The short answer
In a home with a basement, the main water shut-off valve is almost always on the foundation wall closest to the street, where the water line comes in, usually right next to the water meter. Homes without basements typically have it in a crawlspace, a utility room near the water heater, or the garage. In a condo or apartment, look for a unit valve near the water heater, behind an access panel, or ask building management.
Find it now, before you need it. When a pipe bursts, the minutes spent searching for the valve are the minutes that do the most damage.
Where to look, by type of home
| Home type | Most likely location | Also check |
|---|---|---|
| House with a basement (most common around Elmhurst) | Street-facing foundation wall, beside the water meter | Behind a basement storage shelf or a finished-wall access panel |
| House on a crawlspace | Just inside the crawlspace access, where the line enters | Utility room or near the water heater |
| House on a slab | Utility closet, near the water heater, or in the garage | Under the kitchen sink, or an outdoor box near the foundation |
| Condo or apartment | Unit valve near the water heater or in a utility closet | Building management controls shared risers |
| Townhome | Garage, utility room or near the water heater | Your association documents |
A useful trick: find where the water meter is, because the main valve is nearly always within a few feet of it. If you have a finished basement and can't see the meter, look for a small removable panel in the wall nearest the street.
How to recognize the main shut-off valve
You'll usually see one of two types of valve on the main line:
- Gate valve: a round, wheel-shaped handle. Turn it clockwise, often several full turns, until it stops. Older gate valves can be stiff and sometimes don't shut off completely.
- Ball valve: a straight lever handle. A quarter turn closes it. When the lever is parallel to the pipe, water is on. When it's across the pipe, water is off.
Many homes have a valve on both sides of the water meter. Either will stop water to the house. The one on the house side is the one you're expected to use. Don't confuse the main shut-off with a pressure-reducing valve, a bell-shaped fitting some homes have after the meter, which isn't a shut-off.
How to shut off the water in an emergency
- Go to the main valve and turn the wheel clockwise until it stops, or turn the lever a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe.
- Open a faucet on the lowest floor to check the water has stopped and to drain the line.
- If the water heater will be without water for a while, set a gas unit to "pilot" or switch off the breaker for an electric unit.
- Call for repair. If a pipe has burst, our guide on what to do when a pipe bursts covers the next steps, and you can call us to be connected with a plumber to repair a burst pipe in Elmhurst or nearby.
What about the valve out by the street?
Most homes also have a curb stop, a valve on the service line near the property line, reached through a small round cover in the lawn or parkway (sometimes called a "buffalo box" or "b-box"). In many towns it belongs to the water utility, and opening it takes a special long key. Don't try to use it yourself unless the utility says you can. If your indoor valve fails and water won't stop, contact your municipality's water department (for example, the City of Elmhurst) or have a plumber help.
Test your valve once a year
Valves that sit untouched for years tend to seize. Once a year, turn the main valve off and back on to keep it moving. If it won't budge, don't force it with a wrench, because you can snap the stem or crack an old fitting. A plumber can replace a stiff gate valve with a quarter-turn ball valve, which is easier to close in a hurry. It's a small job, and it often gets done alongside replacing old pipe near the meter.
Know your fixture shut-offs too
Not every leak needs the whole house shut off. Individual shut-off valves (sometimes called stop valves or angle stops) usually sit:
- under each kitchen and bathroom sink
- behind or beside each toilet
- behind the washing machine (one each for hot and cold)
- on the cold-water inlet at the top of the water heater
- behind the refrigerator, for an ice maker or water dispenser
If a fixture valve drips when you close it, or won't close at all, it's worth replacing before an emergency. For a slow drip you can't trace, see our page on water leak repair.
Make sure everyone in the house knows
Label the main valve with a tag, keep a flashlight nearby, and show everyone in the household where it is and which way to turn it. If you live in a condo building, like many residents around Downtown Elmhurst, keep building management's after-hours number somewhere you can find it fast.