How to Turn Off Water in Your Property when Planning to Carry Out Any Type of Work

If you are planning to carry out any type of work in your home or property, whether it’s a simple construction or a major refurbishment or repair, it is important for you to make sure that your water system is off if there is a risk that the system will be affected. Both your external and internal stop valves or taps should be turned off before any work is carried out, as neglecting to turn them off can lead to disastrous (and costly) consequences.

Important information about your stop valve or tap

First of all, you should find out where your stop valves or taps are located (if you don’t know this already). You may want to check underneath your kitchen sink, as this is a common location for an internal valve or tap, or it can also be inside a cupboard or even underneath the flooring near your property’s front door. The stop tap located internally is at the point where your entire property’s water supply can be turned off.

How to turn off the stop valve or tap located internally

You can turn off the internal valve simply by turning it in a clockwise direction. Once you turn it off, keep in mind that it may take several minutes before the water flow stops completely. It is important to turn it off slowly and never abruptly or forcefully. The stop valve can be tough to turn off since it is not used that often, and if this is the case, you may want to seek help from a professional plumber (like the plumbers in London supplied by reputable plumbing services like BBS Plumbing Heating Service) rather than trying to forcefully turn it yourself, which can result in damage.

What to remember when turning off the external valve or tap

You may also need to have your external valve or tap turned off, but this often requires permission from your local supplier of water. This is especially true if you are sharing your water supply with nearby properties. When you shut off the external valve and you are sharing the water supply with other properties, their water will also be shut off. This is why it is important to ask permission first, not only from your water supplier, but from the other properties which also rely on the same water supply.

Once you have secured permission from your water supplier and adjacent properties to operate the external valve or tap, you then need to find it. If you are unsure of where it is located, you may want to check the boundary of your property. The external valve or tap may be located underneath a small covering, around the size of a compact disc case. If you cannot find it in this location, you may also want to check your water meter, as it may be in the same chamber or pit. If you have found the external valve or tap with your water meter and it looks like it is made from a plastic material, you may only have to give it a quarter-turn so it is turned off. But be careful when turning the valve – if the external valve or tap is damaged whilst you are trying to turn it off or on, you may be charged for repairs.

If the stop valve could not be turned off, it may require a key. Universal stop valve keys are available from various DIY or plumbing shops. If you want, you can also turn to a plumber for stopping the external stop valve, as they should already have the appropriate tools for this.

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