You do not want to wait until there is a plumbing emergency and you have water gushing through your home uncontrollably to finally figure out where your home’s water shut off valve is located. It is a good idea to educate yourself now about where your main water supply is located before there is an issue. But where should you look?
Quickly Locate the Water Shut Off Valve
This is the million-dollar question. And you do not want to be figuring it out when seconds count and water is flowing. There are three main places where your water shut off valve may be. Grab your phone, read this article, and take a few minutes now to locate your shut off valve.
Typically, a main water shut off valve is located inside a home but on the perimeter of the house. It is usually on the side of the house that is facing the street. If you cannot locate the valve after a visual search, you can pull up the home’s property inspection report and the location should be listed in the plumbing section.
To turn off the main water supply in your home in Tampa, it will depend on what type of valve you have:
- For a knife-style valve, (one with a straight handle), turn the handle to turn off the water. It will only let you turn a quarter of the way for this style of valve.
- For a round-handle valve, turn the handle clockwise many times until it cannot be turned anymore in order to fully shut off the water.
On average, you can expect to pay between $400 – $600 to replace the main water shut off valve in your Tampa area home. Depending on where the valve is located and how easily accessible it is will impact the final cost. For a more accurate price estimate, please feel free to contact Integrity Home Solutions today!
Look around your house
The shut off valve is almost always located near the perimeter of your home.
Always check the outside perimeter of your home that faces the street first, since that is where the water first enters the home from the water meter. You do not need to look upstairs. If you have a basement or crawlspace it may be located there.
Once you find the valve, turn the handle clockwise, or if it is a knife style valve turn the handle 90 degrees (or perpendicular to the water pipe).
Look at your inspection report
If you cannot find your water shut off valve by a physical search around your house, find the inspection report of your house. The location (as well as a photo) of your main water shut off valve is labeled in the plumbing section of the report.
Look towards your street
The last place to check is near the end of your property line, close to your street, in the ground-level covered box labeled “water.” You may be able to open this by wedging a screwdriver in and lifting up; however, you may need a special “meter key” to open the box.
A meter key can be found at your local hardware store or by calling a plumber. Once the lid is open turn the handle 1/4 turn clockwise (or perpendicular to the water pipe) to shut off the water.
Local Pros to Help in a Water Emergency
If you are still unable to locate your water shut off valve, call your local utility company or call the Integrity Home Solutions team at (813) 531-9480. We are professionally trained and will be able to locate your water shut off valve immediately.
Do not wait until it’s too late, be prepared by knowing your home. Remember, if you ever do have a plumbing emergency and seconds count, call our Tampa Bay plumbing pros!