How to turn off your water

Stratocaster

If you own a house or live in a house you should know how to turn off all your water supply's. Based on Irish houses with good practice plumbing installations.

Outside stopcock

Located outside you will find the water main shut off valve, known as a stopcock. The stopcock is underground, normally located at the road or footpath directly outside your house. You can identify the stopcock by a small 4" metal lid or 6" plastic cap with provisions for opening. You may require a special key to open.

Once you lift the lid or cap you will find the stopcock, it can be some distance below ground but normally within reach. An array of different stopcocks have become available over the years. Two of the most common would be, square head brass stopcock and plastic water meter enabled stopcock. Most of the brass type require you to have a key to close, the plastic ones can be closed by hand.

The square head brass stopcock can be of different type's. One type will require you to make complete turns similar to a gate valve. It may take a few turns in a clockwise direction to close this stopcock. The other type may only require a quarter turn but its direction of turn is dependent upon the installation. Another type is quarter turn by use of a flat head screwdriver.

Most square head brass stopcocks require a key shaped to place over the stopcock head. Should you not have a key and it is an emergency it is possible to shape some light metal tube and form to suit the square head. It is also possible to use some tools, small adjustable spanner or a pliers.

Square head brass stopcocks that have been in use for many years may be seized or become seized as you turn them off. Should the stopcock become seized you should notify your Co Council for a replacement stopcock.

Special tip
To find out if the stopcock is completely closed, leave your mains water tap open at the kitchen sink, you may still have water on. While at the stopcock outside you will hear water passing through the stopcock, continue to turn until you can no longer hear the water passing through.




Inside stopcock

Provisions should be made to give you the ability to turn off your water main without the need to use the outside stopcock.

The inside stopcock is normally located where your water main supply pipe enters the house. A house plumbed with good plumbing practice in mind will have the inside stopcock located under the kitchen sink. There may be a situation where your inside stopcock is not located under the kitchen sink. It is important as a resident or house owner to find out the location of the inside stopcock. Should you live in an apartment complex the inside stopcock can sometimes be located in the hot press should it not be located under the kitchen sink.

A house plumbed with good plumbing practice in mind will have a inside stopcock dedicated for water main use. The inside stopcock is generally larger than any other valves associated with your plumbing and heating system. The inside stopcock is generally made of brass with an extended handle. This type of stopcock is designed to adjust in order to suit the pressure of the water main. Sometimes you will find an array of different valves instead of a pressure adjust brass stopcock. Either way you will find in most cases the inside stopcock/main valve will be attached to a black plastic pipe, be it under your kitchen sink or located in other areas. Unfortunately due to minimal water regulations you may find your inside stopcock/main valve connected to 1/2" or 3/4" copper or plastic. It may take some time to discover the stopcock/main valve location in this situation.

Once you have determined your inside stopcock/main valve location you should also know what the water main is supplying within the house. In general your water main should only supply your kitchen sink with fresh potable water and your attic tank or combined tank/cylinder. Your attic tank/combined cylinder will then provide cold water services throughout the house. In some cases your water main will also be required to fill the heating system. The heating system can be filled by your attic tank or by a small F&E tank in the attic supplied by the water main, the water main may also be directly connected to the heating system. Your water main may also be providing supplies to other areas within your house, toilets, outside taps, electric showers etc. As a resident or home owner it is important to know what your water main is supplying.

To turn off your inside stopcock/main valve, in most cases it will require you to turn a handle in complete turns, clockwise until shut. In some cases you may find the handle is a lever, in this case the lever must be turned until it is horizontal with the pipe.

Special Tips
Sometimes an inside stopcock/main valve located under the kitchen sink may become blocked from view by presses or a panel. When turning the inside stopcock/main valve back on for prolonged water main use, you should not open it to the full extent, turn on your cold tap at kitchen sink and open the stopcock only to suit the pressure you require. By doing this it serves a number of purposes, reduced risk of seizure, you may be able to reduce the sound of the water main throughout the house as it supplies tanks etc. Most important, restricting the water main to only suit your requirements will be beneficial in keeping a good pressure for the other users associated with the same water main.



I hope to add to this over the next few days to cover the entire plumbing and heating system by adding, hot water, cold water and heating. Seems to be a lot of plumbing questions and most require some form of turning off water. Sending this out now for suggestions etc, If there is anything I have missed out on, or to add, let me know. Cheers.

