Locate the valve housing the water meter and two main water cut off valves are usually located in a recessed concrete box in your front yard between the sidewalk and curb.
Residential main water shut off valve outside.
The main water valve on the street.
The picture below shows a typical water meter cover found in cities and counties across the u s.
Locating and turning off the appropriate water shutoff valve is therefore very important.
With the cover off you can see the water meter and the county s cutoff valve to the left.
Homes with crawl spaces or basements often locate the main water shut off in the underground space near the wall that faces the street.
Water supply stops shut off the water supply to a faucet toilet or an appliance such as a washing machine.
There s usually an oil impregnated leather sealing washer inside the coupling.
It will likely be below an access panel buried in the ground near.
The valve is typically within 3 5 feet of where the main water enters.
Inside the house the main water shut off valve is usually located along the perimeter of the home on the side that faces the street.
Basements the shut off valve is typically located near the front foundation wall.
A heavy lid covers and protects the housing.
Check valves prevent backflow from contaminating clean water.
Luckily many newer homes implement a number of upstream shut off valves that you can use short of shutting off water to the entire house.
Shut off the street side valve where the water enters the house.
This turns off water to the entire house even outside spigots.
Water valves can range from the main water valve found near the water meter where water first enters your home to small individual fixture shutoff valves located just before the supply tubes deliver water to faucets toilets or other appliances.
Then loosen the coupling nut and remove the nipple from the old valve.
Identify your shut off valve when you remove the lid you ll see two valves on either side of the water meter.
In the event your inside main water valve fails there s one final backstop you can operate to shut off water to the house.
There s usually a water supply shutoff valve next to your water meter outside where the city can easily turn on or off your water.
If you have a basement find the water distribution system and trace it back to an exterior wall.
Shut off water close to source.
For homes without basements the main water valve might be concealed behind an access panel.
Water valve kits control the mixing of water chemicals and inert gases.
The main water may have come through the concrete floor or through the wall.
To remove the old valve you ll have to undo the coupling on the house side of the water meter.
The location of the main water shut off valve should be listed.
