Finding your water shutoff and breaker panel

Do it like this

1. Find the main water shutoff. It's usually in the basement, garage or crawl space, under the home, or outside by the foundation. Source: Regional Water Providers¹ In an apartment, ask your landlord or building manager where yours is, and whether it's in your unit at all.
2. Learn which kind of valve it is. A wheel (gate) valve looks like an outdoor spigot. Turn it clockwise until it's snug, which may take several turns. A lever (ball) valve is off when the handle is perpendicular to the pipe, a quarter or half turn. Source: Regional Water Providers¹ Don't test a stiff valve by forcing it.
3. Find the small shutoffs. There's usually one on the wall behind each toilet and under each sink, for the hot and cold lines. They close clockwise. These let you stop one leak without shutting off the whole home.
4. Find the breaker panel. It's the box of switches that controls power to each circuit, usually near where power enters the building. Source: ESFI² Check for a garage, basement, utility closet or hallway. Look for a label on each breaker, and write labels in yourself if they're missing.
5. Find the GFCI outlets. These are the outlets with TEST and RESET buttons, required in kitchens, bathrooms, garages and outdoors. Source: ESFI² If a bathroom or kitchen outlet goes dead, look for a GFCI nearby and press RESET before you check the panel. The full monthly test is in Testing and resetting a GFCI outlet.
6. Photograph everything. Take a photo of each shutoff and of the panel with its labels. Save them to a phone album named "House" so you can find them in a panic. Show everyone you live with.

If a pipe bursts

• Shut off the main valve: wheel clockwise until snug, or lever crosswise to the pipe. Source: Regional Water Providers¹
• No valve? Many apartments, manufactured homes and older homes don't have one. Call your water provider to shut the water off at the street. Source: Regional Water Providers¹
• Open all the faucets and flush the toilets to drain the pipes and reduce the pressure. Source: Regional Water Providers¹
• If water is near outlets, cords or the panel, stay out of it. Shut off power at the panel only if you can reach it while standing somewhere dry.
• Photograph the damage for your landlord and your insurance before you clean up. Source: Regional Water Providers¹
• Burst pipes inside a home are the property owner's responsibility. If you rent, notify your landlord in writing right away. Pipes in the street are the water provider's. Source: Regional Water Providers¹

If the power goes out in one room

• Unplug or turn off things in that room. Source: ESFI²
• Open the panel and find the tripped breaker. It will be in the off position, or stuck in the middle between on and off. Source: ESFI²
• Push it fully to off, then back to on. Source: ESFI²
• If it trips again, stop. A breaker that keeps tripping can mean a more serious problem, so contact an electrician, or your landlord if you rent. Source: ESFI²
• A tripped breaker usually means too many appliances on one circuit. Spread space heaters, hair dryers and microwaves across different circuits. Source: ESFI²

Test your GFCI outlets monthly

• Press RESET, then plug in a nightlight. It should be on. Source: ESFI³
• Press TEST. The nightlight should go off. Source: ESFI³
• Press RESET. The light should come back on. Source: ESFI³
• If TEST or RESET doesn't work, the GFCI needs to be replaced. Source: ESFI³ In a rental, tell your landlord.

If it doesn't work

• Valve stuck, or can't find one? Don't force it. Check with a plumber, or your landlord. Source: Regional Water Providers¹
• Some water providers let customers shut off water at the street meter in an emergency, and some don't. Call yours before an emergency to ask. Source: Regional Water Providers¹
• After a power outage, if breakers have tripped, the Red Cross says to have an electrician inspect them before you turn them back on. Source: Red Cross⁶
• Lights that flicker or a switch that's hot to the touch? Shut it off and have it professionally replaced. Source: Ready.gov⁷