Joey the lips

Is the outside stopcock not the responsability of the county council/local authority and as such people there for have no right to touch it?

My understanding and perhaps you know more than nmyself is that that the only area the "Consumer" can go near is the area within his/her perimiter. This a clause which also excludes people going near the stopcock(Simular to an esb clause) if the stock cock falls within the property boundry

Martron

so joey what you are trying to tell my is that if you have a leak and its destroying the inside of your house and for some reason you cannot find the stop cock inside your house you will not touch the one outside your house?

Stratocaster

Joey the lips wrote: »

Is the outside stopcock not the responsability of the county council/local authority and as such people there for have no right to touch it?

My understanding and perhaps you know more than nmyself is that that the only area the "Consumer" can go near is the area within his/her perimiter. This a clause which also excludes people going near the stopcock(Simular to an esb clause) if the stock cock falls within the property boundry

As Martron has mentioned, from my experiences the Co Council will be OK with the consumer attending to the outside stopcock, should the reasons be justified. These reasons can be emergency's and in general the only time you would resort to attending to the outside stopcock is during an emergency.

Example of a justified reason, you dig up and bust your water main during gardening works on a Saturday evening. Rather than leaving the mains water flowing freely and damaging property/property's until a Co Council representative becomes available, you have a justified reason to attend to the outside stopcock.

Example of another justified reason, your attic tank is overflowing but your overflow can not withstand the high volume of overflowing water. Water is coming through the ceiling damaging the house and electrical items. You find the inside stopcock, due to lying idle the inside stopcock becomes seized, you have a justified reason to attend to the stopcock.

Joey the lips

Martron wrote: »

so joey what you are trying to tell my is that if you have a leak and its destroying the inside of your house and for some reason you cannot find the stop cock inside your house you will not touch the one outside your house?

No i am not. I am just asking the question. Otherwise I will buy the key. But any house work I ever did usually involved phoning the concil and askin g permission to turn off water, Its a while since i did actual fitting has this changed

I got called out to a combi with no hot water in a very nice new build, i isolated the mains in to the boiler and took out the front of the flow switch, which was in line with my head, the front cover blew off and i had mains water about 2 1/2bar going down the back of my throat, i was very nearly the first gas engineer to drown standing up, i was unable to replace the front cover and putting my thumb in it didn't work, so i had to finally call in the householders from the sitting room as the water was now up over my foot, due to the concrete floor in the kitchen and it was just below the sockets, she was pregnant and he had a lovely suit on, they had a look for the stopcock and they couldn't find it, so he in the lovely suit held a cloth to the boiler while i ran around panicking(but trying to look like i knew what i was doing) looking for the stopcock, it was nowhere to be found, i ran outside and tried to get to the street valve in desperation but couldn't, in the end i was saved from more embarrassment by the customer ringing the builder and asking where the stop cock was and then she went and turned it off, the stop cock was under the sink hidden behind a panel. That job was last year and that's the first(and last) time i have ever flooded a house, i now ask where is the stopcock is before i drain a boiler, the problem with the installation was the plumber connected the water mains in and the hot water out the wrong way round, so when i turned off the mains to the boiler and opened the tap i was only draining after the boiler, i would agree with Stratocaster that everyone should know how to isolated the mains because you never know when you might get a plonker like me in the door:D



If your reading this I'm sorry about the damage:o

Stratocaster

Joey the lips wrote: »

No i am not. I am just asking the question. Otherwise I will buy the key. But any house work I ever did usually involved phoning the concil and askin g permission to turn off water, Its a while since i did actual fitting has this changed

When site workers fit new stopcocks the whole assembly comes with a key to open the lid and a key should the stopcock require one. Its always a good idea to mention to the builder to leave you with any keys associated with the stopcock. Also you can purchase the older type key at any of the leading plumbing suppliers. The information I am providing on stopcocks is solely for emergency purposes if its not an emergency you shouldn't have the need to attend to the outside stopcock.

All other water main matters should be carried out by use of the inside stopcock.

slavetothegrind

Ah jaysus Gary, that was a bad one!

