How to Shut Off the Water to a Shower
A shower that will not stop running, or a cartridge you want to replace this weekend, starts with the same question: where does the water to this shower shut off? Many sinks and toilets have a small valve right under them. Many showers do not. The Home Depot puts it plainly: you may have to turn off the water to the entire house if you do not have a shut-off valve only for the shower.
Some showers do have their own shutoffs, and they are easy to miss because they sit inside the wall behind the trim. This guide goes through the places to check, in the order to check them, and shows how to prove the water is really off before you take anything apart.
If the shower will not shut off, or water is coming from a pipe or the wall, do not stop to take the trim apart. Close the main water shut-off valve for the house, as the Portland Water Bureau and the City of Everett tell residents to do for a broken pipe, then call a plumber. Keep away from anything electrical that is wet: the American Red Cross says not to touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. If you cannot find or close the main, call your water utility; some, like the Indian Wells Valley Water District, ask you to call them in that case.
Where to look, in order
Start at the shower and work back toward the street. The closer the shutoff is to the shower, the less of the house loses water while you work.
1. Stops on the shower valve, behind the trim
Some single-handle shower valves have small shutoffs built into the valve body, called stops, service stops, screwdriver stops or check stops. They close off the hot and cold supply right at the valve. The Home Depot explains that integral stops let you service a single faucet without having to turn off the main water supply. They are not standard on every valve. Kohler lists its Rite-Temp valve as available with or without screwdriver stops, the instructions for the Delta MultiChoice R10000 valve describe a version with stops and one without, and Moen's troubleshooting page says that if your Posi-Temp valve has these, they will be on the inlets of the valve.
To find out, take off the handle and the round trim plate (the escutcheon). Moen's instructions for its Posi-Temp stops start with the handle and handle pieces already removed, then slide the escutcheon plate off. Kohler's steps for its Anthem valve also remove the handle and the faceplate to reach the stops. If your valve has stops, you will see them on the hot and cold inlets, one on each side of the valve body. Moen says its Posi-Temp stops look like small flat head screws.
How they close depends on the maker:
| Valve | What the stop looks like | To close it, the maker says |
|---|---|---|
| Moen Posi-Temp | Small flat head screw on each inlet | Turn it with pliers or a flat head screwdriver so the slot is vertical. Horizontal is open. |
| Moen Moentrol | Screw stop on each inlet | Turn clockwise with a flat head screwdriver until you reach a stop. |
| Delta MultiChoice R10000, with stops | Screwdriver stop on each inlet | Turn the stem clockwise with a flat head screwdriver to close, counterclockwise to open. |
| Kohler Rite-Temp | Screwdriver stops, on valves sold with them | Kohler's spec sheet lists the valve with or without stops. Follow the instructions for your valve. |
| Kohler Anthem | Stop assembly reached with an 8 mm hex wrench | Kohler's steps start with turning the water off at the shut off valve, then turning the assembly counterclockwise until it stops rotating. |
| Pfister 0X8 series | Integral screwdriver stops on some models | Pfister's 0X8 valve page lists integral screwdriver stops, and its spec sheet for the JX8-310P and JX8-340P lists them on the JX8-340P only. Look before you count on them. |
From the Moen, Delta, Kohler and Pfister pages listed under Sources. Directions differ by maker, so there is no single rule for which way a stop closes.
Once both stops are closed, test it. Plumber Magazine notes that two kinds of Moen stops look identical and says stops should be tested and verified that the unit is off before proceeding. Turn the shower on: nothing should come out. If water still runs, a stop is not closed or does not hold, and the next places on this list are your shutoff.
If your valve has no stops, do not go looking for other screws to turn. Symmons, writing about its own valves, says that if your valve does not have integral stops you need to find shutoffs on the hot and cold water piping to the valve, and in a worst case shut off the main water supply to the house.
2. An access panel behind the shower wall
Family Handyman notes that some homes have a removable plumbing access panel in the next room behind the faucet. Look on the far side of the shower wall: a closet, a hallway or the back of a cabinet. Columnist Tim Carter writes of a house where the access panel for the tub and shower was in a bedroom closet. If you find one, unscrew the cover and look for shutoff valves on the hot and cold pipes going to the shower valve. Without one, Fine Homebuilding notes, you have to cut through the wallboard to reach the plumbing, which is a job to plan, not an emergency step.
