How to Find a Water Shut-off Valve Outside

Plumbing problems don’t wait for anyone. They can happen at the most inconvenient times and often need your attention immediately. Seconds matter in plumbing emergencies, so you’ll need to know where the outside water shut-off valve is on your property.

Do you know how to find the water shut-off valve outside your home? Rest assured, you can find the answers in this article below. We can help you with:

• How to find the water shut-off valve outside
• What the water shut-off valve looks like
• Why you may need to shut off your water valve
• And more…

How to Find the Outside Water shut-off Valve

You may already be familiar with water shut-off valves near plumbing fixtures and appliances inside your home. You may have even used them to complete basic plumbing tasks with or without the help of service professionals.

However, the water shut-off valve outside your property is altogether different. Not everyone knows where this is and what it even looks like.

If you get your water from a municipal source, here is how to find the water shut-off valve outside your property:

1. Look for a round or rectangular cover near your property boundary. It often sits between the sidewalk and curb but can also be found in an alley rather than on the street.

What does the outside water shut-off valve look like?

• Metal or plastic
• Round or rectangular
• May have ‘water meter’ inscribed on it

2. Open the water meter cover to locate the water shut-off valve.

Your water shut-off valve may be near your pressure tank if you have a private well.

Additional shut-off Valves

The water shut-off valve outside your home may not be the only one you can access. Whether you have a well or municipal water supply, you may also have a shut-off valve in your home’s utility area. This is where the water line enters your home. If you have municipality-provided water, you may have a shut-off valve on an exterior wall next to a water meter.

Help! I Can’t Find My Water shut-off Valve!

Investigative efforts don’t always pay off. Are you struggling to find your water shut-off valve outside your home? Check your property inspection report if you have one. You may find the valve’s location in the ‘plumbing’ section of the report.

Still struggling? Contact a licensed and insured service professional for help.

How to shut off the Water Valve

Once you’ve found your water shut-off valve, you can confidently shut off your water for your plumbing emergency or repairs! You may need a few extra tools for this process:

Socket wrench

If your water shut-off valve has a cover with a security bolt, you may need a socket wrench. Sometimes, you may also need to call your water supply provider.

Screwdriver

Some water valve shut-off caps aren’t locked in place but are snug! You may need to pry off the cover with a screwdriver or similar tool.

Water meter key or channel lock

Are you trying to adjust your water shut-off valve? You may need a water meter key. If you don’t have one, a channel lock may be suitable.

Once you have a collection of tools to access your water valve, you can get to work! Follow these steps:

1. Remove the cover
2. Look inside the compartment to find the water supply shut-off valve
3. Twist the valve clockwise using your water meter key or another tool to turn it off

Do I Need to shut off the Main Water Valve?

Most homeowners will rarely need to turn off their home’s main water supply. Still, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know how to find the water shut-off valve outside so you can quickly turn it off when disaster strikes.

You may need to turn off the main water valve to your home if your water line breaks. If that happens, water can keep flowing to the ‘broken’ area, causing significant damage to walls, floors, and carpet! Acting fast and turning off your home water supply may keep damage to a minimum.

Water shut-off valves stop the water flow at the main source. Rather than running around your home looking for smaller valves for possibly problematic toilets and appliances, you can stop water to your entire plumbing system. By locating your shut-off valve now, you can access it quickly in a plumbing emergency.

Ask Mr. Rooter Plumbing for Professional Plumbing Help

Needing to find a water shut-off valve outside your property likely means you have a severe plumbing problem to contend with! Mr. Rooter Plumbing in Canada is here to help. We can identify the cause of your leaks, repair the issue, and turn your water back on when it’s safe to do so. Are you ready to benefit from Mr. Rooter Plumbing’s helpful experts? Reach out to us for emergency plumbing services or to schedule an estimate.