How to Locate your Main Water Shut Off Valve

Are You Prepared for Water Damage?

Oh no! There's a leak somewhere in your house! You see the water pouring out; maybe it's the water faucet leaking, or maybe it's the washing machine...Or maybe you don't know yet what's wrong, but you see the water on the floor and you need to stop this right away! Quickly, run to your water shut-off valve and turn it off to stop the leak! What? You don't know where it is? But the water is building up...You have to stop it NOW or could have thousands of dollars worth of damage!

Knowing Your House

Here at AdvantaClean we work with thousands of homeowners every year, and we've seen lots of instances of water damage; ruined drywall, mold growth, warped carpet and loss of family treasures. Sadly, in many of these cases the damage could have been much smaller, but no one in the family knew where the water shut off was. Precious time is wasted looking for the shut off, and in case of a water leak, time is definitely money - money you'll have to spend on repairs.

Main Water Valves

To understand the best way to solve a water leak during an emergency, it's important to know that there are two types of water valves; main valves (which regulate water to your entire house), and fixture valves (which regulate water to a specific fixture, like a sink).

Main water valves are usually located near the water meter. If you live in a colder climate this meter will likely be in your house, while homes in warmer climates often have these meters in the ground outside of the house (often in the front yard, or by the sidewalk).

Typically, when you look at the water meter, you will notice that there is a main valve on either side. One shuts off water to the meter, and the other shuts off the water from the meter to the house. If you are experiencing a water leak and need to turn off the water to the entire house quickly, it's always a good idea to shut off the valve on the house side of the meter first. This will usually stop the water flow.

Fixture Water Valves

Fixture valves can be found where the water pipe leads to a fixture, like a sink or a washing machine. These regulate water only to that particular fixture.

If you experience a water flooding emergency and know exactly which fixture is causing the problem, you may want to shut off that specific valve; thus leaving water for the rest of the house. Keep in mind, however, that fixture valves do tend to drip when shut off, so you'll want to have a bucket ready.