How to Find the Main Water Valve — and Why It's Important

When your home is being deluged with water, it goes without saying time is of the essence. The faster you can access the main shut-off valve, the better chance you have of controlling the damage. In addition to potentially wrecking your home and the possessions therein, the water itself can be dangerous and unhealthy.

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The good news is, you&#;ll be able to shut off your home&#;s own water supply if that is where the water is coming from. The key is knowing where the main valve is located &#; before you&#;re in a panic with water gushing everywhere.

Even if you&#;re not up to your knees in water from a flooding catastrophe, you&#;ll still want to know how to shut off your water supply &#; in fact, every adult in your home should learn how to do this. For example, if you need plumbing work done or plan to leave town during a cold spell and want to prevent pipes bursting, you&#;ll need to know how to find the valve and turn it off.

Types of Valves

Gate valves: If your house is older, it will typically have a gate valve. These types of valves last for years, which is good, but means it could be difficult to move if it hasn&#;t been turned in ages.

Full-flow ball valves: Newer homes usually have plastic or copper water pipes and feature a ball valve with a lever.

Locating Your Valve

Your valve could be located in several places. If you live in a warmer climate, you&#;ll typically find the main shut-off valve outside your house. It could be attached to an exterior wall, at or near the property line or street. Usually, the valve will be inside a covered concrete box within a pit underground. If this is the case, you may need a special &#;meter key&#; that you can buy at a hardware store to open the box.

If your neck of the woods sees colder winters, the water valve will usually be located inside the house in the basement or crawl space. If it&#;s in the basement, you will typically find it near the front foundation wall. The valve is usually located close to where the water main enters your home. If the valve isn&#;t there, you may find it near the water heater or furnace. If the location is hard to access, you may want to consider having a secondary valve installed somewhere easier to get to, for example, under the kitchen sink.

Turning Off Your Main Water Valve

To fully close a gate valve, turn the round handle clockwise several times. You may need to do three or four revolutions to turn it off fully. If you&#;ve never turned the valve since you moved into your home, you may want to test it out before you find yourself in an emergency situation.

When the ball valve is open, the lever will be lined up with the water pipe. To close it, you&#;ll need to turn the lever clockwise one quarter turn so that it&#;s at a right angle to the pipe.

Once you&#;ve managed to get the main valve off, turn on both hot and cold faucets in the bathtub or at the kitchen sink to make sure that the water supply is completely disabled. Then open all the faucets in the house to make sure the plumbing is fully drained.

Note: If your home has a fire sprinkler system, take extra care when turning the shut-off valve. You want to leave the sprinkler system on while shutting off the plumbing water.

Courtesy: Gemini Valve

A ball valve is designed for gas and fluid handling in process systems servicing the oil & gas and chemical processing industries. They also are commonly used in food & beverage equipment, mechanical engineering and automotive manufacturing and maintenance (see Figure 1).

Compared to gate valves or globe valves, ball valves are often preferred for their:

• Compact, economical designs

• Fast shut-off speeds

• Durability in high-pressure, high-volume and high-temperature applications

• Resistance to corrosion or damage

• Long service life

• Versatility in various industrial applications.

Most ball valves are designed to be maintenance-free and are intended to eventually be replaced rather than repaired. That said, the proper preventive measures can extend the life of ball valves by years.

Factors that impact ball valve lifespan

Many ball valve manufacturers provide an estimate of expected ball valve lifespan (usually eight to 10 years), and proper maintenance can certainly extend this range. However, ball valve lifespan can be influenced by a variety of other factors.

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Actuation: By choosing the appropriate power source for the application, users can reduce maintenance expenses, increase uptime and maximize safety. Pneumatic actuated ball valves are the most durable option in high-pressure environments, provided there is access to compressed air (see Figure 2).

Design: Ball valves come in one-, two- and three-piece designs, the first two of which do not allow for maintenance and must be replaced when components fail. Three-piece ball valves are designed so that the seats and seals can be removed and replaced without removing the entire valve from the system (see Figure 3).

Temperature and pressure rating: Ball valves used in high-pressure or high-cycle settings must be serviced or replaced more often than those in lower-pressure applications. The closer the media&#;s temperature/pressure rating is to the ball valve&#;s rating, the more frequently the valve will need to be replaced.

