Homeowner guideBasics
Locating the Main Water Valve
Knowing where your main shut-off is, and that it works, is the single most useful plumbing fact for any homeowner. These pointers help you track it down in an ordinary Markham house.
Close-up of a person washing hands at a sink with running water, wearing a wristwatch.
- Short steps a homeowner can follow safely
- What to check before you pick up the phone
- Clear signs it is time to call a plumber
- Markham and York Region notes where they matter
- Licensing details confirmed when you call
- Residential
- Commercial
- Markham & York Region
The short version
- The water meter.
- Under the basement stairs.
- Inside a utility room or furnace room.
- Behind an access panel in a finished basement.
- In a closet near the front of the house.
Where it usually is
Follow the incoming water pipe. In most basements it comes through the foundation on the street side, and the valve is within arm's reach of that spot. Check around:
Townhouses and condos
In townhouses, the main valve may be in a mechanical room or closet. In condos, there are often two valves for hot and cold behind a panel near the laundry or in the bathroom. Some buildings have valves in the hallway ceiling. Ask management if you cannot find yours.
What it looks like
| Type | How to close |
|---|---|
| Round wheel handle (gate valve) | Turn clockwise until it stops |
| Lever handle (ball valve) | Turn a quarter turn so the handle crosses the pipe |
Test it
- Close the valve.
- Open a faucet upstairs. Water should stop after a few seconds.
- Open the valve again slowly.
If the valve will not turn or water keeps running, it needs replacing. Do not force it; old gate valves can break inside.
From the van: Clip a bright label to the handle and walk each grown-up in the household over to it.
The curb stop
There is also a city valve near the property line, usually under a small cap in the lawn or sidewalk. It is operated by the City of Markham with a special key. Homeowners should not try to turn it.
Other useful valves
- Below every basin and beside every toilet tank.
- On the cold line into the water heater.
- At the washing machine box.
- Inside the basement for each hose bib.
Knowing these lets you stop a small leak without cutting water to the whole house.