3. Shutoff valves on the pipes to the shower
Some showers have separate shutoff valves on the hot and cold pipes that feed the valve. This Old House starts one shower valve repair with: close the hot and cold water shutoff valves to the shower. The Home Depot mentions a separate cutoff valve installed in the bathroom, and Symmons says that a valve without integral stops is shut off at the hot and cold water piping to the valve. Where they are depends on the house. If you find a valve you think feeds the shower, close it and test the shower before you rely on it.
4. The main water shutoff for the house
If nothing closer works, close the main. It stops all the water in the house, so it works for any shower. Where to look:
- Where the water line comes into the house. The Portland Water Bureau and InterNACHI both point first to where the water line enters the house, and InterNACHI adds that every house is different.
- A basement, a garage, a crawl space or a utility room. Portland lists the front of the house, the basement near the water heater and the garage.
- Outside. Denver Water says the valve can be outdoors or indoors and in a home is often near an outside faucet.
To close it, WSSC Water says round wheel handle valves turn off by turning the handle clockwise, and lever handle valves turn off with a slow quarter turn, until the handle is not parallel with the pipe. Turn a wheel handle until it stops.
Go gently. The Indian Wells Valley Water District says if you are unable to turn the valve, do not force it, and Roto-Rooter warns that older valves can be fragile and may break. A main that breaks open is a far bigger problem than a running shower, so if it will not turn, call a plumber or your water utility. Denver Water says that if you do not have a main shut-off valve, have one installed by a licensed and bonded plumber.
The City of Everett tells residents to locate the master water shut-off valve and test it, and Adams County, Colorado says to make sure the valve can be shut off completely and to label it with a tag. Close it slowly, open a faucet to confirm the water stops, then open the main again slowly. If it is stiff or will not close, do not force it; plan a plumber visit now rather than during a leak.
Leave the valve at the street to the utility
Your home may also have a valve at the curb or the meter. Do not turn it unless your water utility says you can. The City of Royal Oak, Michigan, says please do not try to turn the water off yourself or let the plumber. WSSC Water says to call a registered master plumber or WSSC Water to work its property-line valve. Seattle's emergency management office says the curb valve is extremely difficult to turn and requires a special tool. Ownership rules differ by town, so call your water utility before anyone touches it.
Prove the water is off
Whichever valve you closed, check it before you open the shower valve:
- Turn the shower on, hot and cold. Nothing should come out after the water left in the pipe drains.
- If you closed the main, open a faucet as well. HomeTips says to open a nearby faucet to empty the shower pipes, and the Indian Wells Valley Water District says to close the valve and check the faucets inside to see if the water has been turned off.
- Leave the shower handle open while you work. The Home Depot says to open a faucet to relieve pressure in the lines and leave it open as you work.
If the water keeps running at a slow trickle, the valve you closed is not holding. This Old House notes that if a main shutoff handle turns freely but water still trickles through, the gate inside has likely failed. Move to the next valve on the list, and call a plumber about the one that did not hold.
Turning the water back on
- Close the shower handle, then open the valve you closed. For the main, WSSC Water says to open it slowly and only part way first, listen for the water pressure to equalize, when the noise ends, and then fully open the main valve.
- Run the faucets to let the air out. Bob Vila says to allow a few minutes for the water to force out any air left in the lines, then turn the faucet off again.
- If you closed the stops on the shower valve, open both of them fully. Moen says if the valve has stops, both will need to be opened, and Delta says to set its stops to full open. A stop left partly closed can leave the shower short of hot or cold water; our sister site explains how to check for a stop that was not fully reopened.
- If you turned off power to an electric water heater, WSSC Water says to turn it back on only after the water system is full and all the air has been bled out.
If you shut it off to replace a cartridge
A single-handle shower that drips or will not shut off may need a new cartridge, and the water has to be off at the stops or another valve on this list before the old one comes out. These are our cartridges for the valves named above. If the handle just spins without moving the water, read our guide to a shower handle that spins freely first, because the fix may be the handle and not the cartridge.
When to stop and call a plumber
Each of these is our own advice, not a maker rule.
- The main will not turn, or it turns but the water does not stop.
- A stop on the shower valve will not turn, or water leaks around it after you turn it.
- Water is coming from inside the wall, the ceiling below the bathroom, or a pipe, not only from the shower head or spout.
- You cannot find a main shutoff at all.
Frequently asked questions
Does every shower have its own shutoff?