Media: Ball valves are intended for the on/off control of fluids and gases without solid particulates. Any particles in the media can abrade the valve mechanism, leading to repairs, valve failure or actuator failure.

Valve materials: Ball valves can be made of stainless steel, brass, bronze or plastic (PVC). While PVC offers flexibility and cost savings, metal ball valves are more durable, corrosion resistant, able to withstand high temperatures and pressures and are compatible with almost all media types (see Figure 4). Use the Cole-Parmer Chemical Compatibility Database to compare valve material and media.

Source: Some valve retailers source their products from all over the world, but products from overseas carry the risk of incompatibility with products made in the U.S. Quality aside, it&#;s best to buy ball valves from domestic sources to ensure compatibility and longevity and prevent premature replacements.

Why ball valve maintenance is important

Longevity: Valves that last longer and require few to no repairs help plants save money, prevent downtime and keep plant production on schedule. Without routine maintenance and quality checks, any issues with ball valves may be overlooked, leading to equipment failures, damaged parts or injured workers.

Security and safety: The worst-case scenario on a plant floor is a preventable accident that causes injuries or costly repairs. Maintenance experts who are properly trained in installing and assessing ball valves can identify potential issues easily and early, thereby lowering the chance of an emergency repair or violating OSHA.

Reduced need for shutdowns: Unplanned downtime is expensive, since any time the plant is not producing is money wasted or revenue missed. Some ball valve maintenance can be performed while the valve is in operation, allowing plant production to continue uninterrupted.

Cost savings: Just as increased uptime means increased revenue, fewer maintenance issues keep more money for the company. If ball valves are regularly inspected, maintained and replaced on a projected schedule, there will be less need to allocate funds to unexpected repairs or replacements.

The what and why of ball valves

1. Ball valves use a metal ball with a hole bored through the center, sandwiched between two seats to control flow. Used in many hydrocarbon process applications, ball valves are capable of throttling gases and vapors and are especially useful for low flow situations.

2. According to Wikipedia, a ball valve is a flow control device which uses a hollow, perforated and pivoting ball to control liquid flowing through it. It is open when the ball&#;s hole is in line with the flow inlet and closed when it is pivoted 90-degrees by the valve handle, blocking the flow. The handle lies flat in alignment with the flow when open, and is perpendicular to it when closed, making for easy visual confirmation of the valve&#;s status. The shut position 1/4 turn could be in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

3. According to Home Depot, ball valves are more effective at forming a tight seal and have more reliability and longevity than gate valves but tend to be more expensive. They are often used for shutoff and control applications. Because ball valves can open and close immediately, they are more likely than gate valves to cause water hammer.

Ball valve maintenance

Preventive or predictive maintenance should begin long before you detect any issues with your ball valves. Build the following steps into the plant&#;s maintenance management program to extend the life of ball valves.

Proper installation: Correctly installed ball valves have a much lower chance of needing repairs or replacement. Make sure the engineer installing the ball valves has relevant experience and knowledge.

Regular cleanings: Clean valves last longer, since there&#;s little chance for debris to build up and negatively impact the performance of the piping system. Be sure to use cleaning agents that don&#;t react negatively with the valve materials: Gas-based or compressed air cleaners work well for metal components, and alcohol- or water-based cleaners are ideal for non-metal parts. Clean ball valves at least once a year, and more frequently if the plant environment contains dirt or dust.

Valve lubrication: Lubrication keeps ball valves operating smoothly, prevents abrasion and helps increase the effectiveness of the valve seals. Stick to synthetic, water-insoluble, oil-based lubricants; avoid clay- or solid-based lubricants that may build up inside the valve cavity. Be sure to choose a lubricant compatible with the valve materials and system media.

Routine inspections: Have valves checked by a skilled inspector on a routine basis. Once a year is ideal, but ball valves in high-pressure and high-cycle applications should receive more frequent inspections. Inspections should include:

• Tightness of nuts, bolts and other hardware

• The presence of mineral buildup or corrosion

• Leak hazards

• Proper opening and closure of valves

• Position indicator accuracy (even on static valves)

• Proper exhausting and air filtration in the area.

In conclusion, annual shutdowns are an ideal time to perform ball valve inspections. Remove valves from the piping system, disassemble them, clean the interiors and replace broken or worn components, paying particular attention to seals or other rubber parts.

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