Metro Plumb offers internal stop tap advice

In a recent blog post from the expert plumbing franchise, Metro Plumb answered commonly asked questions about the internal stop tap on behalf of its customers.

In the words of the plumbing franchise, “An internal stop tap, otherwise known as a stop valve or stop cock, allows you to shut off the water supply within your home. During a plumbing emergency, such as a pipe burst, knowing the location of your internal stop tap can help you mitigate the water damage to your property.” The questions answered by Metro Plumb in this blog were as follows:

• What does an internal stop tap look like? - “An internal stop tap looks like a regular tap but with one key difference. Taps have an outlet spout, which enables water to come out of one end. Internal stop taps don’t have this. Also, your stop tap will be located between two lengths of pipe that act as a connector to allow the stop tap to block water flow when it’s turned off.”

• Where is your internal stop tap location? - “Your internal stop tap is usually located underneath your kitchen sink. However, there are a few other places where you may find it.” It might be in a different kitchen cupboard, in a downstairs bathroom, in a cellar/under the stairs, in a garage/utility room or next to your meter, “if this fitted inside”.

• How do you turn off your internal stop tap? - “Rotate the valve clockwise. This will close it and prevent water from flowing through the pipes. When turning your stop tap off or on, you should always rotate the valve slowly. Never force it. If you over-tighten it or use unnecessary force, you could damage the valve.”

• Do you have to turn off the water supply to the whole house? - “If the pipework leak is subject to a single appliance, then you may only need to isolate the water to that appliance. [...] Each water appliance should have an isolation valve. Isolation valves require a flat-headed screwdriver to operate. To shut the isolation valve, you will need to insert the screwdriver into the slot and rotate clockwise so it lines up horizontally to the valve. To open the valve back up, insert the screwdriver and rotate it counterclockwise so the slot lines up vertically to the valve.”

Find out more about this expert plumbing franchise (and the possibility of joining its growing UK network of franchisees) via Metro Plumb’s profile page, which you’ll discover linked above.