Be Prepared: Your Home Plumbing Emergency Checklist
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THE SHORT ANSWER
In short
Know where your water meter tap, gas meter, switchboard and hot water isolation valve are, and test that the meter tap turns. Check every flexi hose every six months. Keep a small kit and our number on the fridge, and print an emergency card with your home’s details. Before storms, clear gutters and drains; before going away, turn the water off at the meter tap.
KNOW YOUR SHUT-OFFS
The shut-offs every household should know
In almost every plumbing emergency, the first thing that saves money is stopping the water, gas or power. Find these now, while nothing is wrong.
| Shut-off | Where it usually is | What it stops | Test it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water meter tap | Beside the water meter, usually just inside the front boundary; units may share a meter at the front of the complex, with a stopcock for each unit | All water to the property, or to your unit | Turn it clockwise until a tap inside stops, then open it again slowly |
| Isolation valves | Under sinks and basins, behind toilets, behind the dishwasher and washing machine | One fixture only, so the rest of the home keeps water | Close and reopen each one once a year so they don’t seize |
| Hot water cold valve | On the cold pipe going into the hot water system | New water into the tank, and with it every hot tap | Find it and label it |
| Gas meter valve | At the gas meter, outside | Gas to the property | Know where it is. With a gas smell, get out first and call Jemena on 131 909; turn it off only if you can do so safely |
| Switchboard | Garage, hallway cupboard or an outside wall | Power to each circuit, including the hot water | Find and label the hot water circuit |
THE CHECKLIST
Your home emergency checklist
- Find your water meter and meter tap, and check the tap turns. How to find it
- Know where your gas meter is, and that gas leaks go to Jemena on 131 909
- Know your switchboard, and which circuit runs the hot water
- Find the cold water isolation valve on your hot water system
- Find and label the isolation valves under every sink and behind every toilet
- Check every flexi hose every six months for rust, fraying, bulges or kinks, and photograph its date label
- Keep a kit: torch, bucket, old towels, gloves and plastic sheeting
- Save our number in your phone and on the fridge
- Photograph your meter reading and valve locations, and keep them with your insurance details
- Know your insurer’s claims number and your excess
YOUR KIT
What goes in the kit, and why
- A torch: if water reaches the electrics, the power may be off while you find the meter tap in the dark
- A bucket and old towels: to catch drips and stop water spreading across floors and under doors
- Rubber gloves and boots: for anything involving sewage, greywater or floodwater
- Plastic sheeting or a tarp: to cover furniture and electronics under a dripping ceiling
- A flat-blade screwdriver: many isolation valves turn with a slot rather than a handle
- Phone numbers on paper: our number, your insurer’s claims line, and your agent or strata manager’s after-hours number, in case your phone is flat
Keep it all in one box in the laundry or near the back door, where anyone in the house can find it.
SMALL SIGNS
Small signs that come before an emergency
Most emergencies give a warning first. If you notice any of these, book a plumber while it is still a small job.
| What you notice | What it can mean | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| The meter moves with every tap off | A hidden leak somewhere on your side | The one-hour meter test, then leak detection |
| Drains gurgle, or several fixtures are slow | A partial blockage building in the main drain | Book a drain clear before it overflows |
| Pipes bang when a tap or appliance shuts off | Water hammer or high pressure, straining every joint | A pressure check |
| The hot water relief valve runs constantly | A faulty valve or high pressure | Book a check; don’t block the valve |
| Rusty water from the hot taps only | Corrosion inside the hot water tank | Plan a replacement before it leaks |
| Rust, a bulge or broken wires on a flexi hose | A hose close to bursting | Replace it now |
| Gas smell, or yellow, lazy flames | A leak or a combustion problem | Stop using the appliance; if you smell gas, get out and call Jemena on 131 909 |
JUST MOVED IN?
Moving into a new home or rental: the first week
- Find the water meter and meter tap, and test that the tap turns.
- Find every isolation valve, and check the flexi hose date labels while you are under the sinks.
- Read the compliance plate on the hot water system: it tells you its details and roughly how old it is.
- Run every tap and flush every toilet, watching for slow drains and running cisterns.
- Look at the overflow relief gully outside: its grate should be clear, uncovered and above the ground.
- Find the gas meter and the switchboard, and label the hot water circuit.
- Renting? Note the nominated tradespeople for urgent repairs on your lease, and your agent’s after-hours number.
Tenants and landlords: what tenants can do in an emergency and landlords and property managers.
UNITS AND TOWNHOUSES
If you live in a unit
- Your unit may not have its own meter: many complexes share one at the front. Find your unit’s own stopcock and ask your strata manager if you can’t
- Save the strata manager’s after-hours number next to ours
- Report damp patches, drips and slow drains early: in a strata building, a small leak quickly becomes your neighbour’s ceiling
- Know what is yours and what is common property before something goes wrong (strata: who pays)
- Tell the neighbours below if you are going away, and turn off the stop taps on your appliances
Unit stopcocks are usually common property under the common property memorandum, where your by-laws adopt it.
STORM SEASON
Before storm season
- Clean gutters, downpipes and drains: blockages make water overflow under the eaves into the roof (NSW SES)
- Check the roof for loose tiles, sheets and screws
- Keep the overflow relief gully grate clear and above the ground
- Make sure downpipes go to stormwater, never the sewer
- Save the SES number, 132 500, and check your insurance is current
WINTER HOT WATER
Before winter: your hot water
- Most systems last about 8 to 10 years: if yours is older, plan its replacement before a cold night forces it
- Warning signs: water not as hot, running out sooner, rumbling, rusty water, or a puddle under the tank
- Check that the relief valve is only dripping a little, not running
- Gas heaters: have a licensed gasfitter check them at least every two years, and consider a carbon monoxide alarm
- If it fails on a cold night, see no hot water
GOING AWAY
Going away
- Turn the water off at the meter tap if you are away more than a day; in a unit, close the stop taps on your appliances (AAMI)
- Check your hot water system’s instructions on what to leave on
- Do the one-hour meter leak test before you leave and when you get back
- Give a neighbour our number
- Back to a leak? Water off, photos, then call us
ASK YOUR PLUMBER
Questions to ask at a plumbing check-up
- Which of my flexi hoses are past their best, and how old are they?
- Is my water pressure too high, and do I need a pressure limiting valve?
- How long has my hot water system got, and what would replace it?
- Do my drains show roots or cracks on camera?
- Is my overflow relief gully at the right height, and clear?
- Do all my isolation valves actually shut off?
We can check your home for these risks and give you a written report: see preventative maintenance.
PRINTABLE
Make your emergency card
Fill in what you know and print it on A5 for the fridge or meter box. Nothing you type leaves this page.
QUESTIONS
Be prepared questions
MORE HELP
Emergency help
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