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Learn How To Shut Off Your Water in Case of Leaks

In Phoenix, we are not typically prone to frozen pipes. But we definitely have plumbing leaks and plumbing emergencies in Phoenix just like the rest of the country. Do you know how to shut off the water to your home?  If not, Robin’s Plumbing, Inc. is happy to help!  Do you know how to shut off the water to an individual sink or toilet?  We’ve got your back on that too!  Don’t feel bad if you don’t know how to shut off your water, believe it or not, you’re not alone. We help hundreds of clients a year, over the phone to shut off their water when they call panicking with a plumbing emergency. Please share this post so your friends and family also know how to shut off their water in case of a plumbing emergency.

How to shut off the water to your home

If you have a plumbing problem it is important to know how to shut off your water. In the case of a leak or flood knowing how to turn your water off can prevent costly repairs. I think it’s important that you to know this information BEFORE you have a plumbing emergency so that you’re prepared. This is great information to know if you’re going on vacation as well. You may be able to escape the Phoenix heat but your plumbing cannot. If you live in a home here in Phoenix, you should have a main shut off valve. The main shut off valve will shut off the water to your entire house.

This valve is usually located at the front of your house where your hose connects to the hose bib. The hose bibb is also known by some homeowners as the outdoor faucet.  Below that hose bib/outdoor faucet is a valve. That valve will either have a lever handle on it or a circular handle.  If you have a lever style shut off valve, it is a ball valve.  This handle should be in line with your water pipe while in the on position. The handle can only be turned 90 degrees. When it is off you will see that the handle is then perpendicular with the water line.

If you have a valve with a circular handle, it is a gate valve. The circular handle will need to be rotated clockwise to turn your water off. Gate valves are notorious for failing over time. If you find that the gate valve handle just turns and turns it is likely that the gate inside the valve body has become disconnected from the threads in the handle that lowers and lifts the gate. This is an indication that your valve needs to be replaced. The gate valve may have closed for you and shut off your water, but it will not turn back on if the gate has dropped inside the valve. If this is the case, Robins Plumbing, Inc. is happy to help. Give our office a call and one of our amazing technicians will come out and replace your gate valve with a more reliable ball valve.

How to shut off the water to your faucet, toilet or bidet

Sometimes it isn’t necessary to shut off the water to your entire home. But there are occasions where you can shut off the water at the source of the leak. If your kitchen faucet is leaking, your bathroom faucet is leaking or your toilet is running you can shut off the water at the source.  Shutting off the water at the faucet or at the toilet allows the water to remain on for the rest of your home while stopping the leak at the plumbing fixture itself. Underneath the sink and behind your toilet are small shut-off valves. Plumbing professionals call these shut off valves angle stops. Your faucet will have two angle stops, one is for the hot water and one is for the cold water.

Your toilet will have one angle stop since it has only cold water going to it. If you have a bidet, it is like your faucet. It will have two angle stops one for hot and one for cold. You can easily turn off your angle stops by turning them clockwise.  If you have not used your angle stops in a while you may see some hard water corrosion around them. Corrosion is a sign that there is a small leak. It is an indication that you need to replace the angle stop immediately. If there is a lot of corrosion, it is my professional recommendation that you do not attempt to shut it off. The likelihood of the angle stop immediately springing a leak once you break the seal that the hard water corrosion has made is very high.

How to shut off the water to your hot water heater

If you find yourself with a leaking water heater, you don’t have to shut off the water to your whole house. There is a shut-off valve right at your water heater where you can turn off the water. This valve is usually located just above your water heater. The valve has either a lever handle or a circular handle like the shut off valve to your home.  Whether you have a ball valve or a gate valve at your water heater, the valve shuts off by turning clockwise. Shutting off this valve will stop your water heater from replenishing water. Keep in mind, your water heater still has on average 40-50 gallons of water still inside the tank that will seep out so call us right away to get your water heater replaced if it is leaking.

How to shut off the water to your washing machine

If your washing machine is leaking or the hoses to the washing machine are leaking you can find the hot and cold isolation valves behind your washer. They look a lot like the hose bibb you connect your garden hose. Turn these valves clockwise to shut off the washing machine. These valves are recommended by the manufacturer to be replaced every five years when was the last time you replaced your washing machine shut off valves?

How to shut off the water to your refrigerator

Most newer homes have an isolation valve behind the refrigerator. Hopefully, your refrigerator is on wheels and is maneuverable enough to pull out to access this valve. The valve is usually located near the floor inside the wall. Turn this valve to the right to shut off the water to your refrigerator. If the valve is not behind the refrigerator you should have an isolation valve under your kitchen sink. There will either be a valve just for the water line going to your refrigerator or you may have a two-way angle stop for your cold line, one way feeding the faucet and the other side feeding the water line to the fridge.

I hope that you found these plumbing tips helpful, please remember to share this post so others can benefit from them as well.

Services in Phoenix & Beyond

When you’ve found yourself in need of plumbing services in the Phoenix, Glendale, Scottsdale, or Chandler area, you can trust Robins Plumbing to provide you with prompt and expert care, contact our team today! In addition to our toilet services, we also offer a variety of residential and commercial plumbing services, including: drain cleaning, water heater repair and replacement, sewer camera inspection and locating, backflow prevention, commercial and residential jetting, water treatments, and more. Visit our reviews online to see what others have to say about our local plumbing company!