Original Mallick Video
From the field
Key takeaways
- Locate your main water shutoff before an emergency. The video shows examples for city-water and well-water homes.
- A quarter-turn valve and a wheel-handle valve operate differently; identify the valve you have.
- For a burst pipe or uncertainty about the shutoff, call for emergency help.
Transcript excerpts
With the temperatures currently below freezing, many of our customers are experiencing frozen or burst water pipes. If you find yourself in this type of emergency, the first objective is going to be to locate your main shutoff for your home.
If you're on city water, it will be located towards the front of the house. If you're on a well system, it will be located where your large blue, tan or green pressure tank is.
Once your water main is located, if you're on city water, it will look similar to this setup you see here. Once you locate it, you will then find the lower or upper shutoff valve and turn it from being in line with the pipe to a perpendicular position.
If you haven't had any work done on your main waterline in some years, you may find that you have a valve of this style. You will then grab the handle and turn it in the clockwise position until it stops, where it will then shut the water supply off to your home.
Before you act
Valve locations and configurations vary by home. These are examples from the recording; do not force a seized valve. Use the current phone link on this page for service rather than the older number spoken in the video.