When a pipe bursts or a water heater lets go, the first fix is one you can make yourself: shut off the water. Here’s how to shut off the water to your house in the Phoenix area — where the valve usually is, how to close it, and what to do next.
Geo, the owner of Beacon Plumbing AZ, has more than 12 years in the plumbing trade. His advice: find your shut-offs today, before you need them, and show everyone in the house how to close them.
When to shut off the main water
Close the main whenever you can’t stop the water at the fixture itself, including:
- A burst pipe or a supply line that’s come loose
- A water heater leaking from the tank itself
- Water coming through a ceiling or wall
- A sink or toilet valve that won’t close, or is leaking itself
- Water pooling or bubbling up with no clear source
- Leaving home for an extended trip
How to shut off the water to your house in Phoenix
Most Valley homes have two shut-offs on the main line: your house valve, which is yours to use, and the valve at the water meter, which belongs to the city or water company. In an emergency, use the house valve.
1. Find your house valve
Start at the front of the house, near the outdoor faucet (hose bib). Look for a pipe that rises out of the ground and runs into the wall, with a lever or round handle on it. If it isn’t out front, check the side and back walls and the garage.
2. Close it the right way
- Ball valve (lever handle): turn the lever a quarter turn until it sits crosswise to the pipe — that’s closed.
- Gate valve (round wheel): turn it clockwise until it stops, which can take several turns. Old gate valves can break inside, so use steady hand pressure — don’t force it.
Then open a faucet inside. The flow should slow to a trickle and stop. If it keeps running, the valve isn’t fully closed or has failed.
What Valley cities say about shut-offs
- House valve: the City of Phoenix says that for most houses it’s at the front near a hose bib, on the pipe coming out of the ground; some older homes have it at the rear. Chandler says it’s usually under the outside faucet near the front of the house.
- Meter box: Chandler says it’s generally near the sidewalk in front of your home, in line with the main outside faucet.
- Leave the meter valve alone: Phoenix asks residents not to shut water off at the meter — it takes a special tool, and you may be held responsible for damage. If you can’t find your house valve, call the number on your water bill; Phoenix says it will send a technician to shut it off at the meter.
- Who owns what: both cities draw the line at the meter; leaks on the property side are the homeowner’s responsibility. A leak between the meter and your house valve won’t stop when you close the house valve.
Sources: City of Phoenix Water Services, Household Plumbing Tips; City of Chandler, How to Check for a Water Leak.
Shut off water closer to the problem
If the leak is at one fixture, close its own valve and keep water running everywhere else.
Sinks & vanities
Small valves called angle stops sit on the hot and cold lines under the sink. Turn them clockwise until snug.
Toilets
The valve is low on the wall or floor behind the toilet. Close it as soon as the bowl starts to overflow.
Washer & fridge
Washers usually have hot and cold valves on the wall behind them. An ice-maker line has a small valve behind the fridge or under the sink.
Water heater
Most tank water heaters have a valve on the cold-water line at the top. Close it to stop water feeding a leaking tank, then turn the gas control to “off” on a gas unit, or switch off the breaker on an electric one — it should never run with a drained tank.
Shut off water to the sprinklers
Many Valley homes have an irrigation line branching off the main near the house, with a backflow preventer and its own shut-off valve. For a sprinkler leak, turn off the irrigation controller and close that valve.
Safety comes before plumbing
Never step into standing water that could reach outlets, cords or appliances, and never touch the electrical panel while you’re wet. Get out and call 911 or your electric utility.
If you smell gas (a rotten-egg odor), don’t touch switches or appliances. Leave right away, then call 911 and your gas utility from a safe distance — Southwest Gas customers can call 877-860-6020. Never try to fix a gas line yourself.
Once everyone is safe and the water is off, call us — our line always answers.
After you shut off the water
- Open a low faucet or an outdoor hose bib to drain what’s left in the pipes.
- If the water heater is leaking or may have drained, leave its gas or power off.
- Move rugs and furniture out of the wet area and start drying.
- Photograph the leak and the damage before you clean up — your insurance company may ask for them.
- Keep the water off until the leak is repaired, then open the main slowly and run each faucet until the air clears.
When to call a plumber
Call us if you can’t find your house valve, it won’t close all the way, or it leaks at the handle once you turn it.
Main shut-off replacement
Stuck or leaking house valves replaced so you can stop the water fast when it counts.
Angle stops & supply lines
Old stops and tired supply lines swapped for quarter-turn valves and braided lines.
Leak & pipe repair
Burst pipes, failed hose bibs and irrigation leaks repaired, with an honest answer on what needs fixing now.
Can’t shut the water off?
Valve won’t budge, or need the leak fixed? Call us — our line always answers. See our emergency plumbing and plumbing repairs services.
Shut-off questions
Can I turn off the water at the meter myself?
The City of Phoenix asks residents not to — it takes a special tool, and you may be held responsible for damage to the meter. Use your house valve. If you can’t find it or it won’t close, call your water provider or call us.
Why won’t my main shut-off valve turn?
Valves that sit untouched for years can stick, especially old gate valves. Forcing one can snap the stem and make things worse. If it won’t move by hand, call us and we’ll replace it.
Does closing the house valve shut off my sprinklers?
Not always — depending on how your home was plumbed, the irrigation line may branch off before the house valve. Close the valve at the backflow preventer to be sure.
How often should I test my shut-off valve?
Phoenix Water Services recommends knowing where your shut-off is and testing it regularly. Close it, confirm a faucet stops, then open it fully again. It also shows you early if the valve needs replacing.
Related services
Beacon Plumbing AZ helps homeowners across the Phoenix metro, including Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Peoria and the rest of the Valley.