No. The Home Depot says you may have to turn off the water to the entire house if you do not have a shut-off valve only for the shower. Makers sell the same valve both ways: Kohler lists its Rite-Temp valve as available with or without screwdriver stops, and the instructions for the Delta MultiChoice valve cover a version with stops and one without. Look behind your trim before you count on them.
Which way do I turn the stops to close them?
It depends on the valve. Moen says its Posi-Temp stops shut the water off when the slot is turned vertical. Delta's MultiChoice R10000 instructions say to turn the stops clockwise with a flat head screwdriver to close them. Kohler says its Anthem stops close counterclockwise with an 8 mm hex wrench. Follow the instructions for your valve, then open the shower to make sure the water is off.
Can I turn the water off at the street?
Call your water utility first. The valve at the street often belongs to the utility, and some say so plainly: the City of Royal Oak, Michigan, says please do not try to turn the water off yourself or let the plumber, and the Indian Wells Valley Water District says its street-side valve is for District use only. Rules differ from town to town, so ask yours.
Do I need to turn off the water heater too?
The sources we read do not agree on a rule. The Home Depot says power to an electric water heater should be turned off when you turn off cold water to the entire house, and WSSC Water says to turn power back on to an electric water heater only after the water system is full and the air has been bled out. For a gas water heater, follow the maker's instructions in its manual.
On a three-handle shower, can I just close the handles and pull a stem?
Shut off the supply first. This Old House starts its three-handle valve repair by shutting off the water at the main, and Pfister's care guide for its 0X8 and JX8 valves says to turn off water supplies and relieve pressure before working. Our own reason: once a stem is out, nothing holds back the water at that port, so closing the other handles is not enough.
Sources
The steps above come from these pages, except where a step says the advice is our own. We opened each one on October 12, 2026. Retailer pages are used only where we could not open a maker page for the same point.
- Moen, How to Operate PosiTemp Stop Check Valves and No Water from tub/shower units.
- Delta Faucet, MultiChoice Universal Tub / Shower Rough, R10000-UNWS and the MultiChoice Rough-In Body R10000 Series instructions (hosted by a third party).
- Kohler, Rite-Temp Pressure-Balancing Valve specification sheet and How to Open or Close the Anthem Supply Stops.
- Pfister, 0X8 Series Tub and Shower Rough-In Valve, the 0X8 Series JX8-310P and JX8-340P specification sheet and the 0X8 and JX8 Maintenance and Care Guide (hosted by a third party).
- Symmons, Support FAQ.
- Plumber Magazine, Shower valve service lessons.
- The Home Depot, How to Replace a Shower Faucet, How to Fix a Leaky Shower Faucet and How to Turn Off the Water to Your House.
- Family Handyman, Shower Faucet Installation; Fine Homebuilding, Replace a Shower Mixing Valve; Tim Carter, Ask the Builder, A clever plumbing access panel solution.
- This Old House, How to Replace a Clogged Shower Valve, How to Repair a Three-Handle Shower Valve and How to Replace a Main Shutoff Valve.
- HomeTips, How to Repair a Leaky Shower Faucet Valve; Bob Vila, How to Turn Off Water; Roto-Rooter, How to Turn Off the Main Water Shut-Off Valve; InterNACHI, Know Your Controls.
- WSSC Water, Find and Operate Your Main Water Valve; Portland Water Bureau, What to do if water pipes freeze, leak or burst; Denver Water, Leaks; Indian Wells Valley Water District, Locate Your Water Shutoff Valve.
- City of Royal Oak, Michigan, Curb Stops; City of Everett, Washington, Preventing frozen pipes; Seattle Office of Emergency Management, Control utilities after a disaster; Adams County, Colorado, Household utilities in a disaster.
- American Red Cross, Flood Safety.
Replacement cartridges for Moen Posi-Temp, Delta MultiChoice and Monitor, Kohler Rite-Temp, Pfister 0X8, Gerber and Grohe valves, plus stems and seats for older two- and three-handle showers, shipped from Amazon fulfillment centers with Prime delivery.
See the full FourHome assortment on AmazonFourHome is an independent brand and is not affiliated with Moen, Delta, Kohler, Pfister, Symmons, The Home Depot, the water utilities or the other publishers cited. Brand names and part numbers are used only to identify valves and parts or to cite their published instructions. Never force a stuck valve, keep away from wet electrical equipment, and call a licensed plumber or your water utility when the water will not shut off.
FourHome is not affiliated with or endorsed by any faucet manufacturer. Brand names and part numbers are used only to identify compatibility.