Clark Drain CD880 140mm x 115mm x 75mm Stop Tap Stopcock Cover/lid PVC Locking Surround Box

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Regularly turning the valve will help with this, if you turn the stop tap just enough to see that it will turn off and on. If you’re unfortunate enough to have a burst pipe or broken tap, you’ll need to find your stopcock sharpish.

Plus, if you ever want to try your hand at DIY plumbing work, like changing a worn washer on a tap, you’ll want to shut your water supply off. You may also be responsible for the maintenance and repair work if you are renting a property, but this is down to the discretion of your landlord. If the Stopcock is a little stiff to turn apply some easing oil and allow soaking before working the handle back and forth until it eases. The diagram below shows the typical pipework for most homes and who is responsible for maintaining it. 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.

Now a good place to start is in the kitchen and quite a few people will find the mains water stopcock in the kitchen under the sink. Some people, it could be elsewhere in the kitchen under a cupboard, in a pantry, in a garage or even behind a panel near your boiler.

The plumber will most likely take the body off and place PTFE around the threads to enable a new seal to the stop valve. If you have a high-pressure system – usually found in homes with combi-boilers or a mega-flow hot water tank, there will be one single stop tap that turns off water from the mains. The fitting then fits around the stop tap valve and allows you to turn the key until the water flow stops. Your external water mains stopcock will most likely be located on the street, just outside the boundary of your property. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development.

If you still need to turn off the mains water supply, the next step is to try the stop tap in your home. In old properties, it may be located under the floorboards near the front door, which is inconvenient to say the least. If you can't find your inside stop valve or it's broken, there are other ways to turn your water off.