Know where your stop tap is, before you need it.
A 5-step guide that takes 4 minutes. Find your main water shut-off, test it works, and never panic during a burst pipe again.
Step 1: What kind of home do you live in?
The location of your stop tap depends on the property type. Pick one to keep going.
Step 2: Look at the front of the property
The water meter is almost always at the boundary of the property, near the footpath. In NSW it is usually a small concrete or plastic box set into the ground, sometimes with a Hunter Water logo or a black plastic cover.
Diagram: water meter box at the property boundary
The stop tap is either:
- Right next to the meter, usually a brass valve with a square spindle or a lever handle
- Inside the meter box itself, on the house side of the meter
- A short distance back toward the house on the supply line
Step 3: Identify the valve type
Three common types in NSW homes:
Ball valve (lever handle)
Lever sits parallel to the pipe when on. Turn the lever 90 degrees (so it crosses the pipe) to shut off. Common in homes built after about 1990.
Gate valve (round handle)
Round wheel-like handle. Turn clockwise (righty-tighty) several full turns to shut. Common in older homes. Note: very old gate valves can seize. Try yours before you need it.
Square spindle (no handle)
Just a square brass spike sticking out of the valve. Needs a meter key (about $15 at Bunnings) to turn. Common on older homes and on the supplier side of newer ones.
Step 4: Test it works
This is the important bit. Most people never test their stop tap until the night a pipe bursts. By then it might be seized solid.
To test:
- Turn the valve to the off position
- Walk inside, open the cold tap on a basin
- Water should run for a few seconds, then stop
- If water keeps flowing past 10 seconds, the valve is not sealing properly. Time to call a plumber.
- Turn the valve back on. Check there are no drips from the valve itself.
Test once a year. Seized valves are the most common cause of "I could not turn the water off in time" emergencies. Five minutes now saves your floors.
Step 5: Save it for next time
Take a photo on your phone right now. Title it something obvious like "STOP TAP HOME". Pin it to a notes app or your contacts page.
When the emergency happens you will not be thinking clearly. Wet feet, panic, the kids crying because the bathroom is flooding. A photo with a thumbnail of exactly where the valve is and what it looks like is worth its weight in gold.
Stop tap replacement is a 45-minute job. About $280 to $380. Worth doing before the emergency, not during. Ring me and we will book a no-rush visit.