Find the main shut-off before an emergency
In Canadian homes the main valve is usually:
- Basement — on the wall where the water line enters from outside (street side).
- Crawlspace or utility closet in slab-on-grade homes.
- Apartment/condo — inside the unit's mechanical closet, or in a hallway closet.
Test it once a year by closing and reopening. Old gate valves seize.
When a pipe bursts
- Shut the main valve. Turn clockwise until firm.
- Open the lowest faucet in the house (basement laundry tub) to drain pressure.
- Power off any room with standing water — flip the breaker, don't walk through it.
- Photograph everything before cleanup (for insurance).
- Call a plumber and your insurer.
Temporary patch
- A pinhole leak can be wrapped with rubber from an old bike tube and two hose clamps. This buys you 24 hours, not a week.