{ "id": "shutoff-valve-service", "version": "2026.09.10.1", "updated": "2026-09-10", "title": "Shutoff Valve Repair & Replacement", "url": "/services/shutoff-valves/", "summary": "Main water valves, gate and ball valves, fixture stops and automatic leak shutoffs for Sandy and Salt Lake Valley homes.", "locations": [ { "id": "main", "name": "Main house valve", "title": "Stops the home’s incoming water", "text": "Look where the water service enters the home. In many Salt Lake Valley houses, that is along a basement foundation wall, sometimes behind an access panel. The main valve controls the plumbing connected after it. A nearby pressure-reducing valve, or PRV, lowers incoming pressure. Its adjustment screw sets pressure; the shutoff handle stops flow.", "tip": "Label the main and keep the handle accessible. If it will not stop an active leak, contact your water provider for an upstream shutdown and call us for the valve repair." }, { "id": "fixture", "name": "Sink or toilet", "title": "Stops water at one fixture", "text": "A fixture stop is the small valve between the house pipe and a supply hose. Toilets usually have one cold-water stop. Sinks usually have separate hot and cold stops. Closing one sink valve leaves the other supply available.", "tip": "Before replacing a faucet or toilet, confirm its stops actually hold. Water that continues after the remaining pipe water drains means the supply still needs to be isolated." }, { "id": "laundry", "name": "Laundry & appliances", "title": "Makes appliance service possible", "text": "Washer valves supply hot and cold water, often from a recessed box. A dishwasher usually has a dedicated hot-water valve beneath the sink, or shares a dual-outlet stop. The refrigerator’s ice maker has a smaller supply line and its own shutoff.", "tip": "Trace which outlet each handle controls. A dual-outlet valve may control both appliances together or provide a separate handle for each outlet." }, { "id": "heater", "name": "Water heater", "title": "Controls the heater’s cold inlet", "text": "The inlet valve stops new cold water from entering the heater. The tank still contains water after that valve is closed. During heater service, we manage the water, stored heat and energy supply together.", "tip": "The temperature-and-pressure relief valve has a separate safety job. Its small test lever is not the heater’s supply shutoff." }, { "id": "outside", "name": "Outdoor branch", "title": "Isolates an outdoor water line", "text": "Some homes have an indoor valve for a hose bib or outdoor branch. Closing it lets that branch be serviced while the rest of the house remains supplied. Outdoor faucet winter care also includes removing hoses and draining the parts designed to drain.", "tip": "Mark the valve with the faucet it serves. Our hose bib guide walks through frost-free operation, leaks and winter care." } ], "valves": [ { "id": "ball", "name": "Ball valve", "tag": "A quarter turn", "text": "The handle turns a metal ball with a hole through its center. Open, the hole lines up with the pipe. Closed, the solid side of the ball covers the passage and presses against sealing rings called seats. A full-port valve has a passage sized to preserve the line’s flow capacity.", "open": "The drilled opening lines up with the pipe. On this lever-operated valve, the handle is parallel to the water line.", "closed": "The ball has turned 90 degrees. Its solid side and the two seats block flow; the handle is across the pipe.", "parts": [ [ "ball", "Drilled ball", "The hole turns with the handle. It becomes the water passage when aligned with the pipe." ], [ "seat", "Sealing seats", "These rings seal against the ball. Damage or debris here can let water pass through a closed valve." ], [ "stem", "Stem & seal", "The stem connects the handle to the ball. A separate seal around the stem keeps water from escaping beneath the handle." ] ] }, { "id": "gate", "name": "Gate valve", "tag": "Several turns", "text": "A threaded stem raises and lowers a metal wedge, called the gate. The wedge settles between two seats to close the passage. In the non-rising-stem design shown here, the handwheel stays at the same height as the gate travels inside the body.", "open": "The gate has lifted above the water passage. The handwheel turns several times to move it through its full travel.", "closed": "The wedge rests against its seats. Turning the wheel harder after it seats can damage the stem or gate.", "parts": [ [ "gate", "Gate & seats", "The wedge closes against the seat faces inside the body. Debris, corrosion or damaged faces can keep it from sealing." ], [ "stem", "Threaded stem", "Turning the wheel drives the gate along the stem’s threads. A stripped or broken connection can leave the handle turning without moving the gate." ], [ "packing", "Stem packing", "Packing is sealing material compressed around