Before an Emergency: Know Where Your Shutoffs Are
The time to find your shutoff valves is now, not while water is rising. Take two minutes today to locate three things: the cold water supply valve on top of your water heater (or the home's main water shutoff), the gas shutoff valve on the gas line near the tank, and your electrical panel if you have an electric unit.
Most homeowners who panic during a leak do so because they cannot find the valves. Tag them if it helps. In a Greater Vancouver home with the tank in a crawlspace or tight closet, make sure you can actually reach them. Knowing this in advance turns a flood into a manageable inconvenience.
Step 1: Stop the Water
Find the cold water supply line entering the top of the tank — it usually has a valve right there. Turn it clockwise (right) until it stops. This cuts the incoming water and prevents the tank from refilling as it drains.
If that valve is stuck, seized, or you cannot find it, go to your home's main water shutoff and close that instead. The main is often where the water line enters the house, near the front of the home or in a utility area. Shutting the main stops water to the whole house, which is fine in an emergency — you can restore it once the tank is isolated.
Step 2: Shut Off the Gas or Power
Gas water heater: Locate the gas control valve on the unit and turn it to the OFF or pilot position, and/or close the gas shutoff valve on the supply pipe (the handle turns a quarter-turn; when it sits crosswise to the pipe, it is off). This protects the burner from firing against an empty or compromised tank.
Electric water heater: Switch off the dedicated breaker for the water heater at your electrical panel. Never let an electric element run dry — it can burn out or create a hazard.
Doing this prevents the heater from trying to heat while it is failing, which protects both the unit and your home.
One caution on the gas valve: turn it only if the area is dry and you do not smell gas. The quarter-turn handle should move easily by hand — never use a wrench or force on a gas shutoff, and never operate it if there is any gas odour in the air. If the valve is seized or you are unsure, leave it and shut off the electrical supply or simply get out and call for help. No leaking tank is worth risking a gas mishap to reach a stubborn valve.
Step 3: Drain, Contain, and Call
With the supply off, you can attach a hose to the drain valve and run it to a floor drain or outside to empty the tank and relieve pressure. Mop up standing water quickly — Greater Vancouver homes are prone to moisture damage and mold, and fast cleanup limits both. Move valuables and lift soaked items off the floor.
Important safety note: if you smell gas at any point, do not operate switches or the gas valve — leave the home immediately, then call FortisBC at 1-800-663-9911 or 911 from outside, and call us afterward. (See our separate guide on a leaking heater with a gas smell.)
Once the water and gas are off and the area is contained, call CanroHeat. Tank and tankless water heaters are serviced by our parent company — call 604-359-1081 and we will get you back up and running.