'Stopcock tips – can you find yours?' blog discussion

Former_MSE_Helen

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "Stopcock tips – can you find yours?" Blog.

Please click 'post reply' to discuss below.

Wywth

"As I already don’t participate in Xmas, I mark Xmas Day each year to test ALL stopcocks and tap connections within the house."

Probably the worst day of the year to do such testing.

If something starts to leak, you'll be extremely lucky to find any plumber willing come out, and any that do will charge an arm & a leg (over and above the usual arm & a leg they'll charge anyway).

If you think you know it all and can fix a leak yourself, be aware that even the DIY shops will be shut so you can't even get yourself a replacement valve, piece of new pipe, washer, etc.

Errata

Stopcocks should be turned a couple of times a year to minimise ‘seizing’ due to scale. And NEVER open fully, or they’re more likely to jam."

Don’t just locate it, check that it still turns – mine required use of pliers to get it moving."

Modern stopcocks are a large on/off switch sited on the incoming main water supply -

DO NOT TURN IT.

penrhyn

I am shocked and appalled at all this talk of Stopcocks, which is of course disgusting. What ever next Ballcocks?;)

Kite2010

Under a little flap at the top of the driveway.

Internal one behind the washing machine.

Torry_Quine

It shouldn't surprise me that people don't know where their stopcock is. When you first move into a property it should be one of the first things you do.

minijem

Yes, stopcock is indeed the correct word. I was very annoyed when my water company recently sent me some literature referring to my "stop tap". A tap, FGS, is where the water comes out of the system.

The same water company, in a leaflet about water meters, told me that a hose pipe with nothing on the end would deliver 1,000 litres per hour whereas a hose pipe with a sprinkler attached would magically deliver 2,000 litres per hour!

bestyman

If you have a water meter ( inside or outside), then a stop tap will be nearby. It way be a small slot that is turned with a screwdriver.

Is it just northerners that have cellars? If you have a cellar you can bet its in there.

I'm a plumber and call it a stop tap, its less embarrassing this way, especially if you need to find a bleed nipple too

Minijem, if what you say is correct then a float operated valve on a WC should be called a ball tap and not a ball !!!!, as water comes from it? What about a drain off !!!! used for draining off water?( for clarification , I mean on a heating system not on a human)

tasty_snacks

Heads up - the Thames Water video link in the article doesn't work.

penrhyn

Bit of a stopcock up then, mind you the thread is over 6 months old.