Had a similar experience myself with an old pipe in a laundry, valve busted and i didn't know until the pipe, ( gb) rotten as it was, came away in my hand.
I did know about the 10,000 litre water tank feeding the pipe from a height and it didn't disapoint!
Probably the most powerful shower i will ever have!:o
Luckily it was in an industrial unit and no real damage done.

That was bad in a house though! Hope they didn't claim against you.

Had one of those calls halfway through a house job once.
Owner on phone at 11.00pm saying there were drips of water raining on the sitting room and a bulge in the ceiling:eek:
I had replaced hwt and been working on cheating that evening.
I had checked everything before leaving but i guess you always doubt!!

Drove back and sure enough water had brought the ceiling down.

Frantically running about upstairs to find the source only to discover it was from a copper upstand for a rad ( capped).
Not at the fitting but from a neat cut at floor level.
A chap had come in after i left to sand bedroom floor and happily sanded a hole in the pipe so CH emptied itself into the void in the floor above sitting room!
Lovely.:rolleyes:

Still i was relieved.....

Stratocaster

Inside stopcock now covered, again if there is anything I have missed out on etc, let me know. Cheers.

slavetothegrind

slavetothegrind wrote: »

.
That was bad in a house though! Hope they didn't claim against you.

Hi, slavetothegrind, it's a strange world, all they wanted was a new Mobile for the one that had been used as a submarine, they were unbelievable nice, which made me feel even more guilty, they had just moved in to their new house and i came along and wrecked it, luckily everything dried out and the installer accepted responsibility(it was his apprentice that had done the pipe work), apart from the guilt the next worse thing was the 3 hour drive home soaked, if i put the heater on the windows steamed up and i don't have the body i used to, to start striping off, so i had a long drive to contemplate the error of my ways

Joey the lips

gary71 wrote: »

I got called out to a combi with



If your reading this I'm sorry about the damage:o

slavetothegrind wrote: »

Ah jaysus Gary, that was a bad one!

Had a similar experience myself with an old pipe in a laundry, Frantically running about upstairs to find the source only to discover it was from a copper upstand for a rad ( capped).
Not at the fitting but from a neat cut at floor level.
A chap had come in after i left to sand bedroom floor and happily sanded a hole in the pipe so CH emptied itself into the void in the floor above sitting room!
Lovely.:rolleyes:

Still i was relieved.....

Dont know which one is worse but would hate both. We never had this experience cause the first thing the plumber always done was verify where the stop cock was. I do remember once but a friend phoneing me. He was taking the skirting of the wall from behind the rad. The skirting poped and the valve poped off the rad. I told him to stick a spud in it. He did and was delighted. He then asked if he could leave that there a couple of days till he got the money for a plumber.... I thought it funny.

I would say this happens a lot.

Stratocaster

I was working for a plumbing company on a new build, house built, 1st fix plumbing complete, half way through 2nd fix. Plasterers were in the house at the same time finishing off some rooms. The mains water came from a well, a temp mains was made up at the kitchen sink location which provided a water supply for the plasterers. During the xmass holidays the plasterers returned to finish some works.

They required some water but no water came out of the temp supply, so they continued to open valves around the house, disconnect, reconnect pipes, all kinds of this messing with valves and pipes until they became frustrated with no water and left.

3 days later the house owner returned to the newly build house to discover the entire down stairs flooded, it was so bad water flowing down from upstairs were digging small channels into the walls in different places, ceilings were flooded, cracked and most beyond repair. A few new floors had been laid along with newly painted walls etc, the owner wasn't far off moving in.

We got an angry phone call and returned to find out what caused the flood, then we discovered the plasterers had tampered with the temp mains pipe and connected into a few pipes located where the kitchen sink would be.

What happened was, there had been no power in the house, electricity was down, that's why no water was available at the temp supply.
After all the tampering, the mains had been connected to hot and cold pipes, when they left sometime later the power came back on and the mains was on full flow sending water back up the hot and cold, any taps toilets, showers etc that had been open ended up flooding the house.

We were found not responsible for any of the above and the plasterers lost the job.

slavetothegrind

OK stratman winning this contest!

God the stories that must be out there....

CH can be dangerous but steam is even worse.

Had a call about a steam boiler leaking steam intermittantly, and badly.
I Was down the country and wouldn't get there for a while so i told him to shut it down.

Called me back half hour later to tell me it was ok now and i need not come.
I was in the middle of something at the time and said ok and hung up.

