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Pro tip: a broken pipe in my basement taught me to always shut off the main water valve first | Diy Repairs - HW Forums

Pro tip: a broken pipe in my basement taught me to always shut off the main water valve first

I was trying to fix a leak under the sink in my house in Boise and just turned off the valve under there. The old pipe cracked more and sprayed everywhere. My neighbor, Frank, ran over and yelled to shut off the main valve by the street, which I'd totally forgotten about. It saved my floor from a lot more damage. Anyone have a good method for finding where your main shutoff is if it's buried or painted over?

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_foster526mo ago

Yeah, following the line from the meter is solid advice. Read a home inspection report once that said the same thing, and they usually mark its location with a little diagram. Sometimes the valve handle itself is just a plain metal nub that gets painted over a dozen times and blends right into the foundation. Giving that general area a good scrape with a putty knife can reveal it. A bright colored tag on the valve once you find it is a lifesaver for next time.

xena_anderson6mo ago

Oh man, that's the worst feeling. I had the same panic when a hose bib broke outside. My main shutoff was totally hidden behind some overgrown bushes by the foundation. What finally worked for me was just following the water line from the street meter straight toward the house. It's usually a straight shot, and the valve is often within a few feet of where the pipe enters, either just outside or right inside the wall in the basement or crawl space. Mine was under a muddy little metal lid I'd never noticed. A good trick is to just look for the water meter itself at the property line and trace it back.

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faith_lopez485mo ago

Totally feel that panic! I once had a sprinkler line burst and ran around like a crazy person trying to find the shutoff. It was buried under a pile of old gardening pots in the garage corner. Tracing the line from the meter is such a good tip, it saved me the second time something leaked. Now I keep the path to my valve totally clear, no more hiding behind junk.