Find Your Stopcock Before YouNeed It

Find Your Stopcock Before You Need It

If you've got a serious leak, knowing where to turn the water off can make a huge difference. Don't wait for an emergency to start looking for your stopcock.

Start outside

These are the two general types of Thames Water covers you'll commonly see outside. Find yours near the boundary of the property, then imagine a fairly direct line from it towards the house — that's a useful clue to where the incoming main may enter.

What will be underneath?

You'll generally find one of these types underneath: an older valve that uses a small plastic key, or a newer blue quarter-turn valve. If yours uses the plastic key, check now that the key is actually there. If you've got the blue quarter-turn type, turn it clockwise a quarter turn until it naturally stops to shut the water off.

Then look inside

In a typical house, the first place I'd check is under the kitchen sink. It could also be under the stairs, in a utility room or garage, or close to wherever the incoming main first enters the property. In flats, look around the first point of entry into the flat.

Inside, your main shut-off may be an older tap-style stopcock, a lever valve, or beside an internal water meter. If you've got an internal meter — particularly in a flat — that's a very good place to look.