The following story is a work of fiction, but trust Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air when we tell you it’s very believable.
Alisha was home alone, writing blogs from her home office, when she heard water running downstairs. She went to check it out and found a broken shutoff valve under the kitchen sink spewing gallons of water every minute.
Alisha panicked because she suddenly realized she didn’t know where the main water shutoff valve for the house was located. She quickly called her husband and breathlessly pleaded, “Chad HELP! The house is being flooded and I need to know how to make it stop. Where’s the main water shutoff valve?” Chad paused ever so briefly then said, “Honey, I’m sorry but I can’t remember. It has been several years since we moved in and we’ve never had to use it before.”
Needless to say, by the time professional help arrived the water had extensively damaged the house. The weeks that followed were filled with insurance claim paperwork, restoration workers tearing up floors and walls, and a lot of regret by Chad and Alisha for not knowing basic information about the location of the main water shutoff valve.
Dixie wants you to know the lesson here is always be prepared. Every person who lives in the house should know where the water shutoff valve is located, because you never know when there will be a broken water pipe in your house. If you don’t know where the valve is, here are a few tips to locate it:
- Almost always located near the perimeter of the house
- Usually in the basement where the water line enters the home
- If you don’t have a basement check the outside wall of a utility room
- It will not be upstairs
If you still haven’t found it, check the documents from when you bought the home. A home inspection should always note where the main the main water shutoff valve is located.
Don’t end up like Alisha and Chad. Whatever your plumbing needs in Montgomery or Auburn, AL and points in between, call Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air. Make sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get more important home safety information like this.
