HOW DO I SHUT THE WATER OFF IN MY HOME OR BUSINESS?

If you are having an emergency and need to shut off a water supply now you can call us for guidance at (603) 706-7398 or follow these instructions:

  1. Locate the water meter/water shut off

    These are pictures of common water meters/shut offs(Click pictures to scroll):

Cant find the meter?

If you live in an older home there may be wooden boards in the floor of your concrete basement such as in the above pictures that when opened will expose this meter.

Or if the basement if finished you may have an access panel located in your basement wall that contains the meter.

In homes with a drilled or dug well there is frequently a large, often blue tank with a shut off valve attached to the line coming from it such as in the above pictures.

And in mobile homes the water meter is frequently in a closet or below the home in the crawl space.

2. Locate the shut off valve on the water meter. Most commonly you will see a handle for a ball valve on the pipe connected to the meter or a gate valve.

This is what a ball valve looks like:

This is what a gate valve looks like:

Turn off the Valve. If it is a gate valve then turn it clockwise as far as you can until you feel it stop snugly. Do not try to over turn the valve and close it too tight, it only needs to be closed gently and over turning it can cause it to break. If it is a ball valve then turn the valve handle so that it is no longer going the same diretion as the pipe it is connected to. There is also a rubber handle on newer ball valves that show the on/off position of the valve.

Check to see if these actions have slowed or stopped the water from coming by testing a plumbing fixture such as your sink. If the water does not come out when the faucet is turned on or comes out a little and stops then you have successfully shut off the water main.

Now that you have contained the immediate problem call us to schedule an appointment or ask for 24 hour emergency assistance.

(603) 706-7398

HOW DO I SHUT OFF THE WATER TO JUST MY SINK OR TOILET?

  1. Locate the shut off valve. Most often on sinks of any kind you can find the hot and cold shut off valves directly under the sink. The hot water lines are typically kept on the left and cold on the right. On toilets the shut off valve usually comes out of the floor or wall behind or next to the toilet.

    These are examples of commonly found shut off valves for sinks and toilets(Click pictures to scroll):

2. Turn off the valve. Some valves are ball valves and need to be turned facing away from the pipe as opposed to facing in the same direction as the pipe is going. These are often labeled on the handle which way to turn for off or on. Other valves are turn valves. Some of these valves are shaped like an egg and need to be turned clockwise to shut them off and others look the same way but only need to be turned a quarter turn. A good rule of thumb is to turn the valve clockwise until it is snug and stops. Do not try to over turn the valve and close it too tight, it only needs to be closed gently and over turning it can cause it to break.

3. Test to see if these actions have shut off or slowed the water to the fixture. If you are testing a sink make sure both hot and cold lines are shut off if necessary. If the water does not come out when the faucet is turned on or comes out a little and stops then you have successfully shut off the water supply to that fixture. If you have shut off the water to the toilet then you should no longer hear the tank filling up or making a hissing noise, and if the water in the tank is flushed it should not refill.

4. Now that you have contained the immediate problem call us to schedule an appointment or ask for 24 hour emergency assistance.

(603) 706-7398

I HAVE A SERIOUS ISSUE AND CANNOT SHUT OFF THE WATER WITH THE ABOVE STEPS, WHAT DO I DO?

First and most importantly - DO NOT PANIC. You need to stay calm and collected so you can think properly and resolve this issue asap. You are already in a mess and to panic will only make it worse. If there is an immediate fire hazard or electrical hazard call your local fire department and follow their instructions before anything else.

If you have tried the above steps and your situation has not improved or gotten worse then it is time to call your local department of water works or responsible party in your area that is able to shut off the “water key” or “curb key” to that business or home. This will shut your water off from the city water connection, completely stopping water from getting to your home from the city supply. Alternately you can call a professional like us to assist you and guide you through this emergency.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN ROOTS AND HAIR IN MY PIPES?

Sometimes a main sewer line blockage is caused by roots and most people wonder what this could possibly mean. Roots grow strong from trees seeking out water to survive and dont care where they get it from. Often times these roots find water coming from your old flawed pipes underground and find a way to force their way in. They may get in from an actual broken section of pipe or they could force their way into joints or couplings(where 2 sections of pipe meet and seal together). These roots can get into the line and hang down into the pipe completely blocking off any waste or water from draining. Here are a couple examples we have found in the field:

Another common question people have is in regards to how hair could cause a blockage in their line. Every day we brush our teeth in front of the sink, comb our hair, and shave. Little do we know these sometimes small pieces of hair are finding a way to get down the drain and collect, in turn causing a hair plug to completely stop anything from draining. Shower and tub drains are no exception and over time can collect quite large deposits of hair. Here are a couple examples of cases we have found in the field:

HOW DOES A SEPTIC TANK WORK?

As we use our plumbing water and waste travels down the sink, toilet, and tub drains through a series of connecting pipes which eventually leads to a larger pipe known as your main sewer line. This main line then exits the home or business underground and leads to a tank. The waste falls into the tank and the solids collect in one section and the water fills until it reaches a certain level allowing it to flow from the tank into the distribution box or “d box”. The water is able to travel into this d box and then to the leech field which disperses this water back into the ground while solids stay behind in the septic tank waiting to be pumped out by a septic company. In the case of a home or business connected to a city sewer instead of septic everything works the same except instead of your waste traveling to a septic tank and the water leeching into the ground it is sent to the sewers piping system which is essentially an even larger main line that eventually leads to a sewage treatment facility. Here is what a septic system looks like when it is new(Click pictures to scroll):