How To Find Your Water Shut-Off In Shreveport
Every Shreveport household should know where the main water shut-off is before something goes wrong. When a pipe bursts or a water heater lets go, the minutes spent looking for the valve are the minutes that do the damage. Our team wrote this short guide so you can find yours today. If you cannot find it, or it will not turn, call (318) 300-4894.
Inside the house
Start where the water line enters the building. Some Shreveport homes have a house shut-off on that line: look near the water heater, in the garage or utility room, under the kitchen sink, or on an outside wall near a hose faucet on the side of the house that faces the street. It will be a round wheel handle (a gate valve) or a straight lever (a ball valve). A lever is off when it sits across the pipe. Not every older home has a house valve at all, and in that case the meter is your shut-off. We will ensure that your shut-off valve repair in Shreveport is handled by professionals.
At the meter
The City of Shreveport says the water meter is generally at the front of the property, between the edge of the road pavement and your property line, set in a box in the ground. Lift the lid carefully and look for the valve beside the meter. Turning it a quarter turn, so the handle sits across the pipe, stops water to the whole property. A meter key from a hardware store makes this easier. The meter also helps you check for leaks: if it moves with every tap closed, water is escaping somewhere. If you cannot find your meter, the city's water department can help you locate it. Our team is fully committed to reliable plumbing repair in Shreveport.
If the valve is seized
Old gate valves often seize or snap when they are finally needed. Do not force one with a wrench; a broken stem can leave you with a valve that neither opens nor closes. Use the valve at the meter instead, and have the house valve replaced with a quarter-turn ball valve, which is far more dependable. If neither valve will close and water is running, the Shreveport Department of Water and Sewerage has an emergency line for shutting water off at the street. When you need a shut-off valve replaced in Shreveport, our team is ready to help.
Label it today
Once you have found the shut-off, hang a tag on it, and show everyone in the house where it is and which way it turns. Keep a meter key and a torch where you can reach them. Turn the house valve off and on once or twice a year so it does not seize. Do the same for the cold-water valve above the water heater. Our guide on what to do if a pipe bursts covers the next steps. We are committed to making plumbing repair in Shreveport simple and reliable. Call (318) 300-4894 today for a quote.