The water heater shutoff is the valve they call about
When a tank leaks, the homeowner goes looking for the shutoff. Put your company name and phone number on that handle with a free custom sleeve, and the call comes back to you.
From $19.07 each · custom sleeves included free
What is a water heater shut-off valve?
Plumbing codes call for a shutoff valve on the cold-water supply to a water heater, near the heater and easy to reach. A lever-handle ball valve is the usual choice: a quarter turn closes it, the handle position shows its state from across the room, and a full-port valve keeps flow up for high-demand and tankless heaters.
Use the connection that matches the house — threaded to the heater nipple or flex connector, sweat on copper, crimp or expansion on PEX — and consider a valve with a drain port so the line can be emptied for service.
Sizes and connections
| Connections | Threaded, sweat, PEX-A, PEX-B, press |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 3/4" is the common residential supply; 1/2" and 1" also used |
| Options | Full port; drain port; tankless water heater valve kits in 3/4" threaded and 3/4" press |
Common trade sizes for this valve type. The storefront lists exactly what is in stock.
When to use it
- Every tank or tankless water heater install and replacement
- Softener and whole-house filter bypass loops beside the heater
- Recirculation and expansion-tank branches you want to isolate
Every one ships with your custom sleeve, free
A sleeve slides over the lever handle and puts your company name and phone number in front of the homeowner every time they reach for the shutoff.
Design it in minutes
Start from a template, drop in your logo or a photo of it, and add your phone number. No account needed to try it.
Our artists finish it
Graphic artists turn your draft into a print-ready plate — free — and you approve the final design in your project.
Reuse it on every order
Plates are made within 2 business days of approval, and the same design prints on every future valve order.
Common questions
Where does the shut-off valve go on a water heater?
On the cold-water supply line into the heater, close to the heater and readily accessible, as the plumbing code in most jurisdictions requires. Check the code adopted where you work for local amendments.
Are these ball valves lead free?
Valves sold in the United States for potable water must be lead free under the federal Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act: no more than 0.25% lead by weighted average across the wetted surfaces. Look for NSF/ANSI 61 and 372 on the product listing.
Is the custom sleeve really free?
Yes. Plate design, plate making, and sleeve printing are free, forever, with any lever-handle ball valve ordered through The Plumber's Choice or Standard Plumbing Supply. Our graphic artists help at no charge, and your approved design is reused on every future order.
Will a custom sleeve fit this valve?
Custom sleeves slide over the lever handle of a ball valve. Three plate sizes are made from the same approved design so it fits different handle sizes, and your design prints in any of our print colors on any of our sleeve colors.
Do I need an order before I start designing?
No. You can open the designer and start without an account. A valid custom-sleeve valve order must exist before our artists begin the plate, and anything you make beforehand carries over once the order is confirmed. Plates are made within 2 business days of final draft approval.
More on the process in how it works.
Other lever-handle ball valves
Gas Ball Valve
The appliance shutoff behind the water heater, furnace or range is the one a homeowner looks for when they smell gas.
PEX-A Expansion Ball Valve
Full-flow expansion ends for PEX-A tube, a quarter-turn brass ball, and a lever handle ready for your free custom sleeve.
Threaded Brass Ball Valve
The everyday shutoff for threaded pipe and transitions: forged brass, a quarter turn, and a lever handle long enough to carry your company name and phone number on a free custom sleeve.