Work the list, then call
Each checklist is written to be followed with wet hands and a flashlight: find the valve, kill the power to anything near water, move what you can, and note what you saw. Most of them take ten minutes on a dry day and save hours on a wet one. Toronto basements take the brunt of spring thaw and summer cloudbursts, so walk through the flood and sump lists before storm season.
How to use these lists
Print the flood and frozen-pipe lists and tape them inside the furnace room door, next to the main shut-off. Hang a bright tag off the valve handle; a teenager with a phone light should be able to spot it. Twice a year, lift the sump float by hand or tip a bucket into the crock, then watch the motor kick on and the discharge pipe run. Before the first hard frost, close the indoor valves feeding hose bibs and open the outside taps to drain the trapped water.
When a step says to call, ring (365) 389-6437.