Rated 4.8 Out Of 5 StarsThere are a few things Phoenix homeowners really should know and how to turn off the gas and water to your water heater is one of them. In case you smell gas, there is a water leak, or your water heater isn’t acting as usual, it might be a good idea to be educated in how to turn off the gas and water to your water heater before major problems arise. Some people won’t allow their water heater to be placed inside their home just because they know if it does leak and they don’t know how to stop the water or it leaks when they are away, it can do thousands of dollars of damage to their floors. The water and gas can be shut off from the water heater itself, which shuts off all the gas and water going to it or the gas and water supply can be shut off from the house completely from the meter and stopcock. Knowing both ways to shut off the water can really be helpful and also save you thousands of dollars in damage in case of a leak. Follow the steps below on how to turn off the gas and water to your water heater.
To turn off gas to water heater:
1. Look for a single handle valve that would usually be located at the bottom of the unit about a foot or two out. The valve will usually look like one in the image below.
2. Turn this valve in the clockwise position to turn the gas off.
Shut off main gas:
If you can’t get the gas valve to turn, can’t find the gas valve, or if there are any other problems there is a second option.
Finding the street-side shut off valve is usually pretty simple. It is located right next to the gas meter hat is found on the exterior of the house as shown below. The valve is on when it is parallel to the incoming gas line. When the valve is turned a quarter turn so that it is perpendicular, then the gas line is closed. This valve can only be opened and closed with a wrench.
To turn off the flow of water to water heater:
Every appliance that required water to it has a shut off valve usually within a few feet of the appliance. To find the water heater shut off valve for the water look
on top of the heater for a handle that will look closely to the one in the image below.
To turn the water off, turn this handle clockwise until it stops. If for some reason you cant get the handle to turn, cant find the handle, or if you have any other problems, there is a second option which is to turn the water off to the whole house.
To shut off all water to the house:
A stopcock controls the water to the house, which is a valve that can turn off and off the water to the whole house. A stopcock can either be a handle or it will look like a metal valve with a metal flange and they can be in really unusual places especially in Phoenix but most often they are located together with a water meter under a hatch near the street. If you cant find where your stopcock is located, contact your water company for guidance. If the stopcock is a handle it will need to be turned clockwise until it stops or if it is a metal valve with a metal flange in which you will need to use a pipe wrench to turn it a quarter of a turn to turn the water off. The water supply should now be closed off but remember that there will still be water in the pipes that will need to be drained.
If you need additional assistance in Phoenix on how to turn off the gas and water to your water heater Call Water Heaters Only, Inc at (602) 253-8010 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Specializing in water heater, since 1968 allows us to provide superior water heater services no matter what type of water heater problem you have. Let us give you peace of mind when it comes to your water heater.