How to find and use your stop tap

Common places to look

• Under the kitchen sink or behind the cupboard kickboard.
• In a downstairs toilet, utility room, airing cupboard or garage.
• Close to the front wall or where the incoming cold-water pipe enters the property.
• In a flat, inside a service cupboard or near the water meter. Ask the managing agent if the supply is shared.

How to turn the water off

Turn the stop tap clockwise, gently, until it closes. Then open a cold tap to check the flow reduces and to drain some water from the pipework. Never use excessive force or tools on a stiff valve because the valve or pipe can break.

When reopening the supply, turn it anticlockwise slowly and check the valve and nearby joints for leaks. Do not leave the valve forced fully against its open stop; turn it back a small amount.

If the stop tap will not move

Do not force a seized, corroded or leaking stop tap. If water is escaping and the internal valve cannot be used, contact the water supplier about the external stop valve and call a plumber. AFS can assess and replace suitable internal stop taps and add accessible local isolation valves.