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Home > Health & Housing > Washing People > Turning the water off to allow plumbing maintenance

B1.7 Turning the water off to allow plumbing maintenance

Water isolation valves disconnect each house from the mains water supply to allow for plumbing maintenance. Also known as stop valves or shut off valves, they should allow the simple shutting off of water to the house when changing tap washers, repairing pipes or taps and when there is a major water leak. Specification should consider the type and location of the water isolation valve.

Survey data show that even teams with the advantage of local knowledge could only find isolation valves in nearly a quarter of the houses surveyed (24 per cent) and, of those valves that were found, 55 per cent were working. Time spent by plumbers searching for isolation valves uses scarce housing maintenance funds.

If plumbers cannot find the isolation valve, they will be forced to manage repairs by either shutting off the main water supply to many houses or attempting to do repairs by reducing the water pressure, which involves opening up all taps in the house requiring maintenance. Both these options are unacceptable.

Data also shows that functioning water meters were only found in 50 per cent of surveyed houses. Regardless of water charges, water management requires basic tools such as isolation valves and water meters to be functioning to allow the housing manager to monitor water use and to assist in completing repairs to the water system of a house.

Real world examples of problems

  • B1.7 001 Buried water supply valve
  • B1.7 002 Buried water supply valve
  • B1.7 004 Leaking water supply valve
  • B1.7 008 Water supply traditional jumper (or T) valve bind more often in poor quality water.
  • B1.7 009 No working isolation valve means plumbers have to fix taps with water flowing or disconnect many houses.

Design and Specification

Ensure

  • B1.7.1.

    there is an easily accessed, above ground isolation valve and water meter, for example fixed to a wall of the house, which cannot get ‘lost’ under landscaping or fencing

  • B1.7.2.

    the pipes to and from the water isolation valve and water meter are protected from physical damage by motor cars and mowers

  • B1.7.3.

    the type of valve is suited to the water quality.

Consider

  • using ball valves, rather than ‘jumper’ or ‘gate’ valves, where water quality is poor
  • installing a second valve on houses where the service provider insists on a below ground valve at the property boundary
  • selecting water isolation valves that have fixed handles and avoid using anti-vandal valves that do not have a handle
  • installing a water meter, regardless of water charging, to assist in water demand management and detecting leaks
  • a wall mounted isolation valve above head height.
  • if required to be lower for disabled access, then adequately protect the valve to prevent injuries or damage.

Real world examples of Solutions

  • B1.7 003 Water supply ball valve mounted to wall
  • B1.7 005 Water supply ball valve
  • B1.7 006 Water supply ball valve
  • B1.7 007 Water supply ball valve

Quality control

  • the type of main water isolation valve specified and that it has been correctly installed
    info-icon
    COMPLETED DESIGN & SPECIFICATION
    DURING CONSTRUCTION
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION
  • the main water isolation valve is located where specified and is secure
    info-icon
    COMPLETED DESIGN & SPECIFICATION
    DURING CONSTRUCTION
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION
  • the main water isolation valve can be turned on and off and, if it is a jumper valve or gate valve, turn fully on then back one turn to prevent the valve 'binding' shut in the fully open position
    info-icon
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION
  • that if a main water meter was specified, it has been installed and is working.
    info-icon
    AT HANDOVER
    FINAL COMPLETION

Maintenance

As part of cyclical maintenance:

  • check the water isolation valve can be turned off and on and turn jumper or gate valves fully off, then fully on, and then back one turn
    info-icon
    Plumber, Local Maintenance Team
    12 Months
  • when the isolation valve is turned off, all water to the house stops flowing
    info-icon
    Plumber, Local Maintenance Team
    12 Months
  • read the house water meter and record water use and if a house has a high meter reading, ask the plumber to check for leaks.
    info-icon
    Local Maintenance Team, Housing Management
    3 Months

Standard And References

AS 4796-2001 : Water supply - Metal bodied and plastic bodied ball valves for property service connection

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  • Washing People
    • B1.1 Wet area design
    • B1.2 Hot water
    • B1.3 Water outlets, valves & taps
    • B1.4 Washing young children ― hand basins, bathtubs, and laundry tubs
    • B1.5 Showers
    • B1.6 Wet area floor drainage (bathroom, shower, toilet and laundry)
    • B1.7 Turning the water off to allow plumbing maintenance
of houses had a water isolation valve that could be found and was working.
Click here for more data on Turning the water off to allow plumbing maintenance

Real world story

How a bathroom fails to function

How a bathroom fails to function in a two bedroom house, serving 3 families with 15 people. A new cake of soap is opened over the basin, the wrapper falls into the basin, gets wet and blocks the waste pipe trap. A box of laundry powder is…

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