When a pipe bursts or a fixture won't stop running, the first job is to stop the water. Everything else can wait. The trouble is that most people go looking for their main shutoff for the first time in the middle of that emergency. Take ten minutes now and find it.
Where to look in an Austin home
Most homes around here sit on slab foundations, so there's no basement valve to hunt for. Check these spots in order:
- The garage, especially near the water heater or where a pipe comes through the wall
- Outside along the foundation, usually on the side facing the street, sometimes under a small lid in the ground
- A utility closet or the area around an indoor water heater
- The meter box near the curb
The valve inside the meter box belongs to your water utility. Try your own shutoff first. If that's the only valve you can reach in an emergency, go gently, and let your utility know afterward.
Know which kind of valve you have
Ball valve (lever handle)
It takes a quarter turn. When the lever runs in line with the pipe, the water is on. When it sits across the pipe, the water is off.
Gate valve (round wheel)
Turn it clockwise to close, and expect several turns. Older gate valves can seize or snap if you force them. If it won't move with steady hand pressure, stop.
How to shut off your water
- Close the valve fully.
- Open a faucet at the lowest point in the house to confirm the flow stops and to relieve pressure.
- If you'll be draining the lines for a while, turn off power to an electric water heater or set a gas one to pilot, so it isn't heating an empty tank.
Tip: tie a bright tag or zip tie to the valve so anyone in the house can find it fast.
Test it twice a year
A valve that never moves eventually stops moving. Every spring and fall, close it, check that a faucet stops, and open it again. While you're there, find the shutoff on the cold line going into your water heater too. If your hot water has been running out early, here's what usually causes it.
Stuck, leaking, or can't find it?
Don't force it. PlumbAZING can locate your shutoff, replace a valve that's seized or dripping, or install a quarter-turn valve where there isn't a usable one. Book a visit online and we'll make sure you can stop the water when it counts.