Locating the Main Shutoff Valve | Excalibur Plumbing

Whether you’re a renter or a homeowner, there is one thing you should know and that is where your home’s main shutoff valve is located. In case there is a plumbing emergency, you’ll know where to go to turn off the main water supply to your home.

Armed with this information, you can stop a perilous flood dead in its tracks, preventing further damage, and possibly saving thousands in costly damage to flooring, furnishing, and electronics, etc.

If you don’t know where the main shutoff valve is located, where do you begin? If you obtain your water from the municipal water supply, you’ll probably need to take a step outside and look around. Generally, the main shutoff valve is near the water meter, so you’ll want to start by scouring the outskirts of your property.

Usually, you can find a water meter located in an underground hatch somewhere near the street, or between where your property meets your neighbor’s. Look around the edge of your property for a small metal lid resembling a manhole cover. It should be marked “water meter” or it’ll simply say “water.”

When you lift the lid, there will be a rotating valve that looks similar to an outdoor spigot, or you may find a valve with a metal flange. If it’s the latter, you may need to use a pipe wrench to turn it.

Otherwise, you should be able to turn the valve by hand clockwise until it does the job of shutting off the main water supply to your home.

Please Be Advised

Please be aware: While it’s important to know how to shut off the main water supply in the case of a burst pipe or another plumbing emergency, you want to be extra careful if you want to test the shutoff valve. While testing, sometimes it’s wise to shut off the water intake valves that go directly to appliances before you shut off the main water supply, otherwise you could cause unnecessary damage to your appliances.

We recommend that you check the owner’s manuals on these water-using appliances before you shut off the main water supply in a test, or contact our office to get advice from one of our Leander plumbers.

Of course, some homes come equipped with water shutoff valves in a crawlspace or basement. If you have difficulty locating your main shutoff valve, we encourage you to contact Excalibur Plumbing for professional assistance!

Call 512-259-7222 to schedule a service call!