Numbering valves is smart—less confusion under pressure. I do something similar, but also snap quick phone pics of valve locations during installs. Saved me more than once when the cheat sheet went missing...
Numbering valves sounds handy, but honestly, as a first-time homeowner, I'm still figuring out what half these valves even do...😅 Do you just label them by room or function? Might have to try the photo trick too, knowing my luck with losing notes.
Labeling by room can work, but honestly, labeling by function has saved me way more headaches in the long run. Think about it—if you have a leak or something urgent, you're probably thinking "shut off the dishwasher" rather than "shut off kitchen valve #3," right? At least that's how my brain works...
The photo trick is solid though. I started doing that after losing track of my scribbled notes one too many times. Just snap a quick pic and save it to a dedicated folder on your phone. Bonus points if you jot down a quick note directly on the photo itself (most phones let you do this easily now). That way, even if you forget what the heck "valve 7" means, you've got visual context.
Also, don't stress too much about not knowing what every valve does right away. I've been doing maintenance for years and still occasionally find myself staring at some random valve wondering what genius decided to put it there and why... It's all part of the homeowner adventure.
Have you tried tracing them back yet? Like following pipes from appliances or fixtures back to their valves? It can be tedious, but it's oddly satisfying when you finally figure out what's connected to what. Plus, you'll feel like a plumbing detective or something.
Anyway, sounds like you're already on the right track with numbering and photos—just keep at it. Before long you'll be giving plumbing advice to other first-timers around here.
Labeling by function makes sense, but honestly, I've found labeling by room way quicker in emergencies. When water's spraying everywhere, my brain just screams "bathroom valve!" rather than "sink faucet shutoff." But totally agree on the photo trick—saved me more than once. And yeah, tracing pipes is oddly satisfying...until you realize you've spent half your Saturday following a pipe to nowhere.
I get the logic behind labeling by room, especially in panic mode, but honestly, labeling by function has saved me more water (and sanity) in the long run. Last time our dishwasher went rogue, my brain didn't think "kitchen valve"—it thought "dishwasher shutoff," and that specificity made all the difference. But yeah, tracing pipes is a weirdly addictive rabbit hole...until you realize you've missed lunch and your family thinks you're lost in the basement again.
