Emergency Shutoff Valve & Switch Locations

You and each member of your family should know the location of these shutoff valves.

The main water shutoff valve or toby is frequently located near water meters. Your water meter is likely to be outside near the street half a meter out from your boundary in the council land or footpath and placed inside a cast iron or plastic toby box. Over the years, these boxes get overgrown and covered up and are hard to locate. Sometimes you need to contact your local council to locate your toby. Main water shutoff valves can also be located inside your home beneath a floor access panel or in a basement or garage. Floor access panels are commonly found in closet floors. Look for a large valve in the middle of a pipe.

The main electrical disconnect swtich should be located in or near the circuit panel meter box. The circuit panel meter box should be located in the garage, utility room, utility closet, outside or similar out of the way location.

The Natural gas shut off valve will likely to be located on the gas inlet pipe next to the gas meter. To turn this value off you must turn the handle or the valve centre 1/4 of a turn so that the handle is at right angles to the pipe.

 Plumbing Emergencies

During plumbing emergencies, the first step is to stop the flow of water immediately. Do this by turning off the main water shut off valve or the toby to the house or the shut off valve for the particular fixture or appliance.

Shutoff valves for fixtures and appliances can usually be found underneath sinks and toilets and behind clothes washers, water heaters and other appliances.

If the emergency is limited to a specific appliance or fixture, look for its shut off valve and close the valve by turning clockwise. Turn off the main shut off valve or the toby to the house if the problem is a leaking pipe or if there is no shut off valve for the particular fixture or appliance.

Gas Leaks

If you can smell gas you must Call us or Emergency Services.

We will explain to you,

how to:

• Turn your gas off
• Ventilate the area, open doors and windows
• Extingush all naked flames
• Remove all sources of ignition
• Do not operate any electrical swtiches on or off
• When we arrive onto your site we will test your whole gas piping installation and pinpoint any leak and we will be able to rectify any problems or safety issues that we find

Pipe Leaks

If a pipe leaks or breaks or if a joint should loosen, turn off the main shutoff valve to prevent water damage. If you turn off the main water supply, turn off your hot water heater by turning off the circuit breakers and the gas supply to the hot water heater. Failure to do so can cause the hot water heater to overheat, damage the heating elements and injure anyone who unknowingly turns on a hot water faucet.

Next, call us or make temporary repairs yourself to stop the leak.

If your washing machine, dishwasher or other water-using appliance appears to leak, first check to see that the trap through which the appliance drains is completely open. Sometimes a partially-clogged drain can cause an overflow within the appliance. If the drain is clear, consult the appropriate appliance repair person.

Frozen Pipes

Pipe insulation and freeze-resistant outside faucets are available to reduce the risk of freezing. Even with these products, problems can still occur.

If a pipe should freeze, thaw the pipe slowly with a hair dryer or towels soaked in hot water. Heating the pipe slowly may prevent the pipe from breaking. Do not heat the pipe with a torch. This has been the cause of many fires.
To prevent frozen pipes, drain water from outdoor faucets and pipes, remove and store outdoor hoses and never leave your home unheated during cold weather.

Clogged Drains

When the drain pipe from a tub, sink, shower or water-using appliance becomes clogged, turn off the faucet or appliance that flows into the drain.
Next, try to remove the obstruction with a rubber plunger. The rubber cup of the plunger should cover the drain opening and the water should come well up over the edge of the cup. Work the plunger up and down rhythmically 10 to 20 times in succession to build up pressure in the pipe. This does more good than sporadic plunges.
If the plunger does not work, call us. Do not attempt using a snake or other tools. They can damage expensive fixtures. Never use drain cleaner to open a totally clogged drain. It will mix with the water to form a caustic solution. This caustic solution is a potential danger to the next person or serviceman that attempts to clear the blocked waste pipe. The serivceman will probably dismantle the waste pipes and the caustic solution may spill out and if the solution spills onto any persons body it will automatically burn them severly. So if after you have have tried to clear your blocked drains with the plunger and you don't suceed, just give us a call and we will help you.

Clogged Toilet

If a toilet overflows, stop the water flow by reaching inside the toilet tank and pushing the tank stopper down into its valve seat. Hold until the tank fills and the water stops. Next, turn off the shutoff valve underneath the toilet or turn off the main water shutoff valve. Unclog the toilet.

A clogged toilet should be treated almost the same as a clogged drain. The trap is built into the toilet and is therefore less accessible. Try to unclog the drain with a plunger. If that does not work, call us.

Faucet Malfunction

If a faucet won’t shut off, turn off the water at the shutoff valve underneath the sink immediately. If there is no valve, turn off the main water supply shutoff valve.

You should not attempt to repair cartridge faucets yourself. These faucets are exceptionally advanced and quite expensive.

If steaming water flows from a hot water faucet, do not touch the hot water faucet. Leave the faucet running. Turn off the electricity or gas supply to the hot water heater. Let the faucet run until cold water flows from the faucet (the water in the hot water heater is no longer overheated), then call us to repair the faucet or the hot water heater’s thermostat .