What the stopcock does
Your internal stopcock (or stop tap) controls the mains cold water entering your home. Close it and you stop the flow to everything — which is exactly what you want in a leak or before certain repairs, and it’s the first thing to close if a frozen pipe might split.
Where to find it
The most common spot is under the kitchen sink. Failing that, look in a utility room, downstairs loo, hallway cupboard, garage, or near where the mains enters the house. There’s often an outside stopcock too, under a small cover near your boundary.
How to turn it off
Turn the handle clockwise until it stops. Then open a cold tap to confirm the flow drops to nothing. That’s it — the water’s isolated.
Do this as a dry run on a calm day. If you only ever look for the stopcock during an emergency, you’ll be learning under the worst possible pressure.
If it’s stiff or won’t budge
Old stopcocks seize up from years of not being touched. Don’t force a stuck valve — you can snap it and cause the very flood you’re trying to prevent. If yours is stiff or leaking, we can replace it with a modern lever valve that’s easy to operate in a hurry.
Stopcock seized, dripping, or you can’t find one at all? We’ll fit an easy-turn valve so you can stop the water in seconds when it matters. South Manchester and Cheshire, 24/7.
See our emergency plumber service
