Guides / Shutoffs
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Find your water, gas and power shutoffs now, not in the dark.
In a flood, a broken pipe or a gas leak, the first move is often to shut something off. Find each one today, note the tool it needs, and print a card.
About this tool
Shutoff card
- What it is
- A guide to where the three main shutoffs usually are and how each one works, with a card you fill in for your own home.
- Why it’s here
- People lose minutes hunting for a valve by flashlight while water spreads. Five minutes now saves that search.
- What it helps with
- Stopping water from a burst pipe, cutting power before water reaches outlets, and knowing when (and when not) to touch the gas.
- How to use it
- Go find each shutoff. Tick “Found it,” write where it is and what tool it needs, then print the card. What you type stays on this device and is never sent to us.
Tool
Our shutoffs
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Gas: only in an emergency
Smell gas or hear a hiss? Leave right away. Don’t use switches, matches or phones until you’re away from the building. Call 911, then PG&E at 1-800-743-5000.
- Shut it off only if you smell gas, hear gas escaping or see a broken gas line, and it’s safe to reach the meter.
- How: a quarter turn with a 12- to 15-inch wrench. It’s closed when the valve’s flat tang is crosswise to the pipe.
- Never turn it back on yourself. The utility checks for leaks and relights pilot lights. Ask to see ID.
Water and power
- Water: turn the house valve clockwise to close. Test it once a year so it doesn’t seize.
- Power: switch off the small breakers, then the main. Never touch the panel or anything electrical if you’re wet or standing in water.
- Rising water: shut off power at the main before water reaches outlets, but only if you can reach the panel on dry ground.
In Sacramento
Gas: PG&E emergencies 1-800-743-5000. Power: SMUD 1-888-456-7683. Water: your water provider (city, county or district) handles the street-side meter.