Emergency water shut-off guide

Water damage is measured in minutes. The single most useful thing in this whole site is knowing where your shut-off valve is before you need it.

Do this now. It takes two minutes.

Step 1 — Find the main shut-off

In a house: usually at the meter near the street, sometimes in a box at the property line, or on an exterior wall where the supply enters.

In a condo or apartment: almost always inside the unit. Check behind an access panel near the water heater, in the laundry closet, or in the ceiling of a hallway closet.

Step 2 — Check it actually turns

• Turn it fully closed, then fully open again
• If it is stiff, use steady pressure — do not force it
• If it will not move, get it replaced now, while it is a scheduled job

A valve that has not moved in years often will not move when it matters.

Step 3 — Find the local stops

• Under each sink
• Behind each toilet
• At the water heater

These isolate one fixture, which is often all you need.

Step 4 — Write it down

Main shut-off is located:

It turns: ☐ easily ☐ stiffly ☐ not at all — needs replacing

Water heater shut-off is located:

Building management phone (condo):

Date checked:

In an emergency

• Close the main shut-off — clockwise until it stops
• Open the lowest faucet in the property to drain the pipes down
• If you are in a condo, tell building management immediately
• Photograph everything before you clean up
• Then call a plumber, and send a photo of the leak and the pipework around it

Check every year

• Turn the main shut-off fully off and on
• Turn each local stop valve off and on
• Confirm everyone in the household knows where the main valve is