HALEBRIGHTWater mitigation · Houston
← What to do

What a water shut-off looks like.

Find yours now, on a dry day. In an emergency you'll want to already know where it is.

The first instruction from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) for water damage: "shut your water off at the main."source [7]

FEMA's winter-readiness sheet says the same thing in advance: learn how to shut off the main water valve in case of an emergency.source [13]

FIELD NOTE

Most homes have one of two kinds of main valve, and they look different. Below: how to tell them apart, and how to tell open from closed.

Ball valve (a lever)

FIELD NOTE
  • A short metal lever on the valve body. It moves a quarter turn, 90 degrees.
  • Lever in line with the pipe = open. Lever across the pipe = closed.
  • To shut off, swing the lever until it sits across the pipe.

Gate valve (a round wheel)

FIELD NOTE
  • A round handle, like a garden-hose spigot but larger. Older homes tend to have these.
  • To shut off, turn it clockwise until it stops. It can take several full turns.
  • These can be stiff or seized if they haven't been used in years. Don't force it with a tool until you know it's the right valve. If it won't turn, move on to the next step below.

Where to look

FIELD NOTE
  • Inside: where the water line enters the house. Common places are a garage wall, a utility room, near the water heater, or a crawl space.
  • Outside: a ground-level box near the street holds the water meter and the utility's shut-off. That valve belongs to the water utility. If your own valve won't turn, tell the utility and a plumber.
  • Fixture shut-offs: under sinks and behind toilets there are small valves for just that fixture. They are useful for a single leaking fixture, but they are not the main.

Do this today

  1. 01Find your main valve.
  2. 02Take a photo of it and save it on your phone.
  3. 03Check that everyone in the house knows where it is.
  4. 04Once, on a dry day, turn it fully off and back on to confirm it works.

After it's off

FIELD NOTE

Open a faucet at the lowest point in the house to let the line drain.

Then take the next step on the list: protect valuables, photograph, tell your insurer. If you can't tell where the water is coming from, run the hidden-leak tests.