21 Mar 2022
It’s important to know how to stop your water in case there’s an issue with the supply.
What you’ll need:
- Work gloves
- Pliers
Step one: If you want to stop the water to a single appliance like a sink it should have some type of shut-off valve that allows you to stop the water supply at the fixture without shutting off the water to the entire house.
Step two: To shut off a faucet, toilet, or similar fixture, first look for a stop valve that’s connected to the water supply tubes, located directly under the fixture. This is normally a chrome-plated or plastic valve. Beneath a sink, one serves hot water, and one serves cold.
Step three: Turn the handle clockwise to shut off a valve. If it is too difficult to turn by hand, try wearing a work glove or gripping the handle with a pair of slip-joint pliers.
Step four: If you want to switch off a water heater or washing machine you will need to do something a bit different. To shut off a water heater, turn off the cold-water valve above the water heater. To shut off the water supply to a washing machine, just turn off the valve behind the machine. Some washers have simple lever-style valves.
Step five: If you don’t find a shut off valve near a fixture or appliance, you can shut off the valve that controls the flow of water to the entire house, normally located near where the cold water pipe enters. In some cases, the valve is located on a pipe right before the water heater and may have a red handle. To turn it off, rotate the handle clockwise.
If you still have an issue, call us on 0800 027 2057 and we’ll advise.