the rotating stem, just below the handwheel. A leak here shows up outside the valve." ] ] } ], "gate_care": [ [ "Why a valve that sat for years starts leaking", "A seldom-used gate valve can be stiff with deposits or corrosion. Its packing has also aged. Turning the stem for the first time in years can reveal a leak around that seal. Inside, debris or worn seating surfaces can keep the gate from closing completely." ], [ "What “exercise the valve” means", "It means operating a serviceable valve through its full open-and-closed travel, then checking that it shuts off and stays dry. Include it in regular plumbing maintenance. If an old valve is crusted, already wet or hard to turn, have it assessed before trying to work it back and forth." ], [ "Why we often replace it with a ball valve", "A quality full-port ball valve gives the main line a quick, easy-to-read shutoff. Replacement is especially useful when an old gate binds, has damaged internal parts or will not stop water. We choose the valve and connections to match the pipe and leave room to operate its handle." ] ], "symptoms": [ { "id": "stem", "name": "Leak at the handle", "title": "Check the stem seal", "text": "Water forming around the turning shaft points to the stem packing or seal. It may start after a valve that sat unused is operated. The repair depends on whether the valve has serviceable packing and whether the stem and body are sound.", "next": "We assess the seal and matching repair parts. A cracked body, damaged stem or failing internal shutoff usually favors replacement." }, { "id": "passing", "name": "Closed, but water keeps coming", "title": "The valve is passing water", "text": "A little water can drain from the pipe after shutoff. A continuing supply means the valve has not isolated the line. On a gate valve, the gate may be obstructed or damaged. On a fixture stop, the washer or cartridge may no longer seal.", "next": "Use a working upstream shutoff before the connection is opened. We test the replacement by confirming the downstream flow stops." }, { "id": "stuck", "name": "Stuck or spinning handle", "title": "The handle is telling you something", "text": "A stiff valve can have corrosion or deposits in its moving parts. A freely spinning handle can have a loose attachment, stripped threads or a broken stem. A gate stuck partly closed can also restrict water to the house.", "next": "Leave a seized handle alone rather than adding leverage. We check whether the handle itself is damaged and arrange upstream isolation if the valve needs to come out." }, { "id": "joint", "name": "Leak at a pipe or hose joint", "title": "Find the first wet connection", "text": "Water can run down a valve and make a lower joint look guilty. We dry the assembly and trace where it first gets wet. Compression rings, threaded joints, soldered connections and supply-hose seals each need a different repair.", "next": "The surrounding pipe matters. A corroded nipple, scored copper tube or brittle plastic connection may need attention along with the valve." } ], "fixture_sections": [ [ "Multi-turn or quarter-turn?", "A multi-turn stop tightens a rubber washer against an internal seat as you turn the handle. Aging washers can harden, break apart or stop sealing. A quarter-turn replacement operates with a short rotation and is easy to use in a tight cabinet. The internal design depends on the product; BrassCraft’s G2, for example, uses a one-piece shutoff mechanism." ], [ "Angle stop or straight stop?", "An angle stop turns the water path 90 degrees, usually from a wall pipe toward the fixture. A straight stop keeps the connections in line and often fits a pipe rising from the floor. We choose the shape that leaves the handle reachable and lets the hose curve naturally without a kink." ], [ "The connection at the wall matters", "The short piece of pipe sticking out of the wall is the stub-out. A compression stop seals around copper with a metal ring called a ferrule; other stops attach with solder, threads, press fittings or a matching PEX connection. A damaged ferrule, short stub-out or corroded pipe can require work behind the old valve." ], [ "The valve and supply hose work together", "We check the hose’s end seals, length and condition when replacing a stop. Older one-piece valve-and-hose assemblies are replaced together. A separate valve and replaceable connector make future faucet or toilet service easier. A cracked valve body, seized stem or damaged connection calls for replacement." ] ], "smart": [ { "id": "flo", "name": "Moen Flo", "tag": "Measures water moving through the home", "text": "Flo installs in the main water line and monitors flow, pressure and temperature. It learns usage patterns, runs leak checks and can close its built-in valve when it detects a potential leak. The app also lets you see water use and close the valve