For typical city dwellings there are actually two main shut off valves.
Water shut off valve location outside.
Typically it will be located on the perimeter of the house since that is where the water first enters your house.
Learn how remove crud and replace your main water shutoff valve here.
One that the city controls outside of your house and one that you can control inside the house.
Locate the valve housing the water meter and two main water cut off valves are usually located in a recessed concrete box in your front yard between the sidewalk.
The main water shut off valve stops the flow to the entire home from the water meter while other water valve types shut off the water at individual appliances fixtures and faucets.
That s where the main water shut off valve comes into play.
To keep the neighbor kids from running your hose when you re on vacation or to keep the pipes from freezing over winter it is necessary to shut off the valve to the outside faucet.
The city s valve is always located on the street side of your water meter often near the edge of your yard.
This guide reviews the types of water shut off valves how they are used and where to find them inside and outside your home.
Closing the main valve shut off turn off a round wheel handle valves will turn off by turning the handle to the right clockwise.
The sharkbite push fit end allows you to simply push on to copper cpvc or pex with no solder clamps unions or glue.
The first step is to physically search for your house s main water shut off valve on the inside of the home.
Once you know how to find the water shut off valve outside turning off the flow is usually simple.
Three ways to quickly locate the water shut off valve find the water shut off valve on the inside perimeter.
This shutoff valve will be either above or right behind the washer.
If you don t have a basement your shutoff valve could be near the water heater by your washer and dryer or under the kitchen sink.
Turning off this valve by turning it clockwise cuts off the water supply to the entire house.
The valve on the left is the house side main shutoff.
This valve is usually in the basement or on an outside wall in a utility area of the house.
It s simply a matter of locating the outside faucet which is the point where the water is accessed outside of the house.
It may take 2 or more full revolutions.
The angle stop valve is used where the water pipe enters the room to allow for easy shut off of water flow to the end fixture allowing for maintenance and repair without having to turn water off to the entire home.
The valve on the right in this photo is marie s street side main shutoff.
In newer homes these will probably be ball valves.
The main shutoff valve allows a full flow of water through the pipe when it s open.
