Help! How do I switch off the water supply please?

[KirstenBlest]

Calling @PigletJohn or anyone else who can help me.

I have a leak in my washing machine inlet hose. I have switched off the stopcock inside my property but the leak is still going strong.

The main stopcock is in the street. It's locked with something with an X shape on it. I tried a screwdriver but it doesn't work.

I really would prefer not to call out an emergency plumber.

Any advice please I'm desperate.

There may be another stopcock in your house. There should be some smaller ones around the washing machine itself. Have you done those?

Bump.

Also, it may be helpful to say where in your house the one you've turned off is.

Also, what is your house like? New build? 30s semi? A photo of a similar house may help people tell you where to look.

Bumping for Piglet John..
Presumably the washing machine is cold fill only if new? and i presume its connected to the mains, in which case turning of the interior stopcock shouldve stopped it, once the excess in the pipes have been drained..
Is it cold fill only?

Is it definitely still coming from the mains, or is your machine emptying itself through the leak?

Oh, i've just thought, trace the inlet house to where it joins the waterpipe, as pickle says, you should have a little blue lever (for the valve) where the 2 join..

(hose not house!)

All the hose inlets have a twist valve where it’s joined to the main pipe. Where does your pipe connect? Is it under the sink? You’ll need to get on your hands and knees and you’ll probably need a torch (use your phone). Or the may be a valve you needs to use with a screwdriver to switch it?

I've switched off the cold water stopcock under the sink but the water is still running.

I'm in a terraced house and the mains stopcock is in the street.
It's that one I think I need to switch off but it's locked.

It's possible it's just from the pipe. Try running the tap elsewhere, see if you can empty it from the rest of the system.

I'm pretty sure you don't mess with the stopcock on the street! Is there a neighbour with a similar house you can ask?

As the previous poster suggested, run any downstairs cold taps in the house to drain the system, doing this will also tell you if you’ve successfully turned off the supply or not. Depending on your system, there may be a second stop cock somewhere.

Worth checking you’ve turned the valves completely off as the water will continue to flow if they’re not.

Are you sure the water is coming from the blue hose and not the outlet pipe?

I have turned it off in the street - I think it was when I had a shower or sink installed. Years ago now.

I would only turn it off long enough to put duct tape over the inlet hose where it is leaking.

Sorry. I have turned the stopcock in the street in the past but it wasn't locked then

Can you trace back the water pipe for your washing machine. Somewhere along the pipe should either a blue lever you can turn or a chunky joint with valve on it which you can also turn. I've tried to attach a pic of this so you know what to look for. It might be under the sink or under the cupboards or behind the machine. The aim is to isolate the pipe work to the washing machine.

the flexible plastic filling hose from the machine has a metal nut on the end that will be screwed to a valve.

Probably like this

Turn the plastic lever so it is at right angles to the pipe. It only moves a quarter turn, and only in one direction.

There are a few types so if yours is different please post a photo. And of your indoor stopcock and your pavement one please.

A valve as in the photo attached with the blue/red handles is just the final feed to the washing machine. It also could be a small screw instead of a handle.

You should also have a main internal stop cock which could be a wheel, tap, or handle

www.thameswater.co.uk/help/emergencies/how-to-turn-your-water-on-and-off/how-to-find-and-use-your-outside-stop-valve

Some types of main internal stop cock

@PigletJohn, you are a lifesaver. Thank you and others who replied.

The little blue valve has been turned as described.

Next question, can I replace the leaky pipe myself? I had a search for one and screfwix sell some, and are the price an indication of quality?

I don't need to wash anything immediately.

The outside stop cock cover is like the second photo but it seems to be screwed on one corner. The screw bit is like a large cross.

How do I open that please?

Think they’re all pretty similar.

Just make sure you get one long enough.

Hope you have strong hands as they can be hard to unscrew. Try wearing a rubber glove or putting a cloth round it.

As long as the blue valve is twisted off, it should be fine to unscrew the hose. If you get a bowl, then unscrew the end of the pipe next to the valve first, then you can drain the water from the pipe into the bowl before unscrewing the washing machine end.

When you’ve sorted this, you’ll need to work out why your stop cock hasn’t insulated your system. It could be the one you first turned was for a garden tap, or you may have just turned it in the wrong direction. I never turn it all the way on as it can can stick in that position.

Turn your kitchen cold tap on, then turn the handle on the stopcock until the water stops flowing. If that doesn’t work, then there must be another one somewhere.

Would also be a good idea to have isolating valves on water pipes around the house, ie a couple in the bathroom etc so you can turn off parts of your system individually.

If you have plastic pipes it’s easy to do it yourself. Copper pipes are a bit more tricky though. I’ve taught myself some basic plumbing just by looking in a few books,YouTube and the internet. I’m practical though, but I don’t enjoy plumbing.

You need a special ‘key’ to open it outside, which is why you need to work out how to do it from inside your house.

A washing machine filling hose does not often go wrong. It might be that one of the end nuts was loose, or cross threaded. Or perhaps a mouse or puppy chewed it.

It is easy to replace but yes, thick rubber gloves will help you with the nut. You might need a pair of waterpump pliers if the old nuts are too tight to undo. There is a rubber washer in each nut to make the seal (sometimes with nylon mesh filter). It might drop out.

@KirstenBlest

The outside stop cock cover is like the second photo but it seems to be screwed on one corner. The screw bit is like a large cross.

How do I open that please?

what second photo?

The second photo on the Thames Water page.