Turning off outside water faucets can be necessary to shut the water off for any repairs to the outside faucet or stop a leak.Townhouse owners need to find the water line for their outside faucet to make sure they don't turn off their neighbor's water instead.
Turn the outside water faucet off, making sure the handle is snug but not too tight. If there is a hose on the faucet, detach it. Follow the outside water faucet into the townhouse; go to the interior wall of the outside pipe and follow the plumbing line. This should be in either the basement or the crawl space; however, in some townhouses it may be under the kitchen sink or in a closet with the water heater and furnace. The faucet line should attach to other pipes coming into the area -- or coming off the main water line -- with a variety of either handles or knobs.
Locating Inside Valves
The inside shut-off valve controlling the outside faucet will either be a long, thin handle with a rubber grip cover -- called a ball valve -- or an older type of valve in the shape of a circle that can be turned to open or close the valve, otherwise known as a gate valve. Gate knobs are often painted, and may even match the gate valve on the outside faucet for convenience in locating them. The inside shut-off line for an outside faucet will also have a small valve or "cap" that allows for draining excess water.
Turn the water off inside; if the valve is a gate valve, turn the handle clockwise until it is tight. If it is a ball valve, rotate the handle until it is perpendicular to the pipe. This turns off the water to the outside faucet.
The final step is to drain any excess water out of the pipe. Hold a bucket underneath the "cap" or valve on the inside water line. When you turn this, it will release any water in the line from the shut-off valve to the outside faucet; the water will dribble or pour out of the valve into the bucket, clearing the line. Wait until the water has stopped before closing the cap. Pliers may be required to open and close certain styles of caps, or if the cap is tightly closed.
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