Emergency guide
How to Shut Off Your Home's Water in Jacksonville, FL
To stop a household supply leak, close your home's main water shutoff if it is safe to reach. A fixture shutoff can isolate a single toilet or faucet leak.
Find the valve before an emergency
Main shutoff locations vary by home. Look where the water supply enters the building: near an exterior foundation wall, in a garage or utility area, or near the meter. Your water provider or a plumber can help identify your home's valve.
Use the customer-owned shutoff when possible. Do not tamper with a utility-owned valve, remove a meter or use tools on equipment you cannot identify. Private-well systems can have different shutoffs; ask your well professional if you are unsure.
Close a familiar valve safely
Keep clear of standing water near electrical equipment. Do not enter an unsafe area just to reach the valve.
- Identify the water shutoff, not a gas valve. If you are unsure which valve it is, stop and ask a plumber or the water provider.
- For a typical quarter-turn ball valve, turn the lever a quarter turn until it is perpendicular to the pipe. A lever parallel to the pipe usually means open.
- For a typical round-handled gate valve, turn clockwise gently until closed. Do not force a seized valve or keep tightening it.
- Open a cold-water faucet to check that flow stops after the remaining water drains. If water keeps flowing, call for help; the valve may not be closing fully.
When only one fixture is leaking
A toilet often has a small supply valve behind it; a sink usually has hot and cold supply valves below it. If the leak is downstream of those valves and they work, closing them may isolate that fixture. For an unidentified leak, a damaged supply pipe or a fixture valve that will not close, use the main shutoff if safe.
When the valve will not turn
Do not force a corroded or stuck valve: it can break or start leaking. Call your water provider if utility equipment needs attention, or (904) 862-6927 for household plumbing help. North Florida Plumbing offers free estimates and gives a firm price before work.
After a major leak or loss of supply, follow professional guidance and the manufacturer's instructions before restarting a water heater. Do not operate equipment that was flooded or damaged.
Safety references
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