Plumbing and maintenance
Finding and testing your stopcock before you need it
The single most useful five minutes in home maintenance is finding the internal stopcock and checking it actually turns.
Common questions
What if it will not turn?
Do not force it. A seized stopcock should be replaced under controlled conditions rather than during a leak.
Is there an outside one too?
Usually, at the boundary. It needs a key and is worth locating in advance.
What to check
Point 1
Internal stopcocks are usually under the kitchen sink, in a downstairs cloakroom or near where the supply enters the house.
Point 2
Stopcocks seize when never used; turning them fully off and on once or twice a year keeps them workable, and reveals a failing one before an emergency does.
Where this fits with our work
Working out what is realistic in your space?
Room dimensions, the position of the window and where the waste leaves the building decide most of it. Send those and we can be specific.