remotely.", "detail": "Installation includes the correct pipe size, a nearby power supply and Wi-Fi setup. We locate it after the manual shutoff and pressure regulator so the home’s intended water use passes through it.", "sources": [ "flo", "flo-install" ] }, { "id": "sensor", "name": "Sensor-triggered shutoffs", "tag": "Reacts to water where a sensor is placed", "text": "Systems such as the Resideo L5 can close a motorized main valve when a connected cable or compatible paired detector senses a leak. Sensors can sit near a washer, water heater or other likely wet spot.", "detail": "Sensor placement determines where the system can detect escaped water. We test the valve, the sensor connection and the alert setup together, then show you how to reopen or operate the valve manually.", "sources": [ "resideo" ] } ], "process": [ [ "Plan the shutdown", "We identify the valve, pipe material and working shutoff ahead of it. Replacing the home’s main may require a water-provider shutdown. In a shared building, we coordinate the interruption with the person managing the water supply." ], [ "Repair or replace the assembly", "With the water isolated and pressure relieved, we service the matching internal parts or fit a replacement valve. We support the pipe and correct damaged nearby connections so the new valve has a sound base." ], [ "Test both jobs", "We restore water gradually and check the body, stem and joints for leaks. Then we close the valve and verify that it stops the downstream supply. Finally, we reopen it, check flow and leave the handle reachable." ] ], "faqs": [ { "question": "Is there another water shutoff outside?", "answer": "Often, yes. The water provider has a service shutoff at the meter or a separate curb stop near the street. If the indoor main fails during a leak, call the provider’s emergency number for a shutdown. This outside valve also lets us replace a failed indoor main." }, { "question": "Do I need the whole house shut off to replace a toilet stop?", "answer": "Replacing the toilet’s shutoff valve requires a working valve ahead of it, usually the house main. Once the new toilet stop is installed and tested, it can isolate future toilet or hose repairs by itself." }, { "question": "Is a ball valve better than an old gate valve for the main shutoff?", "answer": "A quality full-port ball valve is a useful replacement for a worn main gate valve. It closes with a quarter turn and its lever makes the position easy to see. Pipe size, drinking-water suitability, access and connection quality all matter when choosing the replacement." }, { "question": "Can you repair a leaking shutoff instead of replacing it?", "answer": "Yes, when the body and sealing surfaces are sound and the correct service parts are available. Packing or a washer may solve a serviceable valve’s leak. A valve that is cracked, heavily corroded, seized or unable to shut off often needs replacement." }, { "question": "Why did my old gate valve leak after I turned it?", "answer": "Moving a stem that sat unused can expose worn packing or deposits around the seal. Water around the handle is an external stem leak. Water continuing through the closed valve points to trouble at the gate, seats or operating mechanism." }, { "question": "How do I know the water is actually off?", "answer": "After closing the correct valve gently, open a fixture supplied by that line. Allow the water remaining in the pipe to drain. A continuing flow means the line is still being supplied. Before disconnecting plumbing, confirm isolation rather than relying on handle position alone." }, { "question": "Do both valves under a sink need replacing?", "answer": "We check both. When they are the same age and both are stiff, leaking or unreliable, replacing the pair can save a second shutdown. A sound valve can stay when the problem is confined to the other side." }, { "question": "What affects the cost of shutoff-valve replacement?", "answer": "The valve type, pipe condition, room to work and method of shutting off the supply drive the job. A reachable fixture stop takes different work from a main valve inside a finished wall. Smart shutoffs add device selection, power, app setup and testing. We explain the scope and price before starting." }, { "question": "Will an automatic shutoff work during a power or internet outage?", "answer": "Power keeps the motor and electronics working; internet access supports remote alerts and app control. Offline behavior and battery backup vary by product. We explain those details for the chosen device and show everyone in the home how to use the manual shutoff." }, { "question": "Does Moen Flo keep working without Wi-Fi?", "answer": "With power available, Flo continues monitoring and stores data during an internet outage. Live phone alerts and remote control need the internet connection." }, { "question": "How do I plan