Do you know where your emergency shut off valves are in case of a plumbing emergency? While we want you to leave the actual plumbing work to Maffet Plumbing, we do want you to know where your valves are in case of an emergency until we can come out and take care of the problem.
Why would you need to shut off the water? If you have a flooding emergency, shutting off the water will minimize the damage and help you take control of the situation. Emergencies could include a pipe bursting, water line problems, broken fixtures, supply lines going back, or a leaking water heater.
To shut off the water to your entire house, you need to find the emergency master shutoff valves. Depending on your style of home, it can be in different places, including the basement, crawl space, utility closet, or in a meter pit outside. Your water meter should be in the same location.
Once you locate the main water shutoff valve, if it has a round handle, you would typically turn it clockwise until it stops. With a lever handle, turn it 1/4 of a turn until it stops. After shutting off the water, you may want to drain the system by opening a hose bibb outside.
If you don’t want to shut off the water to your entire home, it helps to have knowledge of where other shutoff valves are located. Under each fixture in your home, there should be a hot and cold isolation valve. Shutting off these valves should stop water from feeding into that fixture. This goes for water heaters, toilets, and hose bibbs as well.
At Maffet Plumbing, we offer an affordable maintenance plan that includes labeling each shutoff valve in your home, so that you can shut off individual valves yourself if needed. To find out more about our services and maintenance plans, reach out to us today.
