How to Shut Off Your Home's Water (and Prevent a Sewer Backup)

It was a little after ten on a school night when someone heard it: a steady drip, drip, drip from under the kitchen sink, and a puddle spreading across the floor. Nobody panicked. Mom grabbed the headlamp from the hall closet, walked to the utility room, and gave the lever by the water heater a quarter turn. The dripping slowed, then stopped. Towels went down, the kids went back to bed, and the plumber came in the morning.

That calm moment wasn't luck. It came from five minutes, months earlier, spent finding and labeling one valve together as a family.

This is the first guide in our Prepare Your Home series. It's all about water: how to shut it off fast, how to keep pipes from freezing, and how to lower the chance of a sewer backup on heavy-rain days. You don't need to be handy. You just need to know where things are and when to call a pro.

A quick note before we start: this guide covers the basics every household can do. Anything involving cutting into pipes, replacing valves, or work on your sewer line belongs to a licensed plumber. Anything involving wiring belongs to a licensed electrician. Your local rules may also require permits.

Step 1: Find your main water shutoff

Your main shutoff controls all the water coming into your home. It's usually close to where the water line enters the house. Common spots:

• Basements: on the wall facing the street, often near the water meter
• Crawlspaces and utility rooms: near the water heater or furnace
• Homes on a slab: in a garage, a utility closet, near the water heater, or under the kitchen sink
• Warmer areas: sometimes outside, on an exterior wall or in a covered box near the foundation
• At the street: many homes also have a "curb stop" or a meter valve in a ground box. These usually belong to your water utility and may need a special key. Call your utility rather than opening it yourself.
• Apartments and condos: your unit may have its own shutoff in a closet, behind an access panel or near the water heater. Ask your building manager where it is, and who to call after hours.

Can't find it? Check your home inspection report, ask your landlord or HOA, or call your water utility. A plumber can also find and label it during any visit.

The little shutoffs, too

Most fixtures have their own valve, so you can stop one leak without shutting off the whole house:

• Under each sink (one for hot, one for cold)
• Behind each toilet, near the floor
• Behind the washing machine
• On the cold-water line at the top of the water heater
• Behind the refrigerator, if it has an ice maker or water dispenser

Step 2: Know your valve type

• Ball valve (lever handle). The most common type in newer homes. A quarter turn shuts it off. When the lever runs along the pipe, water is on. When it sits across the pipe, water is off.
• Gate valve (round wheel handle). Common in older homes. Turn it clockwise ("righty-tighty") several full turns until it stops. Older gate valves can stick or fail to close all the way. If one won't turn, don't force it with a wrench. Call a licensed plumber, who can repair it or swap it for a ball valve.
• Fixture stop valves (small oval handles). Found under sinks and behind toilets. Turn clockwise to close.

Make it easy to find in the dark:

• Hang a bright tag on the main valve that says "MAIN WATER: turn to shut off"
• Take a photo of it and save it in a shared family album
• Keep a light within reach. The Adaptev Rechargeable Headlamp (from $39.99) keeps both hands free for a valve under the sink, and the FLATEYE FR-500 Rechargeable Flashlight ($19.99) is flat, so it won't roll off a basement shelf.

Step 3: Do a 5-minute practice run, together

Pick a calm weekend morning and make it a family moment. Kids love being the one who "turns off the house."

1. Tell everyone the water will be off for a few minutes.
2. Walk the whole family to the main shutoff, and show them the tag and how the handle turns.
3. Close the main valve.
4. Open a faucet on the lowest floor to confirm the water stops. A small trickle as the pipes drain is normal.
5. Slowly reopen the main valve, close the faucet, and check the valve for drips.
6. Repeat with one sink shutoff and one toilet shutoff.

Stop and call a licensed plumber if the valve won't move, only partly closes, drips at the handle afterward, or looks heavily corroded. Better to find out on a sunny Saturday than during a leak.

Older kids can learn where the valve is and when to get an adult. Younger ones just need to know to come find a grown-up if they see water where it shouldn't be.

Step 4: Frozen pipes, by zone

Water expands when it freezes, and that can split a pipe. The damage often shows up when the pipe thaws. Not sure of your zone? Find your winter zone here.

Severe Cold - Before the first hard freeze, disconnect garden hoses and close and drain outdoor faucets, if your home has interior shutoffs for them. - Insulate pipes in unheated spaces like crawlspaces, garages and attics. Ask a plumber about heat cable for problem spots. - During long, very cold outages, a house can cool quickly. Know the steps below by heart.

Cold & Ice Storm - Ice storms can mean outages and freezing nights together. When freezing rain is in the forecast, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, and let a faucet on an outside wall drip slightly overnight.

Mild with Surprise Freezes & Ice - Many homes here weren't built for hard freezes. Pipes may run through exterior walls, attics or crawlspaces with little insulation. Before a cold snap, wrap exposed pipes and outdoor faucets, drip faucets, and open cabinets. - Know where your main shutoff is before the freeze. It's the step that matters most if a pipe bursts.

Mild & Coastal - Hard freezes are rare, but outdoor faucets and exposed pipes are still the most at risk. Cover outdoor faucets on the coldest nights.

If a pipe freezes:

• If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, a pipe may be frozen. Keep that faucet open.
• Warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer, a space heater kept well away from anything that can burn, or warm towels. Never use an open flame or torch.
• If you see a split, bulge or leak, or can't find the frozen section, shut off the main water and call a licensed plumber.
• If there's water near outlets, cords or appliances, stay out of the area and call a licensed electrician or your utility.

