Most good drain leak will recommend replacing a gate valve regardless of its condition. The time to discover if it will work is not during a flood in your bathroom. If you have it replaced with a ball valve then check your water heater and laundry valves, too. Have them replaced at the same time with premium ball valves. Ball valve laundry bibbs make it easy to shut off the water to the washer after each use which may help to prevent floods in the future.
When you get to the house stand if front of the toilet and locate the water shut off valve. Should be down below the toilet on the wall. Just turn it off (righty-tighty) completely and flush the toilet. All the water should have left the tank, well at least most of it. If there is remaining water line repair get it out with paper towels or a rag. The important thing is that no more water came in. If it did then your valve is not shut all the way or not working and you need additional help.
There may be more pipes in your home than you think. Your home gets all the water it needs, either from a municipal water connection or from a well, through one central pipe, which branches out and distributes water to all the other places in your home that need it. These pipes run under your floors and sometimes through your walls. Most of the time, they take care of themselves and you never need to think about them.
Clean the hole in the gutter railing first. It must be free of any debris, so you may want to clean the entire drain channel using a proper cleaner. In this way, you will have a clean surface area which will allow you to repair the hole more easily.
When the drain line stops up it is just a matter of calling an air conditioning contractor to come out and clear the drain line. While he is there he will add an algae preventative to the system to prevent future occurrences. Proper air conditioner maintenance is the key to preventing water line repair leaks.
If you plan to replace fixtures, you may be able to do this on your own. Buy the same style or functional fit and then turn off the water to make the switch. Follow the directions provided by the manufacturer to get the job done.
Bottom line is that it is now very easy for even a desk jockey to fix his own pipes. Go by the closet home improvement store on your way home. Pick up some of these fittings and impress the wife with talents that she did not know you had. You may even get brave and do that small plumbing project that she has been begging for. Now you can use these fittings to cut into that water line to run that new outside faucet or hookup that water filter yourself. With the push type fitting plumbing has been made easy enough for anyone to be able to do it.