There are two types of water systems – direct, and indirect. As the name suggests, in direct systems, the water comes directly from the mains, whereas in indirect systems, your water comes from a cold-water tank, which is fed by the mains. If you’ve got a water-meter, there’ll be a modern plastic tap next to the meter. Mark says: ‘A modern water-meter comes with a plastic stop tap, which doesn’t corrode.’ In other words, it should work and is relatively simple to turn off by hand or a universal stop tap key (available from any hardware store) if it’s too deep to reach.

Install a permanent isolation valve called an Aladdin valve. This can be installed on hot water or cold water pipes in around 5 minutes and can be done without turning off your water. Build and Plumb Registered office JT Dove Ltd, Riversdale Way, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE15 8SF,United Kingdom, Registered in GB

How to find your outside stop valve

Septic tanks and cesspits are private sewage systems designed to collect wastewater from properties, and… Depending on your system, you may have one or three stop taps in your home. 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.

Without isolation valves or a working stop tap, your plumber may need to drain the entire system before making any repairs. This takes time and, as plumbers often charge by the hour, often means higher charges. On the plus side, once your system is drained, it’s a great opportunity to install new isolation valves or a new stop tap. I worked for a water company and have seen this very many times, customers always wanted to blame us until it was explained that the internal S/Tap or if they have installed an extra one in the garden it was theirs. We all have a list of things to do around the home that we may or may not get round to. Filing paperwork, sorting out the linen cupboard and in all likelihood, testing your stop tap is on that list too. The problem is, while not being able to find a record of your accounts or your towels being in a mess might be annoying, failing to test your stop tap can be disastrous. A gravity or low-pressure system, when there is a tank in the loft that supplies the toilets and basins, will have the mains stop tap that supplies water to the kitchen sink, plus a stop tap coming out of the tank for the hot-water flow and for the cold-water flow too. You have several options if you cannot find your inside stop valve or if it's faulty and needs to be repaired.

How do I turn off the water using the Main Stopcock

Your property will likely have several stop valves inside your home. You will likely be able to turn off your water for the room or area of your property where you have a leak, or you’re doing some plumbing. This means you can continue to use your water in the remaining rooms of your property. It may also take a few minutes for the water to stop running from your taps, as there will be some water left in the pipes from before you turned the water off. The external valve controls the flow from the water main that serves your street to the supply pipe into your house. 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. A gate vale is located under each of these tanks. In an emergency, your local water company guarantee to come out within 24 hours. However, this is more than long enough for a leak within your property to create some serious damage.

Is my water company responsible for the mains water stop valve is a common question and one that the answer has recently changed. The water utility companies provide two main piped services to your home. The first is the delivery of fresh water. The second is the removal of waste water from both sewage and drainage. In the past it has been unclear as to who is responsible between the homeowner/landlords and the Utility Company for which of the piping and associated taps within each boundary. Very recently the government and utility companies have moved to clarify this as follows. I think your Builder is right not to cover a stop tap, if you or others need this in an emergency it has to be visible. You might not want to cut off water to your entire house, and with small jobs, like fixing a tap, it usually isn’t necessary – all you’ll need to do is to find the right isolation valve (also known as a service valve). If you’ve got a plumbing problem, you can find a Which? Trusted Traders endorsed plumber in your area. How many stop taps in your home? An isolation valve should be fitted to the water pipe that feeds each tap, and water-using device in your home, including washing machines, toilets, showers and dishwashers.At the end of your road. This is common if your house is old and you share a supply with your neighbours. To protect your home, you should always have a working inside stop valve.Use this as the main way to turn your water on and off.