Step 5: Sewer backup basics

During very heavy rain or fast snowmelt, the sewer system in some neighborhoods can get overwhelmed. When that happens, water can push back up through the lowest drains in a home, often a basement floor drain. A few basics go a long way.

Backwater valves

A backwater valve is a device on your home's sewer line that lets wastewater flow out but closes if water tries to come back in. Installing one is a job for a licensed plumber, often with a permit. Some cities and utilities offer rebates or grants for them, so it's worth a call. If you already have one, ask your plumber how often it should be checked and cleaned.

Floor drains

• Know where your floor drains are and keep them clear of boxes and debris.
• Ask a plumber whether a floor drain plug or check valve makes sense for your home. Don't seal a drain your home relies on without professional advice.

Sump pumps

A sump pump sits in a pit in the basement or crawlspace and pumps groundwater away from your foundation. If you have one:

• Test it before storm season. Slowly pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure the pump turns on and drains it.
• Check the discharge line outside. It should be clear and point well away from the house.
• Plan for outages. Heavy storms and power outages often arrive together. Ask a licensed plumber about a battery backup sump pump.
• A power station as backup: some families use a portable power station to keep a sump pump running during a short outage. The Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 offers 2042Wh of capacity with 2200W continuous output and 4400W surge (currently sold out). The in-stock Jackery HomePower 3000 offers 3,072Wh with 3,600W continuous output and 7,200W surge. Many household sump pumps fall within that, but check your pump's label for its running and starting watts first. Run time depends on how often your pump cycles. Plug the pump directly into the station, and keep the station up off the floor and away from water. If you're unsure, ask a licensed electrician or plumber.

Your heavy-rain day plan

When forecasters call for a downpour:

• Ease up on water use during the heaviest rain: hold the laundry, the dishwasher and long showers until it passes. It's a small, kind thing for your home and your neighbors' homes too.
• Check gutters and downspouts, and point them well away from your foundation.
• Lift what matters off the basement floor: photos, keepsakes and paperwork go in lidded plastic bins on shelves.
• Charge your lights and power station in case the power goes out.
• Check your sump pump, and listen for it running.

If water rises in your basement: don't walk into water that may be touching outlets, cords or appliances. Stay out, and call your utility, a licensed electrician or a licensed plumber. If sewage has backed up, keep kids and pets away from the area, and call a professional cleanup company.

Call your insurance agent this week. Ask whether your policy covers sewer and drain backup. In many policies it's an add-on.

When heavy rain tends to come, by zone

• Severe Cold: spring snowmelt and thaw, plus summer storms
• Cold & Ice Storm: spring storms, thaws, and fall rains
• Mild with Surprise Freezes & Ice: tropical storms, hurricane season and spring downpours
• Mild & Coastal: winter storm systems and long stretches of heavy rain

What to keep on hand for a water main break or shutoff

When a neighborhood water main breaks or you have to shut off your home's main valve for a repair, having a simple drinking-water and filtration setup at home keeps the day calm:

• Countertop reverse osmosis filtration (no plumbing needed): the RKIN Zero Installation Countertop Reverse Osmosis Water Filter and the RKIN U1-W Space-Saving 4-in-1 Water Filter System sit right on your kitchen counter.
• Dedicated under-sink filtration & routine checks: the RKIN Flash Undersink Reverse Osmosis System with Chrome Lead-Free Faucet pairs with an RKIN Dual Function TDS Meter to spot changes in dissolved-solids readings in 10 seconds (note: TDS doesn't detect bacteria, so always follow your local health department's guidance).
• Grab-and-go emergency water pouches: Preppi The Essentials Emergency Kit keeps 72-hour emergency water pouches and basics packed together (Preppi kits are final sale, so check the full contents on the product page first). For our full storage and rotation plan, read A Beginner's Guide to Family Water Preparedness.

Your home water checklist (save this)

• ☐ Main water shutoff found, tagged and photographed
• ☐ Everyone old enough knows where it is
• ☐ Fixture shutoffs checked under sinks, behind toilets and the washer
• ☐ 5-minute practice run done
• ☐ A headlamp or flashlight kept near the shutoff
• ☐ Hoses disconnected and outdoor faucets protected before the first freeze
• ☐ Exposed pipes insulated
• ☐ Sump pump tested before storm season, and discharge line checked
• ☐ A backup power plan for the sump pump, talked through with a pro
• ☐ Plumber asked about a backwater valve and floor drains
• ☐ Insurance checked for sewer backup coverage
• ☐ Keepsakes in lidded bins, up off the basement floor
• ☐ Your plumber's and water utility's numbers saved, on paper too

Start tonight with one valve

You don't have to do it all this weekend. Tonight, find your main shutoff, hang a tag on it, and show one other person in your home. That's it. The next time water shows up where it shouldn't, you'll know exactly where to go, and your family will remember how calmly it all went.

Keep reading. A few more guides to help your family feel ready, one cozy step at a time:

• Winter Power Outage Prep: A Family Guide for Every Zone: staying warm, lit and connected at home when the power goes out
• How to Build a 72-Hour Emergency Kit: A Family Guide for Every Zone: everything your family needs to stay comfortable at home for three days
• Prep on a Budget: Your First $50, Matched to Your Zone: free first steps, then a first $50 matched to your zone

Questions about lighting or backup power for your home? Reach out anytime. We're a small, family-run, woman- and minority-owned business, and we're happy to help you choose.