We are dedicated to what we do, so you can be guaranteed the highest quality service for whatever you need. In either case, it should be marked clearly by a metal cover, usually with the word ‘water’, ‘stopcock’ or a simple ‘W’ stamped on the surface. In old properties, it may be located under the floorboards near the front door, which is inconvenient to say the least. Luckily, this guide should certainly point you in the right direction all to save you time and money!

If the main stopcock is leaking from a gland, then you may just be able to tighten it up at the gland to either slow the leak down and hopefully stop the water leaking. If the stop valve has too much PTFE then the chances are that the stop tap body at the thread will split open at the brass wear. A report by an emergency plumber London found this to be true and may be a lesson to those wondering what may happen. Generally, homes have two stopcocks – one inside, and one outside, and you’ll need to know where both of them are located.As long as your stopcock is working properly and you know where it is, turning your water off shouldn’t be too difficult. Well, there are the single, most important part of your household plumbing, which is why you need to know where they are located and how to use them. The main benefit of isolation valves is that they allow you to work on specific areas, without having to shut off the whole system.

Not sure if this is the right place or I should be over in the plumbing section but we are getting our front garden repaved and trying to find out what we can do re the external stop cock. A main stopcock is a type of valve used to completely stop the flow of water by using a handle, spindle and a rubber washer that pushes up against a rounder brass opening. They may use a number of different methods to work out whether multiple devices appear to be used by you, including matching information about your devices, browsing activity and geo-location. If you’ve got a water meter fitted, then generally, they will be located in the same chamber to this.If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. Over time, it is possible that your stop cock may seize up, owing to the fact that it will (hopefully) not frequently be used. Important: if your home is on a shared water supply, turning the water off will also turn your neighbour’s off.

Indirect systems utilise both a hot water and a cold-water storage vessel, which are usually located in the attic, loft, or an upstairs cupboard. On the plus side, once your system is drained, it’s a great opportunity to install new isolation valves or a new stop tap. You would need to turn off your external stopcock if the pipes between the interior and exterior of your property needed fixing. Once you know where the mains water stop valve is, then you will need to turn off clockwise until completely closed. With the water safely turned off, we will be able to set to work and have your system up and running again as it should in no time at all.

Certain sizes are marked ‘Monitoring Well’ for clear identification and to avoid any unauthorised access. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Our builder isn't sure this is permitted as you're not allowed to cover with paving even though it will have an access key, but Thames Water say that provided it's accessible then it's fine (although they won't put this in writing). This is a long piece of metal with a T-bar handle at one end and a special type of fitting at the other.

There must have at least one main stopcock within the property, you will most certainly find an external stopcock just outside the boundary of your home and sometimes within the boundaries. Once the mains water stop valve has been fitted it is very important to leave about 5 to 10-minutes to check for any slow leaks. We will be happy to send out a team of highly trained drainage engineers to take care of any problem found on your property, with minimal disruption to your daily routine and the smallest impact possible on your budget.

The diagram below shows the typical pipework for most homes and who is responsible for maintaining it.