• While mapping out your homes main water, gases and electric controls bring labels (or duck tape and a sharpie) to mark main valves/controls such as “Main Shutoff”.
• If you find most of your controls in a basement or closet, keep a flash light near the controls in case a blackout occurs in which you need to access the control panels.

Finding the Water Supply: You should find the water meter on the outside of your home near the water supply pipe the goes into the house. In new homes you will find a Gate Valve that works like a round handle faucet. Just like a faucet you will need to turn clockwise (left turn) to turn off the water flow. Counterclockwise (right turn) will restore the water flow.  Most water supply valves are hard to turn, so you may need to use a lubricant.

If you are in an older home, you may have a Ball Valve. Although they are more difficult to operate, they are sturdier and longer lasting. When the Ball Valve handle is parallel (in line with) to the pipe your valve is open and water is running. When you want to turn the water supply off to your home, make a quarter turn so that the handle and the pipe make a 90 degree angle. The Ball Valve only turns one way, so don’t force it if the handle will not turn.

Finding the Gas Supply: You know that meter outside your home that reads the amount natural gas your household uses, that is where you will find your shutoff valve for your gas. The shutoff valve is usually a small rectangular handle.  When the handle is parallel with the gas pipe, the gas is on. To turn the gas off, simply turn the handle perpendicular to the gas pipe.

 Finding the Electric Supply: Your electrical controls are usually located in a metal box that contains fuses, this box is called an Electric Service Panel or Breaker Box. The main electrical shut off can be found in the top portion of the Breaker Box, sometimes enclosed in a small access door within the Breaker Box, above all  other fuses or circuit breakers. Simply switch the main shut off switch to the off position to stop any flow of electricity to your home.

1. Get everyone out of the house at once.
2. Use a neighbor’s phone or your cell phone, once you are away of from your home, to call the gas company or the fire department.
3. Don’t light a math or turn on/off any electrical switch. The danger of fire or an explosion is high. You should leave as many windows and doors open to help clear out the gas from the house.

Once you know everyone is safely out of your home, you can turn off the gas supply at the main gas shutoff valve. If you feel unsafe to turn off the gas shutoff valve, you can wait for the utility company to arrive to shut it off for you. The valve is usually located on the gas inlet pipe next to the gas meter. To shut off the gas, use an adjustable wrench to turn the gas shutoff valve a quarter-turn in either direction so that the valve flats are in a closed position. The valve should be perpendicular to the pipe.

Gas Shutoff Valve

Don’t turn the gas back on until you’ve discovered the source of the gas leak and have corrected it.

In the event of a natural disaster, you may have to turn off the gas supply to your home. Make sure you and all members of your family know the location of the gas shutoff valve and how to close it. To help your family identify the gas valve, attach a tie-on tag to the valve and label it Gas Shutoff Valve. Leave an adjustable wrench in a reachable location so it will be close at hand in the event of an emergency.