Discover the Source and Turn Off the Stress of a Mess!

1/11/2022 (Permalink)

Be prepared by placing these shut off tags on water sources in your home and business. Lessen stress by knowing where shut off valves are located.

Determining the location of water shut-offs in your home and business can turn off the stress of a mess created by leaking, or worse, overflowing and spraying water!

Homes and business buildings have MAIN WATER VALVES that supply ALL the water, which is located outside of your home, usually in the front yard and at the meter entering your home. This is the water source coming from your municipal water company located in the street area. Sometimes this valve will need to be shut off completely to the entire home for a repair, but a plumber or the water company usually assists with that.

If you have discovered water in your home, and it is not from an outside source like rain, first look for an individual or isolation water valve near the area or appliance. Look for exposed plumbing in this area.
Toilet: behind or under the toilet base. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops, being careful not to force it.
Sink: in the cabinet below, there are 2 sets of flexible tubes, one for each hot and cold water. Turn the valves on these handles, again not to force, clockwise to shut them off. Sometimes a bathroom sink will have levers instead of valve handles.
Bathtub/shower: The hot and cold-water valves are most often tucked in an access panel and can be hard to locate and get to. Finding the main water shutoff in* your home is best bet for these issues.
Refrigerator: turn off the valve on the supply tube running to the refrigerator. Like the shower, this can be located in a walled off panel, sometimes located in your basement.
Clothes washer: some houses have these clearly exposed behind and above the washer. If not, pull the washer out to find. Turn off both hot and cold valves.
Water heater: The cold-water inlet valve is located on the heater and generally is a ball shutoff valve, looking different than the other valves we have described.
*The main water shutoff in your home: located usually in the basement/utility room as part of the water meter. A facet handle shaped valve is common on these fixtures. Otherwise, it will be part of the meter on the outside of the home and be a knife-style or lever handle.

We encourage you to take 30 minutes and discover where the different on/off valves are located in your home. These common areas are the source of water issues SERVPRO of Black Hawk County cleans up after issues occur. Knowing where and which valves control the water can help you be prepared! Turn off the stress of a mess by shutting down the source of water. Always seek professional help from an accredited plumber, if you are unsure. There are lots of circumstances we can not foresee.

If you need help finding water shut offs in your home, schedule a time for SERVPRO to visit and locate with you. Call SERVPRO 319.268.1521