This one may sound like a no-brainer but after 10+ years in the plumbing game, I’m forever surprised at the number of home-owners who don’t know the location of these three home-plumbing hot spots.
The water Meter
The Gas Meter
The team and I have spent countless sweaty hours searching above and below ground to find them, here’s why they’re important!
Your Water Meter
Knowing the location of your water meter is crucial for a few reasons:
- You can turn off the water. Turning the water off at the meter stops water entering the pipes of your home from the water main. In case of a plumbing emergency (think burst pipe or water leak) you will be able to turn off the water and limit the potential damage caused. You or your plumber will also need to turn the water off if you’re upgrading any plumbing fixtures in the home, installing a new hot water system or similar.
- You can see the numbers. This makes it easy for the water man to check your usage, but also means you can keep an eye on how much water you’re using and even use these numbers to identify a suspected water leak in your home.
Here’s an example of a water meter. We had to clear away some garden debris to fully expose it. You can see the numbers in red on the middle of the meter and the tap at the top. It’s important to ensure the tap on your meter ensure it can be turned on/off easily.
The Gas Meter
Knowing the location of your gas meter is important for the same two, main reasons:
- Emergency shutdowns. Knowing how to turn off the gas in an emergency is vital and can even save lives. Look for the yellow handle on your meter. The gas is ON when this handle runs parallel with the pipe. To turn it OFF turn the yellow handle so it sits perpendicular, or at a 90 degree angle to the pipe. Only do this if safe to do so, and if in doubt call in the professionals, always!
- Seeing the numbers. We had a job a few years ago where the gas bill was about 6 x higher than the actual usage amount due to inaccurate readings. We tested the usage on the meter by using appliances inside the home and found that the usage amount they had charged for was nearly impossible given the size of the home. As a result, the owners were able to have the bill reduced!
- For more on GAS, click here.
Here’s an example of a gas meter. You can see on the right side of the photo, the yellow handle. It’s running parallel to the pipe meaning the gas is ON.
The Boundary Trap
A boundary trap is the point where all of your home’s sewer drains (everything from bathrooms, kitchens and laundries) connect to and enter the sewer main. Unfortunately these can be buried over time and difficult to find, resulting in you or your plumber spending hours digging to find it! It’s important to know where it is as it’s a plumber’s first point of call when completing a sewer inspection and clearing blockages.
If you’re unable to find your boundary trap, we can help by providing a sewer service diagram of your home, just get in touch. If your boundary trap is buried, it’s a good idea to dig it out and make it easily accessible again.
Look for a pipe poking through the ground at the front or back of your property (see pic below).
