Turn Off Hot Water Supply: How To

When making plumbing repairs or replacing a device that uses your home's water, it's important to know how to turn off the hot water supply. There are at least three separate places that you can do this, depending on your home's plumbing. It's also good to note that with some devices, you can turn off the hot water right at the device itself. This shouldn't require any tools, more often than not, so just about anyone can do it!

You can turn off the hot water supply at the appliance, the water heater, or the main shutoff valve.

Let's talk a bit more about that, shall we?

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Turn Off Hot Water Supply at the Fixture

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This is best when you notice that you've got a sink dripping or a toilet overflowing. Really, if you notice a leak at any device, you should know how to do this. Here's a list to show you how to locally turn off the water to troubleshoot individual devices:

1. Sinks -The shutoff valve for a sink is located beneath it. Generally, it'll have a valve for both hot and cold water that's attached to the piping beneath. Usually these will be colour-coded or marked with an H and C.
2. Toilets -Toilets generally have piping that runs behind where it attaches to the wall. You should notice a small valve or lever on the pipe near the base of the toilet on the left. Turning this will shut off the water.
3. Showers or Tubs -You should see an access panel near the shower or tub faucet. If you don't see this access panel, it's likely in a ceiling or floor panel - it's there somewhere, you just have to look a bit harder.
4. Dishwashers -The shutoff valve for a dishwasher is usually located beneath the kitchen sink near the sink shutoff. You should see a water supply tube running from the dishwasher to the junction beneath the sink - follow this and you'll find the shutoff.
5. Refrigerators and ice dispensers -Look for a copper or mesh supply tube going from the refrigerator. Somewhere along that pipe, you'll see a small valve - this is your shutoff. Occasionally, the shutoff will be near the one under your sink, so look there if you can't find it.
6. Clotheswasher -You'll find two water cutoffs with clothes machines. They should have one for hot water, and one for cold. They'll be located under a nearby utility sink (if you've got one) or in a water supply valve box that's set into the wall nearby.

As a note, some homes have branch valves that control the water to a whole room or series of devices. These are generally located along the main branch pipes and are in utility areas.

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Turn Off Hot Water Supply at the Water Heater

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If you need to make repairs to your hot water heater or have found a leak along the hot water line, this is what you'll want to find. Water heaters have two shutoff valves; one for cold water, one for hot. These are often colour-coded (red and blue for hot and cold, respectively).

While you may only need to turn off one for what you're doing, it's generally best to just turn them both off to ensure you don't get water running through the pipes as you're working. To shut off cold or hot water at the water heater, simply locate the properly coloured handle and turn it so it's fully off. This will generally have it perpendicular to the pipe itself.

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Turn Off Hot Water Supply at the Main

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This is where you go when there's a leak in the main branch line or you can't find another shutoff valve that's a bit more local. The main supply valve is generally tucked away somewhere harder to reach, so it won't be quite as easy, but that's okay. If it was out in the open, it would get bumped all the time, leading to more confusion as to why you don't have hot water.

To locate the main supply shutoff valve, look for a utility space near where the main line enters your home. It could also be located in the house end of your water meter. Because this valve isn't used nearly as much, it may be a bit difficult to open - that's okay. Give it a bit more elbow grease and effort and you should get it done.

Once you've shut the main off, you need to do one thing to drain standing water. Locate the physically highest and lowest faucets in your home (in the basement and top floor, for example). Open them up and allow all of the standing water left to drain out. This ensures that your pipes are completely devoid of water, preventing unwanted spills while working.

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Turn Off Hot Water Supply at the Meter

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This should be the last stop to turn off the water, if only because you don't want to go outside if you don't have to. Locate your water meter box and you should see two valves; one on the "city" side of your meter, and another on the "home" side. Keep in mind that some areas have laws banning you from touching the "city" side of the water meter as the pipes outside of your home technically belong to the city.

This will be very obvious (two valves, turn the one closest to your home). Only use this as a last resort if you can't locate or use any other shutoff valves.

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Final Thoughts

Shutting off water in your home is, theoretically, rather easy. It only takes a single turn of a valve, but the hard part is finding the valve. Be sure to work your way from local to "big picture" valves for shutoff. In other words, if you're working on a leaking faucet, don't shut off the water at the main or water meter - use the faucet's local shutoff.

And if you're ever unsure of where to look, work your way back (as much as you can), following the pipes from your main supply. This will help you pinpoint all other valves for future use, and should simplify your job at least a bit.

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