A burst pipe has a nasty habit of turning an ordinary Tuesday into an expensive home improvement project. Water keeps flowing, the floor starts soaking through, and suddenly nobody remembers where the main shutoff valve lives. That little handle or lever can make an enormous difference.
Nearly every home with a conventional plumbing system has a main water shutoff valve. It controls the incoming water supply to the house, allowing you to stop the flow during a plumbing emergency or certain repairs. Yet plenty of homeowners never locate theirs until something goes wrong.
