In the course of your live-in carer placements, you will at some point need to turn of the water. This may be because there is a leak, or because of a routine plumbing repair. Either way, it is a good idea to know where to start looking and how to do it.
1. Locate the valve to shut the water off.
This can be located in several different places, and largely depends on the age of the house. The shut off valve will either look like a knob with a circular tap or a ball valve which comes with a lever which is turned.
Typically, the water comes from the street and into the house so you may find the shutoff valve in areas which are close to the street. Check the laundry and garage, looking along the outside walls which are closest to the road.
In some older houses you may even find the shut off valve on the outside of the building although these are become less likely now.
If you truly cannot find the valve inside the house, then you need to locate the water meter which is outside. Here you will find a shut off valve very close to the meter.
2. Turn off the water
Remember the saying – clockwise to close. If the valve has a ball valve you need to turn it clockwise until you cannot turn any longer.
In a gate style valve, you simply turn the lever 90 degrees clockwise.
3. Run the taps
If you’ve had a leak you will need to get rid of the remaining water in the pipes. Find the tap at the lowest level in the home and open it so that all excess water drains away. Make sure to open both taps so water from both pipes drains away.
4. Turn on when fixed
If any repairs were done, you should wait until the ‘all clear’ is given and then turn the taps back on. Use an anti-clockwise movement on the round valve and a 90-degree anti clockwise turn on the gate style.
It’s a good idea to keep the number of a local plumber at hand, for emergencies.
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