In a plumbing
emergency, you'll need to stop the flow of water quickly. To do
this, you and each member of your family needs to know the
location of the shutoff valve for every fixture and appliance,
as well as the main shutoff valve for the house, and how they
operate.
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If the
emergency involves a specific fixture or appliance, first
look for its shutoff valve and turn it clockwise to shut off
the water to that fixture or appliance only.
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The valve is
usually located underneath a fixture such as a sink or a
toilet, or behind an appliance, such as a clothes washer, at
the point where the water supply pipe (or pipes) connects to
it.
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If the problem
is not with a particular fixture or appliance, or if there's
no shutoff valve for the fixture or appliance, use the main
shutoff valve to turn off the water supply to the entire
house.
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You'll find the
main shutoff valve on the inside or outside of your house
where the main water supply pipe enters.
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In cold
climates, look just inside the foundation wall in the
basement or crawl space.
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Turn the valve
clockwise to shut it off.
-
Professional
Tip If you need a wrench to turn the valve, keep one,
specially labeled near the valve so it's handy.
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If the main shutoff valve
itself is defective and needs to be repaired, call your
water company; they can send someone out with the special
tool that's required to shut off the water at the street
before it reaches the valve.
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