The single most important skill a homeowner can have is knowing how to shut off their water. When a pipe bursts, a toilet overflows, or a water heater fails, every minute counts, and most water damage happens in the first 10 minutes.
Where to find your main shut-off
On a city water connection in Ocala, you have two potential shut-offs:
- The house shut-off: Usually near where the main line enters the house, often on the outside wall nearest the water meter, or in a utility closet on the inside.
- The street shut-off: A valve in the meter box at the curb. This requires a meter key (a long T-handle tool), and we recommend keeping one in the garage.
On a well system, your shut-off is usually next to the pressure tank, and killing power to the pump is just as effective.
How to use it
Turn the valve clockwise (righty-tighty) until it stops. If it's a ball valve, a quarter turn is all it takes. If it's an old gate valve, keep turning; they take several full rotations to close.
What to do next
- Open a faucet at the lowest point in the house to drain residual pressure.
- If the leak is near your water heater, kill power to the heater at the breaker.
- Snap photos of any visible damage for your insurance claim.
- Call us.
If you've never tested your shut-off, do it now, before you need it. Old valves can seize up. If yours won't turn, we can replace it with a modern quarter-turn ball valve in under an hour.