How To Turn Off Water To Toilet

How To Turn Off Water To The Toilet

There are times when you need to use the shutoff valve on your toilet to cut off the water supply. Before you make any kind of home repairs or DIY upgrades, you’ll need to turn off water to make sure you don’t get flooded.

But how exactly do you turn off your toilet water supply?

For first time homeowners, finding the main shutoff valve can be intimidating. But you might be surprised by how many plumbing repairs you can do without ever calling a plumber.

Of course, if you have an emergency or can’t figure out the source of the problem, a plumber’s guidance might help. But with an emergency, make sure you turn off your water to protect your entire house from potential disaster.

Locate The Toilet Shutoff Valve

Locate The Toilet Shutoff Valve

The fill valve will be located on the water pipe that supplies the toilet tank. Look for a pipe attached to the side or bottom of the tank.

It will either connect to the wall or to the floor.

Along that pipe, there should be a handle that looks like a football-shaped faucet. Handles can come in other shapes and sizes, but the football design is the most common.

Most often, the valve is installed to the left of the toilet bowl.

Turn The Valve

Turn The Valve

Once you’ve located the valve, you will need to turn it clockwise. Different models will need to be turned a different number of times.

Eventually, you will rotate the handle enough for the valve to seal. Water will no longer enter the toilet tank.

Depending on the model, you might only need a quarter-rotation to shut it off. Other plumbing fixtures require you to do one or more full rotations.

If you close the valve too tightly, you might need pliers to open it back up.

Overdue For Maintenance

Shutoff valves should be turned off and on at least once every year. This helps prevent them from accumulating rust.

If you do find that your valve is rusty, you might need a spray like WD-40.

In most cases, shutoff valves aren’t hard to turn. You shouldn’t need wrenches or pliers to close them.

Using too much force can break the valve. When the valve simply won’t turn with your fingers, it might need to be replaced due to damage.

Reasons To Turn Off Water To Toilet

There are a number of reasons that you might want to turn off the water:

  • Your toilet is leaking, causing the bathroom to flood.
  • You need to repair or replace a component, and you have to drain the tank to do so.
  • Your toilet is constantly running, and you need to keep the water meter from going up while awaiting repairs.
  • You are turning off the toilet water supply before going on vacation or a trip.
  • A clog is causing the toilet to overflow onto the floor.

While you can solve most toilet issues with a little DIY home repair, sometimes plumbers are necessary. It’s a good idea to shut off your toilet valve while you wait for help to arrive.