Do you know how to shut off your toilet’s water supply? This information can be crucial in protecting your home from water damage. For example, an overflowing toilet or a leaking pipe can make a huge mess if you don’t immediately shut off your toilet’s water supply. Fortunately, turning off your toilet’s water supply is easy and can help prevent water damage and messes.

How to Turn off Your Toilet’s Water Supply

When you have a toilet emergency, you can prevent a costly mess by turning off your toilet’s water supply. While there are a few ways you can cut off your toilet’s water supply, the most common and easiest way to do so is by using a shut-off valve. Since most homes and apartments usually have a shut-off valve behind their toilets, you can typically follow these four steps to shut off toilet water.

Step 1: Locate the toilet’s shut-off valve

Before using your toilet water shut-off valve, you need to know where it’s located. Typically, a toilet shut-off valve will be mounted on a wall and placed behind your toilet. To find your valve, simply look at the wall behind your toilet. You should see the shut-off valve close to the bottom of the left-hand side of your wall. 

Step 2: Turn the shut-off valve clockwise

After you’ve found your toilet’s shut-off valve, you’ll need to turn the valve clockwise until it’s tight and won’t let you turn it anymore. For those with a push/pull valve, you can pull the valve all the way out to shut off the toilet water. However, if you notice your valve is stuck and won’t turn due to corrosion or rust, we wouldn’t recommend trying to turn it. Instead, you’ll need to use your home’s main water shut-off valve to stop your toilet from overflowing or leaking. 

Step 3: See if your water supply is turned off

Once you’ve turned the shut-off valve clockwise, check if your toilet’s water has actually been turned off by flushing your toilet. When you’ve had to shut off your toilet water due to a clog, you can lift the float level in the back tank. When you’ve performed either of these checks, you’ll know the shut-off valve has worked if your tank doesn’t refill in your tank. After you’ve verified your water supply is off, you’ll likely want to contact a plumber to repair whatever issue caused a leak, clog, or overflow.

Step 4: Turn the water back on by rotating the shut-off valve counterclockwise

Though a plumber will usually turn your water back on after completing a repair, it’s simple to do it yourself. All you have to do is turn the toilet’s shut-off valve counterclockwise until it doesn’t turn anymore. Next, you can test if your toilet is receiving water by flushing the toilet. If everything is working correctly, your bowl and tank should refill with water. If not, you’ll likely need help from a plumber.

Choose Peter Levi for Plumbing Services Near You in Northern California

If you’re looking for a plumber near you—in Novato or the surrounding areas—turn to Peter Levi, a Bonney company. When something goes is with your toilet, give us a call! Our plumbers will inspect, diagnose, and repair the problem. Our experts can also replace your toilet if it’s past the point of repair. Before you receive any of our services, you should review our coupons to receive the best deal possible.

We invite you to learn more about our toilet repair and replacement services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us.