Know Where Your Main Water Shutoff Is Before You Need It

Every homeowner should be able to kill the water to the whole house in under a minute, in the dark, in a panic. Most people have never tried. Fix that on a calm afternoon.

Do it now

• Find the main shutoff — usually where the water line enters the house, near the meter, or by the water heater.
• Turn it off and on once to make sure it actually works. Old gate valves seize up; a quarter-turn ball valve is the modern standard.
• Show everyone in the house where it is and how it works.
• Keep the meter key or wrench, if your meter needs one, hanging right by the door.

When a supply line bursts, the difference between a mop-up and an insurance claim is how fast the water stops.