How to Find Your Water Shut-Off Valve
Do you know where your main water shut-off valve is located? Learn how to find your water shut-off valve and how to turn off your home’s water supply.
Although you may never need to shut off the natural gas supply to your home, you might need to if you’re renovating, boarding up the house, or preparing for a natural disaster. In these circumstances, valves can be turned off to prevent a gas leak from happening or to stop gas from getting into the home.
If there’s ever a strong gas smell in the home, don’t try to shut off the gas yourself. Leave the home immediately and call your utility company from a safe location. Keep reading to learn where to find your gas shut-off valve and how to turn it off.
Gas shut-off valves can be located in different places in the home, seldom in a place you regularly see. Here are a few places you might find your gas shut-off valve:
Note that the age of your home plays a role in the valve’s location. In older homes, there may not be a valve inside the home at all. In newer houses, it’s often true that these valves are located close to the home’s water heater or furnace.
If you’re in a non-emergency situation where you need to shut off the gas valve, you can shut it off yourself. It bears repeating, though, that if there is any chance of a significant gas leak, leave the home and call your local gas company or fire department.
Once you’ve located your gas shut-off valve, here’s how to turn it off:
It’s generally recommended that, rather than turning the gas back on yourself, you contact the natural gas company or fire department so they can do a safety inspection before turning the gas service back on.
As a proactive strategy, install carbon monoxide detectors where gas leaks could potentially occur. Have natural gas appliances, your vents, and any ductwork checked by an expert every year—this will help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning for people and pets in your home.
Gas shut-off valve code requirements now mandate that these valves are in the same room as the appliance, with the valve being within six feet of said appliance. If you find that one of your appliances doesn’t meet these code requirements, contact your gas company to find out how this should be remedied.
If you can’t access the valve from the drawer, see if you can locate it by reaching behind the stove. If that doesn’t work, you’ll probably need to gently move the stove without putting stress on the flexible tubing or disconnecting the plug from the electrical outlet. If there’s no gas shut-off valve behind the stove, it may be in a crawl space in the floor or in a nearby cabinet.
If you can’t find the gas shut-off valve for a specific appliance, you may need to shut off the main gas valve to address the problem.
How to Find Your Water Shut-Off Valve
Do you know where your main water shut-off valve is located? Learn how to find your water shut-off valve and how to turn off your home’s water supply.
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