Drain Away Your Fear and Learn How to Shut Off Your Main Water Valve in New Orleans

Water valve set in the building, Control water flow by valve,Nothing is small here in the Big Easy, even the holiday season. As joyous as this time of year can be, it can also wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing. Between having company over, visiting with loved ones, and the icy cold fronts that can hit our area, the holidays can lead to emergencies and problems!
Although facing plumbing emergencies can be a real pain in the drain, knowing exactly what to do in the event one happens can make them seem a lot less intimidating. Learning how to operate your home’s main water valve is very important. It can help to drastically reduce the chances of serious water damage in the event of a plumbing disaster such as a burst pipe.
Since 1937, the expert plumbers here at Bienvenu Brothers have been serving greater New Orleans. We’re proud to offer a wide range of plumbing services to address minor issues, major problems and everything in between, including main water valve services.
Learning how to shut off your main water valve is easy! Just follow these simple steps!
Locate your main water valve
Sometimes your main water valve will be located close to the water meter inside your home. It may be in a crawlspace or a utility closet. However, in New Orleans it may often be found outside along a exterior wall of your home. You can identify the main water valve by it’s piping and flat or round valve handles. Flat handles in the shape of popsicle sticks are known as ball valves while round handles that look like wheels are referred to as gate valves. Remember to share the location of the main water valve with other members of your household so everyone can be prepared if a plumbing emergency happens!
Turn the valve handle clockwise
Turning the valve to the right, or clockwise, will immediately stop the flow of water into your home. This is true for both ball and gate valves. Any appliances that require water inside your home cannot be used until the water is turned back on by rotating the valve handle counterclockwise or to the left. Handles that are difficult or impossible to turn by hand can be turned using a wrench. Having a limited range of motion of only 90 degrees, ball valves need to be turned until they’re perpendicular to the pipe, where was gate valves may require several rotations until they can no longer turn.
Now turn your faucets on
While turning your faucets on right after shutting off your main water valve may seem a bit odd, this simple step will help to eliminate any leftover water in your pipes by allowing it to drain. Just turn your faucets all the way on and let the water empty out into the sink. Before you turn your water back on, it’s important to remove the aerator or small screen found at the end of the faucet in order to get rid of any scale or debris that may have fallen off while the water was draining. This simple measure will help to prevent a potential clog.
Turning off your main water supply from home is different than doing so from the street meter owned by the water company. There’s only a few reasons in which doing so is necessary, including a leak between your home’s main water valve and the streets, or if your home’s main water valve isn’t working or is being repaired. Before attempting to shut off the street meter, always check with your water company first to be on the safe side.
Street shut off valves and meters can be identified by their boxes with access covers. Just like your home’s main shut off valve, they might require a wrench in order to access and turn the valve clockwise, especially if it hasn’t been used in a while.
For affordable rates, service you can count on, and the highest levels of plumbing excellence and professionalism, call Bienvenu Brothers today! We’re happy to help you with all your plumbing needs, including troubleshooting your main water valve!