Close the fixture valve for a single leak, the main house valve for a burst pipe, and call the city when the leak is on public pipes or you cannot stop it safely.
Three Valves Every Garland Homeowner Should Know
Most leaks can be stopped at one of three places. Knowing which one to use saves water, money and damage.
- Fixture shutoff valves: small oval or round handles under sinks, behind toilets, on the cold supply above a water heater and behind the washing machine. They stop water to one fixture only.
- The main house valve: the private valve that shuts off water to the whole house. It belongs to the homeowner and is the one to use for a burst pipe or a leak you cannot trace.
- The meter and city valves: located in the ground box at the property line. These belong to the utility, and the city handles emergency shutoffs there.
The goal is to use the smallest valve that stops the leak. Closing a toilet valve keeps water running to the rest of the house. Closing the main valve stops everything, including water to the water heater.
Where to Find the Main Water Valve
On many North Texas slab homes, the main house valve is outside near where the water line comes out of the ground and enters the house, often on the same wall as an outdoor faucet. In some homes it is in the garage, near the water heater, in a utility closet or under a small access panel. Older homes sometimes have only the valve at the meter box.
Look for a round wheel handle or a lever on a pipe about the size of a garden hose or larger. Once you find it, label it and make sure every adult in the home knows where it is. If you cannot find a private valve, ask a plumber to locate one or install one. That small job is far cheaper than an hour of uncontrolled leaking.
Do this now, on a dry day. Searching with a flashlight while water pours through a ceiling is the worst time to learn where the valve is.
How to Turn Off the Main Water Valve
For a wheel handle, turn it clockwise until it stops. For a lever, turn it a quarter turn so the handle sits across the pipe rather than in line with it. Then open a faucet on the lowest floor to confirm the water stops and to drain some pressure from the lines.
- Turn slowly and firmly. Do not use a cheater bar or hit the handle.
- If the valve is stuck, corroded or starts leaking at the stem, stop and call a plumber or the city.
- If the water heater is gas, a plumber can advise whether to adjust it while the water is off. If it is electric, switching its breaker off prevents the elements from running dry.
- Write down the time you shut the water off. It helps later with insurance and with leak bill questions.
Electrical Safety Comes Before the Valve
Never cross standing water near outlets, appliances or the electrical panel to reach a valve. A wet panel or a submerged power strip is a bigger hazard than the leak. If you can reach the breaker panel from a dry spot, switch off power to the affected area first. If you cannot, leave the room and call for help. For immediate danger, call 911.
Do not touch switches or plug anything in while standing in water or on a wet floor.
When to Call Garland Water Utilities
Garland Water Utilities lists 972-205-3210 for water and wastewater emergencies, including main breaks and emergency shutoffs. Call that number when water is gushing from the meter box or the street, when the leak is on the city side of the meter, when your private valve will not close, or when there is no private valve and you need the water off at the meter.
Give the address, describe where the water is coming from and whether it is inside the house, at the meter or in the street. City crews handle public pipes and the meter. Pipes on the house side of the meter are the homeowner responsibility, so you may still need a plumber after the city shuts the water off.
Dallas and Nearby City Emergency Routes
If the property is in Dallas, report main breaks, meter and hydrant leaks, wastewater main problems and emergency turnoff requests to 311, or 214-670-3111 from outside city limits. Richardson lists 972-744-4111 for water emergencies. Other nearby cities publish their own emergency numbers on their city guides.
A restoration referral number is not a substitute for any of these utility reports. Call the utility for public pipes and the shutoff, then call for cleanup help.
What to Do After the Water Is Off
Shutting off the water stops new damage but does not remove water already in walls, ceilings and floors. Open cabinets and doors to let air move, move belongings out of wet areas, and photograph everything from a safe position. Call a plumber to repair the pipe before turning the water back on.
When the repair is done, open the main valve slowly, a little at a time, while someone watches the repaired spot. Run a few faucets to push air out of the lines. Then arrange a moisture assessment for any areas that got wet, and consider running the numbers on what the leak added to your Garland water bill.
Is the Leak on Your Side or the City Side?
The water meter marks the dividing line in most Garland homes. Pipes and fixtures on the house side of the meter are the owner’s responsibility. The meter, the meter box and the main in the street belong to the city. If water is bubbling up in the street, around the meter box or from a fire hydrant, it is a city problem, so report it to Garland Water Utilities at 972-205-3210.
If water is coming from inside the house, from a pipe in the yard between the meter and the house, or from an irrigation line, it is almost always private plumbing. Close your main house valve if you can, then call a plumber. A quick meter check helps: if the meter keeps moving with the main house valve closed, the leak may be between the meter and the valve.
Shutting Off Individual Fixtures
- Toilet: the valve is on the wall or floor behind the toilet, below the tank. Turn it clockwise. If the bowl is overflowing, lifting the float in the tank stops the refill while you reach the valve.
- Kitchen and bathroom sinks: two valves under the sink, one for hot and one for cold.
- Water heater: the cold supply valve is on the pipe entering the top of the tank. Closing it stops new water from entering, but the tank can still drain from a leak at the bottom.
- Washing machine: two valves behind the machine, usually with red and blue handles.
- Refrigerator ice maker: a small valve behind the fridge or under the kitchen sink.
Fixture valves that have not moved in years can seize or start dripping when turned. If one will not close, go to the main house valve instead of forcing it.
Prevent the Next Emergency
- Label the main valve and each fixture valve.
- Exercise fixture valves once or twice a year so they do not seize.
- Replace old braided or rubber supply lines to toilets, sinks and washing machines on a regular schedule.
- Before a hard freeze, protect exposed pipes and know how to shut off water quickly.
- Keep the Garland Water Utilities emergency number where everyone can find it without a phone signal.