power backup for a smart shutoff?", "answer": "Plan around the exact valve and power supply. Moen’s optional Flo battery provides up to four hours of device power and is intended for indoor use. Keep the manual house shutoff accessible." }, { "question": "Can a softener trigger a smart-shutoff alert?", "answer": "Its regeneration cycle uses water automatically, often overnight. Include that cycle and other planned heavy uses when setting up the monitor. Flo provides scheduled overrides for expected use." } ], "sources": [ { "id": "gate", "title": "NIBCO: non-rising-stem gate valve construction", "url": "https://catalog.nibco.com/Asset/T113HCBI.pdf" }, { "id": "ball", "title": "NIBCO: ball valve operation and maintenance", "url": "https://media.distributordatasolutions.com/xlsx_nibco/2024q4/documents/32b006eb30f60831dba801ad49f16fc76d6ad37c.pdf" }, { "id": "stops", "title": "BrassCraft: quarter-turn fixture stops and connection types", "url": "https://www.brasscraft.com/g2-stops/" }, { "id": "multi", "title": "BrassCraft: multi-turn stops and repair-part resources", "url": "https://www.brasscraft.com/product/12-in-nom-sweat-x-12-in-o-d-comp/" }, { "id": "flo", "title": "Moen: Flo water monitoring and automatic shutoff", "url": "https://shop.moen.com/products/flo-smart-water-monitor-and-shutoff" }, { "id": "flo-install", "title": "Moen: Flo installation guide", "url": "https://assets.moen.com/shared/docs/instruction-sheets/ins11955b.pdf" }, { "id": "resideo", "title": "Resideo: L5 Wi-Fi water shutoff instructions", "url": "https://customer.resideo.com/resources/Techlit/TechLitDocuments/33-00000s/33-00602.pdf" }, { "id": "utility", "title": "Salt Lake City Public Utilities: water emergencies and meter turn-offs", "url": "https://www.slc.gov/utilities/utilitiesandservices/" }, { "id": "outside-valve", "title": "Seattle Public Utilities: house and meter shutoff locations", "url": "https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/your-services/water/metering/how-to-shut-off" }, { "id": "flo-offline", "title": "Moen: Flo operation without Wi-Fi", "url": "https://solutions.moen.com/Moen_Flo_Shutoff/Get_to_know_your_Product/Does_the_Moen_Flo_Shutoff_need_Wi-Fi%3F" }, { "id": "flo-battery", "title": "Moen: Flo battery backup", "url": "https://solutions.moen.com/Moen_Flo_Shutoff/Get_to_know_your_Product/Moen_Flo_Shutoff_Lithium_Ion_Battery_Backup" }, { "id": "flo-use", "title": "Moen: planned water-use overrides", "url": "https://solutions.moen.com/Moen_Flo_Shutoff/Alerts%2C_Notifications%2C_and_Settings/How_To%3A_Add_a_Manual_Override" }, { "id": "flo-modes", "title": "Moen: system modes", "url": "https://solutions.moen.com/Smart_Water_Security_Products/Help_Center/Flo_by_Moen_app/Mode_Change" } ], "emergency": [ { "name": "Fixture shutoff", "title": "One sink, toilet or appliance", "text": "Close the valve supplying the leaking fixture or hose. A sink has separate hot and cold supplies. If that valve leaks or will not stop the water, move to the house main." }, { "name": "Indoor main", "title": "The home’s incoming supply", "text": "This valve is usually near the water-service entry, often in the basement. Closing it stops incoming water to the plumbing after it. Water remaining in the pipes can still drain out." }, { "name": "Outside meter or curb stop", "title": "The backup when the main fails", "text": "The city or water district often has another shutoff outside, at the meter or in a separate curb-stop access near the street. This valve stops the service before it reaches your indoor main." } ], "emergency_dispatch": "If water keeps coming and the indoor main will not hold, call the emergency number for the water provider on your bill. Give the address and say: “I have an active plumbing leak, and my main shutoff will not stop the water. I need an emergency water shutdown.” The provider can send someone to operate its outside valve. We can then repair the failed house valve.", "emergency_planning": "That outside shutoff also makes planned main-valve replacement possible: it stops the water feeding the valve we need to remove. Keep your indoor main accessible and save the water provider’s emergency number before you need it.", "fixture_examples": [ { "id": "sink", "name": "Sink valves", "title": "Two supplies under the cabinet", "text": "The small valves where the hot and cold pipes enter the cabinet are called fixture stops. Short supply hoses connect them to the faucet. Close both stops for faucet replacement. For a leak at one supply hose, its own stop controls that side.", "tip": "A stop that drips around the handle after turning needs attention. If water continues from the faucet after the line drains, one of the stops may be failing to seal." }, { "id": "toilet", "name": "Toilet valve", "title": "One valve behind the toilet", "text": "The toilet stop feeds cold water through a hose