Staying safe in an emergency
It’s easy to take our gas and water supplies for granted, after all, every day they just work for the most part. But what happens with a water or gas emergency? When that happens, knowing where your gas meter is located, or how to turn off your water meter can make all the difference.
Being able to turn off your gas or water meter is not only an essential for an emergency, but it can be useful in a number of other situations too, yet many Australians don’t know where their meters are located. The process is simple, and once you know where to look and what to do, you can have confidence when dealing with a gas or water emergency.
Finding your water or gas meter
Starting with your water meter, this is located outside of the property, usually at the front and will have a valve or tap next to it. Australian water meters come in a variety of styles, but in general are cylindrical with some kind of numerical readout to show water usage.
Your gas meter will be outside too, but either fixed to a wall or very near to the wall. Again, Australian gas meters come in a number of styles, but are a square box with pipes entering and exiting. It should be easily visible when walking around the property, and once located, make a note of the tap fitted to one of the pipes attached to it, as this is the control for gas.
Are your appliances safe?
Water pressure
In Australia, water pressure is measured in kilopascals (kPa), which affects how quickly water runs through your pipes and out of your faucets or shower heads. If the water pressure is too high, you may be wasting too much water per day and you’re more likely to get pipe leakage. If your water pressure is too low, you can find that simple washing and bathing activities take longer. Water pressure should not exceed 500 kPa, according to Australian plumbing rules.
The Installation of a Pressure Limiting Valve is vital on any property, whether it’s a home or commercial property.
Turning off your gas or water
For both gas and water, the meter is where you can turn off the supply to your property. Water meters will have a tap on one of the pipes, known as the shut off valve. Turn clockwise to tighten the valve and that cuts off the water supply to the property. Turn anticlockwise and the valve opens allowing water through.
If you have a burst pipe or other water emergency, being able to locate the tap and turn the water off quickly can save a lot of damage, so it’s worth checking where the meter is and locating the shut off valve.
For your gas supply, to the side of the gas meter on one of the pipes is a lever, usually in red. This is the shut off valve for your gas supply, and normally the lever will be in line with the pipe, meaning the valve is open and gas is flowing to your property.
In the case of a gas emergency, such as a leak or you can smell gas for some reason, turn that level 90 degrees to the horizontal, and that shuts the valve and stops the flow of gas. Again, in an emergency this can make all the difference, so get to know how it works to make sure you understand what to do when it matters.
Maintenance of your water and gas meters
If you find a problem with either your gas or water meter, then contact your plumber in Melbourne for assistance.
Water and gas meters, and their shutoff valves, are essential for dealing with a water or gas emergency, always not their positions in a new property, and check the valves are easy to turn periodically, so that if that gas or water emergency does happen, you can shut off the supply quickly.
Hire a Good Plumber in Melbourne
The factors that make an excellent plumber include a considerable portfolio of services, five stars Google ratings, as well as being easy to communicate with.
At Reed Plumbing and Drainage Solutions, we are fully licensed and certified, have more than 15 years of experience.
We are experts in all areas of plumbing, so give us a buzz and we’ll able to discuss the options with you to find the best solution in the quickest time.
