Find your main water shutoff before you need it
Quick answer
In most Utah homes the main shutoff is in the basement or crawlspace on the wall facing the street, often near the water heater. A lever valve closes with a quarter turn; a round gate valve takes several clockwise turns. Find it, tag it, and show every adult in the house.
The single most valuable ten minutes of homeownership. Do it this weekend, then show your spouse.
This guide is general information and is awaiting technical review by Pando Plumbing. Always follow your fixture manufacturer's instructions.
Tools
- Flashlight
- Water meter key (for the street valve)
Supplies
- Bright tag and zip tie
Before you start
- Pick a time when no one needs water, since closing the main shuts off the whole house.
- Bring a flashlight for the basement or crawlspace.
- Learn which valve type you have before you need it in a hurry.
Steps
- 1
Start where the water enters
In most Utah homes the main valve sits in the basement or crawlspace on the wall facing the street, often near the water heater or the front hose bib.
- 2
Identify the valve type
A lever ball valve turns a quarter turn to close. A round gate valve needs several full clockwise turns. Know which one you have before it is spraying.
- 3
Exercise it once a year
Close it fully, then reopen it. Valves that never move seize up and snap at the worst possible moment.
- 4
Tag it and teach it
Zip-tie a bright tag on the valve and walk every adult in the house to it. A shutoff only one person can find is half a shutoff.
- 5
Know the backups
Learn the toilet and sink angle stops too, plus the curb stop at the street. Local shutoffs let you fix one fixture without going dry for the whole house.
Common mistakes
- Waiting until a pipe bursts to look for the valve.
- Forcing a seized valve until the handle or stem snaps.
- Assuming everyone in the house knows where it is.
- Forgetting the toilet and sink angle stops that shut off one fixture at a time.
Final check
Close the main and open a faucet to confirm the water stops, then reopen the valve fully. If the valve leaks, will not close all the way, or snaps off, that is an emergency call to Pando, not a Saturday project.
Plumber's tip
Photograph the valve and drop the picture in a shared album called House. It beats yelling directions over the phone while water rises.
Stop and call Pando if...
The valve leaks when you turn it, will not close all the way, or snaps off in your hand. That is an emergency call, not a Saturday project.