Chances are at some point, you may need to know where the Emergency Shut Off valves are located. Whether you rent or own your home, knowing the location of the emergency water valve or gas or electricity switch could make the difference between damage or no damage... between "the house is still standing" or "there is nothing left"... and not to be dramatic, but even between life or death.
So, do you know how to turn the water off to your home?
Well... there could be a valve handle somewhere in the house or garage. It looks like a hose spigot but inside your home. Typically you can find this in a closet or laundry area... however, if you are unable to locate it you can turn it off at the street with the city water main is located.
First you will need to remove the cover of the city water main which looks like the photo to the left. Then a special tool, called a water key, will be needed to turn the valve on the pipe to close the flow of water. Well... there could be a valve handle somewhere in the house or garage. It looks like a hose spigot but inside your home. Typically you
can find this in a closet or laundry area... however, if you are unable to locate it you can turn it off at the street with the city water main is located.
First you will need to remove the cover of the city water main which looks like the photo to the left. Then a special tool, called a water key, will be needed to turn the valve on the pipe to close the flow of water.
How about the gas emergency shut off switch?
If you have gas heat or a gas fireplace, both will have an emergency shutoff.
The emergency cut off for a gas heat it is usually located on the wall in close proximity to the furnace. It is red and marked "Emergency Off" and typically looks like the photo to the right.
**Remember this: switch cuts the electricity to the furnace... not the gas!
The emergency cut off for a gas fireplace is usually on the floor or wall directly next to the fireplace.
This will require a "key" to turn off as shown in the photo to the left. We recommend leaving the key in the spot so that in an emergency you don't have to dig through the closest junk drawer (you know you have one... everyone does) to locate it!
Knowing the location of these emergency shut off's may save you money, time, stress, and potentially your life.
As always we absolutely recommend calling the appropriate contractors and emergency contacts when dealing with gas equipment and appliances. These are no "DIY" matters and should be taken very seriously.
