Emergency planning has become a necessity with the terrible events that have happened in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama. We have all seen the damage wrought by the flooding and winds.

            It is vitally important to plan a course of action in the event of a local disaster.

One area of preparation has to do with your ability and knowledge to cut off the utility service to your home. This includes gas, electricity and water.

Gas

 Locate the gas meter on the outside of your house. It should look like this:

(Gas Meter Assembly).

There are two pipes coming out of the concrete and connecting to the gas meter. The larger pipe comes from the street and is the main gas line coming to the house. The smaller pipe takes the gas coming through the meter and goes into the house. There is a valve ( painted   red) that controls the gas flow.

(Gas Meter Cut-Off Valve).

If the valve is aligned with the direction of the pipe, vertical in this case, the gas flows into the house. If you were to turn the red valve 90 degrees, in this case horizontal with the ground, you would turn the gas OFF. You will need a wrench to turn this valve. It is recommended that you keep a wrench hanging from an inside   garage wall near the gas meter.  To turn the gas back on, simply turn the valve back to its original position.

Electricity

Locate the electric meter on the outside of your house. It should look like this:

(Electric Meter Panel Box).  

The right hand part of the panel can be opened easily. The door swings and locks in the up position.

(Electric Panel Cover Open).

You will see a dozen or more black switches. These are labeled on the side. The labels tell you what part of your home is controlled by a particular switch. The switch identified with the red paint is the “ MAIN”.

(Electric Panel Main Cut-Off Switch).  

You can read the word “ MAIN” on the end of the switch and also on the label to the right. Using your fingers you can push this switch to the right. You will hear a “CLICK”.   All of the power to your house will be CUT-OFF. To cut the power back on just flip the switch to the left.

Water

Locate the water meter box for your house. Usually these boxes are located in the sidewalk and either on the right or left front corner. The water meter valve box looks like this:

(Water Meter Valve Box).

You will need two tools to get the water cut-off. First, you will need to open up the box lid. A pair of Channel Lock pliers will work.

(Channel Locks).

The cost of these pliers is about $8. Next, you will need a water meter valve cut-off tool.

(Water Meter Cut-Off Tool).

This tool can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot. The cost is about $10. Once you have the valve box lid open, the inside will look like this:

(Interior of Water Meter Valve Box).

There are two things you should note, the water meter itself is about 4” round with a clear glass top and the water cut-off valve is painted red. On the top of the valve you can see an arrow. The ‘ON’ position for the valve is when the arrow is pointing towards the water meter.

(Water Cut-Off Valve).

The   ‘OFF’ position is 90 degrees from this (the arrow will be parallel to the street). To turn the water back on, simply rotate the valve to point to the water meter.

(Tool in position to cut water off).

Important Note:  

The gas valve, the electrical switch and the water valve have been painted red to highlight where they are. We recommend as part of your emergency preparation that you use red paint (finger nail polish works great) and identify valves and the electrical switch that control the utilities in your home.