Help - Turn Off the Water! | |
The motto "Be Prepared" applies to many things in life and one of them is knowing what to do if your kitchen or bathroom is suddenly deluged with water. The following preventive measures will find you prepared in case such an emergency ever occurs. Find and Tag the Main Water Valve Your house or apartment has one central valve, called the main shut-off valve, that controls the inflow of all water. You'll find it in the basement or utility area near the water meter or at the floor where the main water line comes into the house or apartment building. For emergencies, it's helpful if the main shut-off valve has a tag with arrows pointing "on" and "off" directions. Turn the valve clockwise ("off") to close it and counterclockwise ("on") to open it. Make sure you can open and close the water valve; it may become stuck if it has not been operated for a long time. A channel-lock pliers or adjustable wrench can be used to turn the handle if it's stuck, but don't apply too much force or you could break the valve. If the valve still won't close, seek professional help since it might have to be replaced. Find Sink, Toilet, and Appliance Stop Valves All newer and most older homes have individual valves at each fixture called stop valves that control the water supply to that individual fixture. Look under the sink or dishwasher, in the bathroom under the vanity or toilet, in the laundry or utility room, under the clothes washer or hot water heater. Label each valve with a tag noting which direction to turn it in order to shut off the water flow (usually clockwise). If you don't find a stop valve at each fixture, then the main shut-off valve will have to be turned off in order to stop a leak at the fixture. When a leak occurs, go to its source and turn off the valve. For example, if you have a leaky faucet, or overflowing clothes washer, dishwasher or toilet, turn its stop valve off and the water will remain on in the rest of the house. Written by the editors of HouseNet. Copyright HouseNet, Inc. |