How you turn off the water in your house
How you turn the water off in your house is something that every homeowner and tenant should know. It can prevent your house flooding and stop what could otherwise by an expensive disaster; not only that, out, it can prevent totally disrupting your lifestyle in the aftermath.
Closing the stop-cock is how you turn off water in your house
The device that controls the supply of water into your home is called a “stop-cock.” Most homes have two. One is inside the home, and the other is outside the home in the street. This outside stop-cock is actually the property of your local water authority, and you should leave it well-enough alone, unless you have an emergency leak inside your home, and you cannot locate the stop-cock that should be part of your homes plumbing system.
An internal stop-cock is usually found close to the point where the water pipe enters your home. It is often in the same place as the other utilities such as gas and electricity. When you do locate it, try turning it off. Because they are so seldom used, stop-cocks are often difficult to close, so it’s not a bad idea (once you know where your stop-cock is) to shut it down and re-open it every few months, just to keep it freed-up.
Top tip on how to turn off the water in your house when the stop-cock won’t turn
If you find it very difficult to turn your stop-cock off (this is done by turning the handle or wheel in an anticlockwise direction) here is a handy tip on how you turn off the water in your house. It involves removing the stop-cock’s handle or wheel, which is simply a case of unscrewing the retaining screw. Once removed, you will find a square shaft. You can then fit an adjustable spanner or wrench onto the shaft, which will give you the leverage you need to turn it off.
In-line shut-off valves
The plumbing in some houses incorporates what are known as in-line shut-off valves. These are fitted into the water pipe just before it enters an appliance, and they give you the facility of isolating the device (washing machine, dish-washer etc.) from the mains water supply of the house, which means you don’t have to turn off the main stop-cock. Inline vales are normally fitted with a small knob or a protruding screw. Simply turn through 90 degrees to shut off the supply.
Call CW Services Plumbing and Heating in an emergency
If you live in South London and you have a plumbing emergency of any kind, you can call us here at CW Services Plumbing and Heating. We operate a 365/24/7 emergency call-out service which you can access by calling 020 7733 6812, or 07949 095 184.
Jot the number down and keep it in a handy place for future use, or if you have a current emergency, call us now.
