Room-by-room checklist
- Under the kitchen sink — look at the back of the cupboard.
- Under the stairs.
- Near the front door, sometimes behind a small floor hatch.
- Downstairs toilet or bathroom, behind a panel.
- Utility room, garage or airing cupboard.
- Cellar.
- In flats: hallway cupboard, kitchen units, or a riser cupboard in the corridor.
Follow the pipe
Find the cold kitchen tap — it is fed directly from the mains. Follow its pipe backwards under the sink and towards the floor. The stopcock is usually on that pipe near where it comes into the building.
Pro tip: Look for blue plastic pipe coming up through the floor — that is usually the incoming mains.
In an emergency
- Use the outside stopcock in the pavement or garden boundary with a stopcock key.
- Call your water company's emergency line.
- In flats, contact the building manager or landlord.
Once you find it
Label it, test it, and tell everyone at home where it is. If it is hidden in a hard place, a plumber can fit an extra easy-to-reach stopcock.
