How to Shut Off the Water in Your Home

Plumbing always seems to go out at the worst times! If you have a plumbing emergency in your home or commercial facility, the first thing you should do is shut off your water to prevent any additional damage from occurring. While GEM will dispatch a plumbing expert to you as quickly as possible, you may want to shut off the water yourself before we arrive! Below, we provide some instruction to help you locate your shut off valve and shut off your water.

FIRST, LET’S FIND THE MAIN WATER SHUT-OFF.

Look for the main water valve in your basement or crawl space on a wall near the front of the house. The main valve can also be near the water heater or the garage.

TURN THE HANDLE TO THE RIGHT.

Round handle valves will turn-off by turning the handle clockwise (this may take 2 or more full revolutions) .

RELIEVE PRESSURE THROUGHOUT THE HOME.

Open a sink faucet completely (hot & cold) to relieve pressure, leaving the spout open until the water stops running. Open faucets throughout the home to drain-down as needed.

If you know the exact source of the leak, you can shut off the valve directly under the leaking fixture – the toilet or a faucet for example. Otherwise, turning off the main water supply is the safest option.

For more information, take a look at our video about shutting off your water. If you have a leak, call GEM at 877.902.1000 right away.