How to Find Your Main Water Shut-Off Valve

If a pipe bursts, every minute of running water means more damage. The single most useful thing you can know about your home's plumbing is where the main shut-off valve is. Take five minutes to find it today.

Where to look in Upstate SC homes

• Crawl space homes (very common here): look along the foundation wall closest to the street, where the water line comes in. Bring a flashlight.
• Slab homes: check the garage, a utility closet, or near the water heater.
• Homes with a basement: usually on the front wall where the line enters.
• At the street: the water meter box near the curb has a shut-off, typically with a house-side valve you can turn in an emergency.

What the valve looks like

• Ball valve: a lever handle. A quarter turn so the lever sits across the pipe shuts the water off.
• Gate valve: a round wheel handle. Turn clockwise until it stops. These are common in older homes and can stick or fail.

Test it before you need it

Turn the valve off, then open a faucet to confirm the water stops. Turn it back on slowly. If the valve is stuck, leaks around the stem, or doesn't fully stop the water, get it replaced. It's a small job that pays for itself the first time you need it.

Label it

Tie a tag on the valve and show everyone in the house where it is. In an emergency, whoever's home should be able to find it without searching.

Still can't find yours, or found one that won't budge? Call us at 864-365-8900 — we answer 24/7. We'll locate it, replace it if needed, and show you how it works. More tips: what counts as a plumbing emergency.