What to Do If Your Faucet Won’t Turn Off
A faucet that drips about a drop per minute is technically a faucet that won’t turn off. However, that’s not what we’re talking about here. Here’s what we mean. You’ve turned on the water. As soon as you’re done, you try to turn off the faucet. The problem is the faucet won’t budge or it breaks off in your hand. The water is still running full force. Here’s what you need to do.
Finding the Shut-Off Valves
Below kitchen and bathroom sinks, you’ll usually see a pair of shut-off valves. They often have oval or round handles. One valve turns off the hot water and the other is for the cold. Shut-off valves for tubs frequently are behind an access panel in a nearby wall. Sometimes, you’ll find the access panel in the ceiling on the level below the tub. Hand turning a shut-off valve clockwise until it stops rotating should get the water to stop running.
If the Water Is Still Running
Maybe you can’t find the tub’s shut-off valves. Since shut-off valves are rarely used, perhaps the sink’s shut-off valve is stuck in place. These things happen, but you don’t have to let the water run until our plumber arrives. You can turn off the water to the entire house with the main water line shut off valve. It’s often located where the water line comes into your home.
If your home has a basement, the main shut off valve may be in its front wall. The garage, the laundry room, or a closet are other places to look for the valve. There are two common types of main valves. One has a straight handle. Gently turn it a quarter turn to make the handle perpendicular to the pipe. The other type has a round handle that you’ll need to gently hand turn clockwise until it stops turning.
Congratulations. You’ve temporarily stopped the water from gushing from your faucet. Contact us to have one of our professional plumbers repair or replace the broken faucet.