A bit later i thought about it and rang him back.

What did you do?

Oh, it's grand. I found where the steam was coming from and stopped it.

You stopped it how?

With a 1" plug.

Was this by any chance on a brass thingy on top with a curvy handle at it's side looking suspiciously like a SAFETY VALVE?

He had.

:eek:
:eek:

keep em coming.....might wake some folks up to the hazards of meddling!

Joey the lips

slavetothegrind wrote: »

OK stratman winning this contest!

God the stories that must be out there....

CH can be dangerous but steam is even worse.

Had a call about a steam boiler leaking steam intermittantly, and badly.
I Was down the country and wouldn't get there for a while so i told him to shut it down.

Called me back half hour later to tell me it was ok now and i need not come.
I was in the middle of something at the time and said ok and hung up.

A bit later i thought about it and rang him back.

What did you do?

Oh, it's grand. I found where the steam was coming from and stopped it.

You stopped it how?

With a 1" plug.

Was this by any chance on a brass thingy on top with a curvy handle at it's side looking suspiciously like a SAFETY VALVE?

He had.

:eek:
:eek:

keep em coming.....might wake some folks up to the hazards of meddling!

He is lucky you asked!!!

Stratocaster

That's a bad one blocking off the safety.

I don't think this one can be beat, working in intel fab 24.

I was working during the base build, if anyone's every been there you'll know what its like.

I was doing overtime and I heard a shout coming from a distance, as I went to find out why someone was shouting I could hear water flooding, as I got closer I could see a pipe with water flowing full bore, never got a chance to measure it, must have been 56" to 58".

The water was lashing out of it, as the pipe was in the fab the basement with rows and rows of electrical panels was directly below, the floods of water made its way and came down on top of all the panels and started to flood the basement, must have been 6" to 8" of standing water along with the damaged electrical panels. Also the floors had a special coating that had only been laid about an hour or two previously. Took some time to clear out all the water, it covered a few thousand sqft, the basement sump pumps couldn't handle it so all sorts of machines and wet vacuums along with the sump pumps were working flat out for days removing the water. Some of the panels had to be replaced and others taken apart and dried out.

Never got to find out what happened as the fab had different contractors etc, I heard someone opened the wrong valve while flushing out some pipes, at the same time someone left out the blank in the flange. Murphys law.

demanufactured

Stratocaster wrote: »

When site workers fit new stopcocks the whole assembly comes with a key to open the lid and a key should the stopcock require one. Its always a good idea to mention to the builder to leave you with any keys associated with the stopcock. Also you can purchase the older type key at any of the leading plumbing suppliers. The information I am providing on stopcocks is solely for emergency purposes if its not an emergency you shouldn't have the need to attend to the outside stopcock.

All other water main matters should be carried out by use of the inside stopcock.

I dont have an inside stopcock , the only one i have is right outside my front door.

Stratocaster

demanufactured wrote: »

I dont have an inside stopcock , the only one i have is right outside my front door.

I made a note with the information, its all based on houses, apartments etc with good plumbing practice in mind. You shouldn't have to be going outside to turn of your mains water, you either haven't found the one inside or who ever plumbed your house wasn't paying much attention.

Carlow52

Interesting post on (stop)cocks.

Just to add 2 observations:

1:When opening any water valves, be they in the hot press or under the sink, once you reach the max open position, close the valve by about 1/3 of a turn.

This means that the valve can be moved both ways if it ever sticks and makes it easier to free up. It also helps to establish if it actually open or closed.

2:When closing the older type stop cock on the road, count the number of turns and only open it the same amount, very easy to unscrew it completely which gives a Bellagio type fountain

Stratocaster

Carlow52 wrote: »

Interesting post on (stop)cocks.

Just to add 2 observations:

1:When opening any water valves, be they in the hot press or under the sink, once you reach the max open position, close the valve by about 1/3 of a turn.

This means that the valve can be moved both ways if it ever sticks and makes it easier to free up. It also helps to establish if it actually open or closed.

