It’s important to know where your water shut off valve is located and how to shut off your home’s water supply in an emergency. Your valve may look like the one in this article’s photo or be round like faucets on the exterior of your home.

Find your home’s indoor water shut off valve and turn off the water supply

It’s important to know where your indoor home shut off valve is and how to turn off your home’s water supply in the event of a plumbing emergency or before you leave for an extended period of time. Here’s how you do this:

Find the shut off valve
Your home’s shut off valve is usually located in the basement. It’s often installed against a wall that is closest to the road in front of the home. It should be about midway up from the floor. It may be close to your water heater. If your home doesn’t have a basement, look where your water supply enters your home. Once you locate shut off valve, turn the lever the way the Off arrow indicates.

TIP: Test the valve
It is a good idea to test it after reading this to make sure the handle or knob moves freely to the off position. Sometimes these valves may sit for years without being turned which can make them hard to turn. If it does not turn fairly easily, do not force it. Contact Allied Reddi-Rooter to free it up.

Turn your faucets off
Locate a faucet in the lowest point of your home, whether it’s the basement or the first floor. Open it and leave the faucet open. Water will quickly slow to a trickle then stop completely. At this point your home’s water lines are mostly drained, at least to a point where there is no water pressure.

TIP: Do not flush the toilets
Having water in the tank of toilets gives you one extra flush while the water main is turned off as it relies on water stored in the tank behind the toilet. After a flush the toilet tank will not refill until the water is turned back on.

Don’t forget… Allied Reddi-Rooter is your 24/7, emergency plumber. When you have water in the home that is unwanted, turn the main valve to the off position and call or contact us for very quick service.  We always come highly recommended and have earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau for our expert quality of service. You can follow us on Facebook, @Allied Reddi-Rooter for the latest tips or to ask us a question.