How to turn off my water supply?

contentking

Hi Guys,

I have to turn off my entire house's water supply. I have read that it is usually under the kitchen sink. I have turned off the two levers under there and this stops the water to kitchen sink only, the bathroom still has water running through.

Any ideas?

CJhaughey

There should be a stopcock outside the house, usually under a small metal cover. Lift the cover and turn it off.

davenewt

There'll be a mains pipe coming in to the house and a valve to shut off the (cold) water main from there... like you said the valves under the sink only shut off water to the sink!

Look in your cupboard under the stairs, or see if you can find where the mains pipe comes into the house and work out where to look. Wherever the mains pipe comes up into the house, that's where your cold water mains valve should be.

You may also have to shut off the hot water separately from a header tank in your attic... in my case there's a separate valve in the hot press for this.

Consult a plumber if unsure. I'm not one!

Davy

contentking wrote: »

Hi Guys,

I have to turn off my entire house's water supply. I have read that it is usually under the kitchen sink. I have turned off the two levers under there and this stops the water to kitchen sink only, the bathroom still has water running through.

Any ideas?

The water in the bathroom will stop eventually, as the storage tank will empty. Ones the mains is turned off, the tank wont refill.

Why do you need to turn the water off?

ttm

Davy wrote: »

The water in the bathroom will stop eventually, as the storage tank will empty. Ones the mains is turned off, the tank wont refill.

Why do you need to turn the water off?

Combine Davy's post with yours and is it possible you have turned the water off but the hot tap is still running because you havn't run the tank down completely?

crosstownk

CJhaughey wrote: »

There should be a stopcock outside the house, usually under a small metal cover. Lift the cover and turn it off.

This is the best option. Then run all the other taps to allow the tank in the attic and the hot water cylinder to drain.

You'll need a key to turn the outside stop cock. Most plumbing stores and decent hardwares will have it.

aujopimur

If you have a cylinder supplying your hot water there should be a valve adjacent to it which controls the feed to it.

contentking

Thanks guys, going to follow crosstownk's advice, seems the best approach

crosstownk wrote: »

This is the best option. Then run all the other taps to allow the tank in the attic and the hot water cylinder to drain.

You'll need a key to turn the outside stop cock. Most plumbing stores and decent hardwares will have it.

Joey the lips

There was a chap on here for a while called stratocaster who produced a thread on taps and valves. Its obvious I did not agree with all he said but his post was excellent in this area if you just want to look it up for more info look under his username and then just look at his history

skingtile

if you cant find the mains valve outside,if you do make sure it is your one, if in a built up area you can get confused and sometimes the builders have them crossed most of the time it is sufficient to tie up the ballcock in the attic and isolate your kitchen sink with vaves mentioned, should be two valves in HP for controlling hot and cold to bathrooms if you can turn off all the better but water will stop flowing after a while in any effent

crosstownk

skingtile wrote: »

if you cant find the mains valve outside,if you do make sure it is your one, if in a built up area you can get confused and sometimes the builders have them crossed

The kitchen tap should always be a direct feed from the mains supply (drinking water). Run the kitchen tap and then go outside and turn off the stop cock. If you kitchen tap stops then you have the right valve. Drain everything else using the hot and cold water taps throughout the house and you will have no water left except for residual quantities in the pipework which won't be a lot.

This may not be relevant but if you have a back boiler (open fire) that heats the hot water cylinder there is a chance that the cylinder may be prymatic. If this is the case then be sure to refill the hot water cylinder slowly to avoid upsetting the air bubble. If your house is relatively new then this won't concern you.