to the tank’s fill valve. It is commonly low on the wall beside the toilet, or on a pipe coming through the floor. It needs to work before a toilet, fill valve or supply hose can be serviced.", "tip": "Once the stop is closed, flushing uses the water stored in the tank. A tank that keeps refilling shows that water is still getting past the stop. A continuing running-toilet problem with the supply open usually starts with the tank’s internal parts." }, { "id": "kitchen", "name": "Dishwasher & refrigerator", "title": "Follow the small supply hose", "text": "A dishwasher commonly uses a hot-water stop under the kitchen sink. It may have its own valve or share a dual-outlet valve with the faucet. A refrigerator’s ice maker and water dispenser use a small cold-water line with a shutoff under the sink or behind the refrigerator.", "tip": "On a dual-outlet stop, one handle may shut both outlets together; a two-handle version can control each separately. We trace the hoses so the valve being serviced matches the appliance." }, { "id": "washer", "name": "Laundry valves", "title": "Hot and cold at the washer box", "text": "Washing machines usually have two hose connections, supplied by separate hot and cold valves or a combined shutoff. Those valves get used when hoses or the machine are changed—often after sitting open for years.", "tip": "We check for leaks at the handles, hose threads and pipe connections inside the box. A worn hose washer can leak at the hose connection even when the shutoff itself is sound." } ], "fixture_repair": { "title": "Can the little valve be rebuilt?", "text": "Some multi-turn stops can be repaired with a matching stem, washer and packing kit when the body and seat are sound. For a worn or unreliable stop, we usually discuss a new quarter-turn valve. Before removing either the internals or the valve, we shut off the supply ahead of it and relieve pressure.", "test": "Afterward, we check for leaks with the water back on, close the stop to confirm it holds, then reopen it and check the fixture’s flow. When both sink valves are the same age, we check the pair during the same visit." }, "pages": { "hub": { "path": "/services/shutoff-valves/", "label": "Shutoff service hub", "title": "Shutoff Valve Repair & Replacement", "summary": "Leaking or stuck water shutoff? Find fixture-stop, main-valve and automatic-shutoff help from Mountain Man Plumbing in Sandy and the Salt Lake Valley.", "faq_indexes": [ 3, 6, 7 ], "source_ids": [] }, "fixtures": { "path": "/services/shutoff-valves/fixture-shutoff-valves/", "label": "Sink, toilet & appliance valves", "title": "Sink, Toilet & Appliance Shutoff Valves", "summary": "Find the small valve feeding your fixture, understand why it leaks or stops working, and see what goes into repair or replacement.", "card": "Leaking under the sink? Toilet valve won’t close? Start with the small valves feeding one fixture.", "action": "Find my fixture valve", "tag": "One fixture at a time", "faq_indexes": [ 1, 6 ], "source_ids": [ "stops", "multi" ] }, "main": { "path": "/services/shutoff-valves/main-water-shutoff/", "label": "Main water shutoffs", "title": "Main Water Shutoff Repair & Replacement", "summary": "Locate the house main, compare gate and ball valves in 3D, and understand the outside backup when the indoor valve fails.", "card": "Find your house main, see inside ball and gate valves, and know the outside emergency backup.", "action": "Explore main shutoffs & 3D", "tag": "The whole home", "faq_indexes": [ 0, 2, 4, 5 ], "source_ids": [ "gate", "ball", "utility", "outside-valve" ] }, "automatic": { "path": "/services/shutoff-valves/automatic-water-shutoffs/", "label": "Automatic leak shutoffs", "title": "Automatic Water Shutoffs & Leak Detection", "summary": "Understand how Moen Flo and sensor-triggered systems detect leaks, close the water supply and fit into your home.", "card": "Want protection while you’re away? Compare water-use monitoring with leak sensors.", "action": "Compare automatic shutoffs", "tag": "When you’re away", "faq_indexes": [ 8, 9, 10, 11 ], "source_ids": [ "flo", "flo-install", "resideo", "flo-offline", "flo-battery", "flo-use", "flo-modes" ] } }, "legacy_anchors": { "sv-fixtures": "/services/shutoff-valves/fixture-shutoff-valves/#sv-fixtures", "sv-emergency": "/services/shutoff-valves/main-water-shutoff/#sv-emergency", "sv-cutaway": "/services/shutoff-valves/main-water-shutoff/#sv-cutaway", "sv-old-gates": "/services/shutoff-valves/main-water-shutoff/#sv-old-gates", "sv-find": "/services/shutoff-valves/main-water-shutoff/#sv-find", "sv-smart": "/services/shutoff-valves/automatic-water-shutoffs/#sv-smart" }, "change_note": "Reorganized the long page into a short service hub and three focused guides. Existing section links resolve to their new guide. Ball and gate comparison stays together in the main-water-shutoff guide." }