Use and Care Manual

both below the sink and in the basement. Once you ﬁnd

the valves, open and close them to make sure they are

functioning properly. It is important to check these valves

often, as they may become “frozen” from lack of use.

Usually a wrench applied to the control handle will free

up the valve, turning clockwise to start to close the valve

since it is probably in the open position. However, do this

carefully to avoid breaking off the control handle.

After freeing the valve, restore it to the open position

and check for leaks around the stem. Minor leakage can be stopped by applying

a wrench to the cap or a packing nut, turning clockwise to tighten. Finally, tag the

valves for future reference. If the handle can’t be moved, it is usually best to have

it serviced by a plumbing contractor.

Locate the bathroom shutoff valves.

In the bathroom, there are ﬁve shutoff valves operating the faucet, toilet and

bathtub/shower. The faucet valves, hot and cold water, are located below the sink

for easy access. The hot and cold tub/shower valves may be located in the

basement. The toilet has a single, cold-water valve

normally installed below the tank.

Be sure to carefully test and label each valve.

Other valves to look for.

Continue the plumbing discovery tour in every room

that has a plumbing-related appliance. Be sure to

locate, test and tag valves to the washing machine,

dishwasher, hot water heating system, water heater,

water softener—every place in the house where water

is used. Most of these will have shutoff valves conveniently located near the

appliance. If you have a hot water heating system, you will ﬁnd a cold-water

shutoff valve near the furnace (see previous instructions for shutting off the

main water supply).

Once you have found and tagged all the valves, plan to take the tour with all

members of the family so everyone knows how to handle an emergency.

With most new construction, your plumbing system is under warranty.

Please check with your builder or contractor to ﬁnd out what warranty

protection you have in case of an emergency.