Finding Your Main Water Shut-Off in an Ajax Home

Why it matters

A burst supply line can release a great deal of water in a short time. Every minute it runs is more water in the drywall, the flooring and the insulation. Most of that damage can be avoided if someone in the house can close the main shut-off within a minute or two. Yet many homeowners in Ajax have never seen theirs, and plenty of valves have not been turned since the day the house was built.

Take ten minutes now to find it, test it and give every member of the household a turn at the handle.

The routine, in order

1. Start at the water meter. In most Ajax homes, the water service comes through the basement wall on the side facing the street. Look for the meter, a small round or square dial on the pipe. The main valve sits right beside it, usually on the house side.
2. Check the usual hiding places. If the basement is finished, look behind an access panel, inside a closet near the front wall, under the stairs or behind the furnace. In slab-on-grade townhomes, it may be in a utility closet on the main floor.
3. Identify the type. A round wheel handle is a gate or globe valve and needs several turns to close. A lever handle is a ball valve and closes with a quarter turn.
4. Test it gently. Open a cold tap upstairs. Turn the valve clockwise, or move the lever across the pipe, and see if the water stops. If it slows but never fully stops, the valve is not sealing.
5. Reopen it slowly. Turn it back on fully, then a small fraction back, so it does not stick in the open position. Let the upstairs tap run until the air clears.
6. Label it. A bright tag on the handle helps anyone in a hurry.

Mistakes to avoid

• Forcing a stiff valve. Old gate valves can snap their stems if you lean on them. If it will not move with firm hand pressure, stop.
• Confusing valves. The one beside the water heater controls only the tank. The main is where the water enters the house.
• Touching the curb stop. The valve out by the street belongs to the town. Leave it to them.
• Burying it. Do not box in or panel over the main during a basement finish without leaving a proper access door.

If it leaks after you test it

A small drip from the stem after turning an old valve is common. Sometimes a gentle snug on the packing nut stops it. If the drip continues, or the valve did not shut the water off, it is time for a replacement. Leaving a valve that will not close is like having a fire extinguisher that does not spray.

Where a plumber takes over

Call us if your main valve will not turn, will not shut the water off fully, leaks after testing or cannot be found at all. A seized gate valve can come out in favour of a ball valve that closes in one quarter turn. See our main shut-off valve service for details. If you have a leak right now and cannot stop it, call (365) 363-2754 or read our emergency plumbing page.

For other quick checks around the house, our leak check guide and vacation checklist are worth a read.