Water Shut Off Valve Outside The House

The city s valve is always located on the street side of your water meter often near the edge of your yard.

Water shut off valve outside the house.

It will likely be below an access panel buried in the ground. You ll need an adjustable wrench a bucket and slip joint pliers. 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. For typical city dwellings there are actually two main shut off valves.

Turning off this valve by turning it clockwise cuts off the water supply to the entire house. This turns off water to the entire house even outside spigots. Turn on a faucet somewhere in the house and shut off the main water valve. Shut off water in your house.

Test the valve s operation most shut off valves feature a round knurled handle that s easy to access. Water faucets on the outside of a building still use a valve assembly to regulate the flow of water in a similar way to how indoor faucets operate. One that the city controls outside of your house and one that you can control inside the house. Simply turn it clockwise to cut off the water supply flowing to your home.

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 street side valve is designed for city use only. This allows water to be shut off for small repairs or replacements to the fixture itself without interrupting water flow to other areas. This guide reviews the types of water shut off valves how they are used and where to find them inside and outside your home.

If you have trouble reaching the valve. Details and alternatives. If you ve never shut off the main water valve before test it before you leave on vacation. It s simply a matter of locating the outside faucet which is the point where the water is accessed outside of the house.

Like indoor faucets an outside faucet valve that has worn out can come to the point where faucet will not shut off completely. That s where the main water shut off valve comes into play. There s usually a water supply shutoff valve next to your water meter outside where the city can easily turn on or off your water. This valve is usually in the basement or on an outside wall in a utility area of the house.

An old gate valve can break so be gentle when you re handling it. Your valve is located on the house side of the meter. All water flow should stop. If you have a water leak or just need to turn off the water in your home for remodeling or repairs you must turn off your water upstream at some point.