Main (Master) Shut off valve

You have to turn off the water main (master) shut off valve to turn off water to the water. In most cases there are two shut off valve to turn on and off water to the house. One them located before the water meter inside water meter box. The other one should be located just after the water meter box. Usually, you are not allowed to operate the main shut off valve located before the water meter as it is owned by the city or the water authority. Therefore, you should have a another main shut off valve placed after the water meter to turn on and off the main water supply to the house. If you observe any faults or leaks of the main shut off valve belongs to the city, contact them as soon as possible to report the situation.

How to find the location of the main shut off valve

As the main water valve is where water enters your home, it is typically found in an accessible place near the perimeter of the house and at (or below) ground level. Follow pipe line from the water main to the house if you cannot find the main shut off valve.

1. Newly constructed homes now have the customer shut-off valve installed right next to the City’s water meter box, in its own enclosure or box.

2. If your home has a basement, the shut-off valve is usually located near the wall of the front foundation. If your basement has a mechanical room or a water heater or furnace, check near those locations.

3. If you have a crawlspace and a basement, you may find the shut-off valve inside the crawlspace instead of the basement itself. Consider installing a secondary valve in the basement for easier access going forward.

4. If you have a crawlspace but no basement, you should find the valve either under the kitchen sink or close to the water heater.

5. If your home is slab-on-grade construction, your water valve could be any of the places listed above, but most likely you’ll see it near the water heater or kitchen sink.

Once you have found the main shut off valve, paint or label it so it is easy to locate. Let everyone in the home know where to find the valve in case of an emergency. Make sure the main shut off valve is accessible; if a pipe is broken and water is gushing out, you don't want to be climbing over a pile of boxes to be able to shut off the valve! To shut off the water supply to your home, slowly turn the handle of the valve counter-clockwise. To turn your water back on, just reverse the above steps. It's a good idea to place a few drops of oil around the handle, once a year or so, to prevent the valve from sticking or corroding.