continue your search by scanning the area and looking downwards. The shut-off valve may be hidden inside a plastic access panel, so keep that in mind as you search.
- Outdoors: Most of the time, you can find your home’s main water shut-off valve near the property perimeter closest to the street. Typically, municipal water supplies reach houses via the shortest route from the road. So, if you look at your house from the street, the water line will usually take the shortest route to your house. Look for the main shut-off valve there and turn it off when you find it. Keep in mind that if your water source is well water, the valve may be found on the side or rear of your property.
- Property Inspection Report: If you still can’t figure out where your main water shut-off valve is, there’s one more option: thoroughly reading through your property inspection report. This would have been given to you when the final inspection of your house was completed right before you closed on the house. You should look for this information in the plumbing section of your report. It should not only contain the location of the shut-off valve, but also a photo!
HOW DO YOU TURN OFF THE MAIN WATER SHUT-OFF VALVE?
In case of an emergency, every home should have someone who knows how to shut off the main water supply. Note that there are two types of main water shut-off valves:
- Ball Valve: A ball valve is a handle attached to a valve that protrudes from the wall and extends in an angular fashion. A straight handle aligns parallel to an open pipe when closed by turning it clockwise a quarter of a turn till the water is turned off or till it is in a perpendicular position. Due to the structure of the ball valve, you should be unable to turn it further than this.
- Gate Valve: A gate valve, like a hose faucet, is a round-shaped valve that should be turned clockwise to cut off the water supply.
There you have it! Hopefully, this has been helpful to you. Of course, we hope that no home water disasters happen, but if they do, at least you know how to shut off your main water valve. Also, you can relax knowing that Grove City Plumbing & Drain is here to assist with all your plumbing problems and any home plumbing projects as needed. We can be reached at (614)-362-3345, or you can book an appointment online with us by clicking here!