Finding the Main Water Shutoff Valve

Water damage from frozen pipes, ruptured washer hoses, leaking supply lines and dripping water heaters costs billions every year. Knowing where to turn off your water supply is important information for everyone to know!

After the water passes through the city-installed valves, it comes to what is known as the main shutoff valve in your home. This is the valve that you need to be able to locate in an emergency.

Find it before an emergency occurs so, when you are in a pinch, you know where it is. This valve is usually in the basement or on an outside wall in a utility area of the house. The main shutoff valve allows a full flow of water through the pipe when it is open. Turning off this valve (by turning it clockwise) cuts off the water supply to the entire house.

Types of main shutoff valves:

There are two types of main shutoff valves: the gate valve and the ball valve. The gate valve is common in older homes and has a round handle that must be turned several times to open or close the valve. Gate valves are designed to be fully open or fully closed. Water flowing through a partially open gate valve can wear away the metal and cause the valve to fail over time. The ball valve is more common in newer construction and has a lever handle that needs to be turned 90 degrees to turn the water on or off. You can immediately tell if it is open or not: In the closed position, the lever is perpendicular to the pipes; in the open position it is parallel.

After the water passes through the city-installed valves, it comes to what is known as the main shutoff valve in your home. This is the valve that you need to be able to locate in an emergency. Find it before an emergency occurs so, when you are in a pinch, you know where it is. This valve is usually in the basement or on an outside wall in a utility area of the house. The main shutoff valve allows a full flow of water through the pipe when it is open. Turning off this valve (by turning it clockwise) cuts off the water supply to the entire house.

Got a plumbing problem give us a call at 630-638-8651 or visit our website at www.dupagehomeservice.com