2:When closing the older stop cock on the road, count the number of turns and only open it the same amount, very easy to unscrew it completely which gives a Bellagio type fountain

Fair play, you know the anti seize trick. I try to use lever valves all the time, gave up installing gate valves. I plan on adding the hots and colds over the next few days, I'll add the count the turns in the tip bit at the end of the mains ones. Cheers.

demanufactured

Stratocaster wrote: »

I made a note with the information, its all based on houses, apartments etc with good plumbing practice in mind. You shouldn't have to be going outside to turn of your mains water, you either haven't found the one inside or who ever plumbed your house wasn't paying much attention.

Hehe , my house was plumbed in 1950 ,The rising main comes into the bathroom and there aint no stopcock on it , the main one is just outside my front door though so its handy enough.

Joey the lips

demanufactured wrote: »

Hehe , my house was plumbed in 1950 ,The rising main comes into the bathroom and there aint no stopcock on it , the main one is just outside my front door though so its handy enough.

I would not be happy long term myself I would have a second stop cock fitted. but as you say if you are happy

wingnut

Read the guide - very informative. I want to change the kitchen sink but can't shut off the water.

The house was built c. 2001. I tried the outside mains first but it not the standard square valve. I has an elipse on top of it along with a spring and what looks like the top of a spanner holding it (pic attached). I thought they were all just the square valves.

There is a gate valve under this sink. When this is turned off the pressure reduces on the flow of cold water in the sink but it does not stop. The storage tank will not fill when this valuve is cloesed.

I shut off the gate valuve and the tank drained to a very low level. However the cold tap keeps running. It does not seem to be fed from the tank. There is a pipe going in abobe the gate valve. I am very confused??

There are lever valves in the hot press which turn off the hot and cold taps in the bathrooms (its a bungalow). There is a gate valve on one of the pipes coming from the storage tank turned this off too but had no effect.

Stratocaster

Just had a quick look, about to head out. That outside stop cock could be a quarter turn as I have mentioned in the first post. Its very dirty to tell exactly.

The gate valve in the drawing under the sink is more than likely the mains, the other pipe going into the floor after the valve is your supply to the attic tank.

The reason you still have water to the tap is, gate valves should not be used on mains, they can not withstand the pressure. To me it sounds like the gate valve is restricting the flow to the attic tank but its not able to hold off all the water so its still able to supply the kitchen tap. I have witnessed this happen on many occasions similar to yours. If you cant shut off the mains outside you may roll up your sleeves, cut the pipe above the gate valve and try to attach a new lever valve before it goes into the floor for the attic tank. It can get wet so be prepared, once you slot in a new lever valve you will be able to completely shut off the mains supply.

To replace the kitchen sink tap the attic tank drain or cylinder isolation will only shut off your hot water supply.

Joey the lips

wingnut wrote: »

Read the guide - very informative. I want to change the kitchen sink but can't shut off the water.

The house was built c. 2001. I tried the outside mains first but it not the standard square valve. I has an elipse on top of it along with a spring and what looks like the top of a spanner holding it (pic attached). I thought they were all just the square valves.

There is a gate valve under this sink. When this is turned off the pressure reduces on the flow of cold water in the sink but it does not stop. The storage tank will not fill when this valuve is cloesed.

I shut off the gate valuve and the tank drained to a very low level. However the cold tap keeps running. It does not seem to be fed from the tank. There is a pipe going in abobe the gate valve. I am very confused??

There are lever valves in the hot press which turn off the hot and cold taps in the bathrooms (its a bungalow). There is a gate valve on one of the pipes coming from the storage tank turned this off too but had no effect.

Honestly, get a plumber for this one. They have a few solution usually involving replacing the chut off valve. This is not a novice or many intermediate job.

wingnut

Stratocaster wrote: »

gate valves should not be used on mains, they can not withstand the pressure. To me it sounds like the gate valve is restricting the flow to the attic tank but its not able to hold off all the water so its still able to supply the kitchen tap.

That sounds like what is happening allright. I think I might get a plumber in to give everything the once over and maybe install the lever valve.

Griffinman

I have located my stopcock at the road, and have a key to turn it off. I just cant get the lid off. It is loose and rattles and I can get a screwdriver in to pry it up but it is locked somehow. Is it supposed to revolve to unlock or what??

Joey the lips

Griffinman wrote: »

I have located my stopcock at the road, and have a key to turn it off. I just cant get the lid off. It is loose and rattles and I can get a screwdriver in to pry it up but it is locked somehow. Is it supposed to revolve to unlock or what??

Can you take a picture of the shore till we see which one it is.