Water Shutoff Valve: Everything You Need to Know

Here’s an incredibly important question for everyone who owns a home or business:

Do you know where the main water shutoff valve is in your house, office or store?

Nobody is expecting you to fix plumbing problems but the ball is largely in your court to prevent problems.

This means that you need to know where your water shutoff valve is located.

If you’ve ever stood shin-deep in water flooding your property because you didn’t know where the valve was located, you’ll know this to be true.

And did you know that failure to maintain this valve can land you in hot water with the local authorities in Calgary?

Here we clear up everything you need to know about shutting the water off.

The main water shutoff valve allows you to shut off the supply of water in your home.

You may want to do this in several situations, such as:

This main valve is usually quite a large valve.

It should not be confused with the smaller valves (globe valves, angled fixture shutoff valves, etc.) that can shut off water to specific appliances like taps.

Note that these main water valves either turn the flow of water on or off. There is no mechanism in them to increase or decrease the flow of water.

In most Calgary homes, the main water shutoff valve is located either where the water line enters your home or close to the water tank in the basement.

Positioning the main water shutoff in the basement prevents it from freezing in our icy winters here in Calgary.

Otherwise, you can locate the water pipe where the water enters your house. You will find the valve near that point (on an exterior wall or in an underground box) just below the water meter.

The proof is in the pudding! Turn the valve off and see if you still have water in your home.

It helps to know what type of valve you’re looking for. In Calgary homes like most others around Canada, the main water shutoff valve will be one of two designs:

Image courtesy of the City of Calgary website.

Generally, you do not need any tools to turn off the main water valve unless they are located in an underground water meter box.

These valves are designed for rapid response in the case of an emergency, so most are very simple to close and open by hand.

The wheel on a gate valve will turn all the way around. Usually, you need to turn it clockwise to close it and counter-clockwise to open it.

Make sure that you test the valve as, if left untouched for a long period of time, they can become a little difficult to turn.

To turn off the water with a ball valve, turn the lever clockwise with a half turn. Note that these valves do not turn all the way.

You may need special tools to turn off a valve located in an underground water meter box.

A pentagon socket wrench, pliers, or a meter key may be required to open the box but other lids will simply lift off.

Once the lid is off, you may need to use a crescent wrench and screwdriver to turn the knob clockwise and turn off the water. If there isn’t enough room for a wrench, you may need a meter key. It is unlikely that you will be able to turn the knob by hand.

Once the main water has been turned off, release pressure inside the pipes to complete the job and ensure that you protect your system from damage.

You do this by turning on both the hot and cold water from any set of faucets in your house until the water no longer runs.

In Calgary, the water shutoff valve is the responsibility of the homeowner. You must control and maintain it as per the Water Utility Bylaw.

Homeowners who fail to maintain the valve may receive a $250 fine if the valve is broken, according to the City of Calgary. This will go towards the cost of repairing the valve by a licensed plumber.