How to Find Your Main Water Shut-Off in a Winston-Salem Home

Why it matters

When a pipe bursts or a supply line fails, every minute of running water means more damage. A household supply line can put out several gallons a minute. Closing the main shut-off stops it, and it is the first step in every plumbing emergency. Yet many homeowners have never seen theirs, or find out during an emergency that it will not turn.

Where to look, by house type

Crawlspace homes (most older Winston-Salem houses)

The service line usually comes from the meter at the street, straight toward the house, and enters through the foundation wall. Look inside the crawlspace just inside the foundation on the street side, often near the front corner. Some homes have a second valve upstairs where the line comes up through the floor, often in a utility room, under the kitchen sink, or near the water heater.

Basement homes

Look on the front basement wall near the floor, where the line enters. It is often near the water heater or laundry area.

Slab homes

The valve is often in a garage, a utility closet, near the water heater, or in an access panel on an exterior wall. Some newer homes have it in a ground-level box near the foundation.

Condos and townhomes

Look in a utility closet, under the kitchen sink or near the water heater. Some buildings have one valve for several units; ask the association.

The valve at the meter

If you cannot find or turn the house valve, there is a shut-off at the meter box near the street. It usually needs a meter key (available at hardware stores). Be careful lifting the lid, which may be heavy or have insects underneath, and do not tamper with the meter itself. On Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities service, the line from the meter to the house is the owner's, so the house-side valve is your responsibility to keep in working order.

How to close it

• Round wheel handle (gate or globe valve): turn clockwise until it stops. Old gate valves can seize or break internally. Do not force one with a wrench; if it will not turn, go to the meter valve.
• Lever handle (ball valve): a quarter turn so the handle is crosswise to the pipe means closed.

After closing the main, open a faucet at the lowest point of the house to drain pressure, and turn off the water heater (breaker for electric, "pilot" for gas) if the water will be off for long.

Fixture shut-offs

Most toilets, sinks, dishwashers, ice makers and washing machines have their own small valves. Closing these lets you fix one fixture without shutting off the whole house:

• Toilet: oval or round handle on the wall or floor behind it.
• Sinks: two valves inside the cabinet, hot and cold.
• Washing machine: two valves in the wall box behind the machine.
• Water heater: the cold-water inlet valve on top.
• Outdoor faucets: some have an interior shut-off in the crawlspace or basement for winterizing.

Test it once a year

Close and reopen the main and the fixture valves once a year so they do not seize. If a valve is stiff, drips at the stem, or does not fully stop the water, have it replaced. A quarter-turn ball valve at the main is an inexpensive upgrade that makes emergencies much easier to handle. Tag the main valve so everyone in the house can find it.

While you are under the house

Look for damp soil, drips, sagging insulation or pipes running close to foundation vents, which are the first to freeze. The American Red Cross recommends insulating exposed pipes in unheated areas (American Red Cross, Frozen Pipes).

Related services

• Emergency Plumber: Burst pipes, overflowing toilets, sewer backups and leaking water heaters: what to do right now.
• Frozen & Burst Pipes: Frozen supply lines in crawlspaces and outside walls, burst pipes and freeze prevention.
• Leak Detection & Repair: Hidden and visible leaks: supply lines, drains, slab and crawlspace leaks, and high water bills.

Sources: American Red Cross, Frozen Pipes; EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week.