Important Plumbing Shut-Off Valves

At All Hours Plumbing, Drain Cleaning, Heating & Cooling, we’re proud to provide 24/7 emergency plumbing services to residents and building owners alike in Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas. Our plumbers are ready to respond immediately to an emergency in your home or business, no matter the time of day or night.

If you’re experiencing a plumbing emergency, particularly any that involve large amounts of water accumulating and the risk of water damage, it’s vital to know where your water shut-off valves are. This will allow you to stop major damage before it becomes too severe, allowing our plumbers to more easily assess and remove any issues once they arrive. Here are some basics to know in this area.

Main Water Shut-Off Valve

The main water shut-off valve is the primary one you need to know about. This valve is usually located near the perimeter of the home on the ground floor, or in the basement if your home has one.

Generally, water lines run from the water main to the shut-off valve – there are no detours or extra piping involved here. If you’re having trouble finding the valve, then, simply locate the water main and check the shortest path from it to your home. That’s generally where the valve can be found. This information will also be presented to you during a home purchase situation.

Other Shut-Off Valves

There are also a few other important valves to be aware of in case of emergency:

• Sink: Generally, sink shut-off valves are located under the sink cabinet. These are small valves that should usually be turned clockwise to stop leaking.
• Toilet: Behind the toilet on the wall it’s connected to, look for a small valve below the level of the toilet bowl. Like with sink valves, you simply turn this gently clockwise to stop leaking water flow.
• Washing machine: Most washing machines will have two valves behind them – to stop water flow, you turn both clockwise. In some situations, your washing machine will have a lever behind it instead, and you simply switch it the other way o stop water flow. If you can’t see either of these, you might have to pull the machine away from the wall just a bit.

For more on locating important shut-off valves in your home, or to learn about any of our other plumbing services or how we can help in an emergency, speak to the pros at All Hours Plumbing, Drain Cleaning, Heating & Cooling today.