Your home’s plumbing system contains several water shut-off valves that regulate water flow from pipes that run throughout the house. These valves allow you to cut off the water in an emergency, when repairs are needed, or when your house will be empty for an extended period.

Understanding where these water valves are placed is critical since, in an emergency, you may not have much time to figure it out, resulting in expensive repairs later on. 

What’s a Water Shut-Off Valve?

A shut-off valve is a knob that allows you to turn off the water to a specific house feature or your entire property. The essential thing to know is that these valves perform precisely what their name suggests in an emergency: they cut off the water to avoid significant damage that might cost thousands of dollars in repairs.

So How Do You Find Your Water Shut-Off Valve’s Location?

Locating water shut-off valves indoors may be a challenging task. Hopefully, your shut-off valve is basic, and you can locate the knob or lever on a border wall. If it’s not so easy to find, you’ll have to play “plumbing detective.” Your valve is most likely located in one of the following locations:

• On a house’s perimeter wall
• At ground level, which means you’ll have to search at eye level if you’re looking at the basement or lower on the wall if you’re searching on the ground floor.
• Near your outdoor water meter
• Your property inspection report might contain your shut-off valve’s location.
• This was noted on your property inspection report from when you bought the residence.
• Under the sink or next to the water heater

Builders frequently install the valves in or near the main, ground-level bathrooms. That might imply that it’s not on an outer wall but in a closet near the bathroom.

If you still can’t find the valve after A thorough search, it might be hidden behind a wall. Although the valves are meant to be visible, a previous owner may have overlooked the shut-off valve when performing DIY improvements. 

If this is the case, keep the city’s phone number handy so that they can immediately come and cut off the water in the street in an emergency.

Why It’s Important to Know Where Your Water Shutoff Valves Are

Water shut-off valves are essential in plumbing repair because they allow you to turn off the water before working on a plumbing supply pipe or fixture. Today, though, we are more concerned with emergency circumstances.

In terms of disaster preparedness, it’s a good idea to turn off the water supply to the house before leaving. A residence may flood not necessarily from storm waters but rather because a storm caused a pipe in the home to burst. A home can be saved from flooding by turning off the water and emptying the pipes ahead of time.

In the event of a plumbing emergency, you’ll want to know where your shutdown valves are so that the issue doesn’t get complicated. Many plumbers have arrived at a home to find panicked occupants filling buckets and soaking towels when they could have turned off the water as soon as they discovered a leak.

Last Thoughts

It is vital to verify that your valves are in good working order. Even valves that haven’t been touched in decades might fail after years of inactivity. If you experience frequent home floodings due to your plumbing system, the water pooling can have severe short- and long-term effects on your family and property’s health. It’s best to dial in the professionals to restore the effects of water damage and allow your lives to return to normal.

Should you need help dealing with water and flood damage in Utah, AAA Restoration Utah can help! Along with repairing flood damage, we are certified in mold removal, fire clean-up, odor control, upholstery cleaning, commercial and residential carpet cleaning, and floor installation. We can also recommend a licensed and professional plumber to fix up your plumbing after we’ve restored your property’s water damage. Call 801-263-9990 for an appointment!