Home Basics · Skill 01
Find Your Main Water Shutoff
If a pipe bursts, the person who knows where the shutoff is saves the room.
Identification only
This lesson is identification only. Don't dismantle plumbing, force a stuck valve, or operate equipment you don't recognise. If anything looks corroded, leaking or unfamiliar, that's a plumber's job.
Your home
Homes differ, so treat these as places to look rather than places it must be.
- 01Where the supply line enters the house — often a basement or crawlspace wall facing the street.
- 02In a utility room, garage or near the water heater.
- 03On a slab-built home, look in a ground-floor closet or an exterior wall near the front.
- 04Outside at the meter box near the street — that valve usually belongs to the utility.
Finding it is today's task. Don't force a stiff valve, and don't dismantle anything to reach it.
Verified guidance · Ready.gov (FEMA) — Utility Shutoff & Safety