Where to look
Water enters most houses through one service line from the street. The main shutoff is usually on that line just inside the house, before it branches. In Englewood homes with basements, look at the front foundation wall facing the street, often near the floor, sometimes behind a furnace, a water heater or shelving. There may be a water meter right next to it.
In a house on a crawlspace, the valve may be under the house near where the line comes through the foundation, reachable through a hatch or a crawl access; some homes have a second valve in a utility closet. In slab homes, check the garage, a utility closet, near the water heater, or where an outdoor faucet is on the street side. Some homes have the meter and a shutoff in an outdoor meter pit, which the utility usually prefers to operate.
The valve looks like either a round wheel handle (a gate or globe valve) or a straight lever (a ball valve). A lever is closed when it sits across the pipe.
Once you find it
Label it
Hang a bright tag or paint the handle so anyone in the home can find it.
Clear the path
Move storage so you can reach it in the dark without climbing over anything.
Test it gently
Close it slowly, then open a faucet to confirm the water stops. Reopen it fully.
Keep a tool nearby
A stiff wheel valve may need gloves or a small wrench. Hang them next to the valve.
Show everyone
Walk each person in the household, and any house sitter, to the valve once.
If the valve will not close
- Old gate valves
- These seize after years without use. Do not force them with a long wrench; the stem can snap and leave you worse off.
- Utility shutoff
- The utility can close the curb stop or meter valve. The emergency number is on your water bill.
- Replacement
- A plumber can replace a seized main with a quarter-turn ball valve, usually after the utility shuts off service at the curb.
- Meanwhile
- Close the fixture or appliance valve nearest the leak if there is one, and collect water until the main is off.
Common questions
Will closing the main affect my water heater?
The tank stays full; it simply stops refilling. For a short shutoff, no action is needed. For a long one, a plumber can advise about the heater.
General information for Englewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.