Shutting off Water

You may be required to shut off water if leaks occur, or if a pipe in your home bursts. In situations such as this, it is crucial that you know where the main valve for shutting off your water supply is, as it can prevent flooding and damage to your property.

All able members of your family should know where the main valve is, as well as which way to turn it (generally clockwise, but there is no guarantee that your valve will be the same). Your home may have a number of valves, in which case it may be sensible to attach labels or colour codes to each valve to ensure it is clear which valve does what. You may have a valve chart if your home has several bathrooms, which will detail where the valves can be found.

The most important valve in the home is the one which shuts off the entire water supply to your home - if you have a leak but do not know where in the system it originates, this is the valve you should use to shut down water supply to your entire home. Typically, this valve will be situated close to the water meter, and will be found under the stairs, in a cellar or beneath the kitchen sink.

This hopefully isn't in frequent use, and so it is worth lubricating it twice a year, to ensure that it don't seize or jam when the water needs to be turned off in a hurry. It can also make it easier for younger or older members of the family to turn should they need to.

Many homes also have additional valves for water heaters and appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers. These valves will typically be found close to the appliance on the supply lines, and make it easier to shut off water when performing maintenance without having to disrupt water supplies to the entire house.

If your hot water supplies are fed from a hot water tank (as used in conventional boilers), or from a cistern, then there will be a tap just beneath the tank. Turning this will shut off water to taps. Turning on the taps will drain any water remaining in pipes.