Electric shower has broke and we can't find water valve.

[Plump82]

Our electric shower has broke, we've got a new one that my electrician husband can fit but we can't find the water valve to turn the water supply off. It's not in the usual place of under the sink.

When we had the bathroom done 6 years ago I don't recall the plumber even asking where the valve is! Turns out he did a lot of things wrong but surely he couldn't have done the bathroom without the water off?

We hauled everything out of the cupboard that's next to the kitchen and think we've found it. Doesn't look like a stop valve either of us has seen before but googling it, it seems to control water. It's similar to this.
Only thing is, it will not budge. At all!! Stuck fast. It's too late to be clattering around but we'll deal with it tomorrow

Although reading about this valve, it also controls gasses which is concerning. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get a plumber out!

I'm sure this is a great temporary solution.

But to be honest not knowing where your stopcock is - this is really not a good idea at all.

You really should be able to turn your water off at the point it enters the house and if you don't know how to do this I would really recommend to anyone that they find out how to do this sooner rather than later.

I'm agree it's not a great idea. Which is why we're desperate to try and find it now. The thing is, I'm not in a house so I'm assuming the point it enters the building will impact the other residents? Now while I'd not be bothered by this, I can't speak on behalf of my neighbours.

If he has limited knowledge of plumping then he may struggle with a shower replacement, unless you are swapping out like for like, the new shower will have a different access for the water supply and that will mean he will have to alter the existing pipe work.

Because its not a new install, i believe that doesn't need a qualified electrician to fit.

There is a possibility that an isolation valve has been fitted within the shower itself, possibly as part of a flexi tail.

Your water supply company should be able to tell you where the outside stop cock is & if you have a meter, it will be (if a new ish one) a 1/4 valve as part of the meter itself.

Ours is in the garage

He fitted the existing one after the plumber had done all he needed to do. He's pretty confident he knows what he's doing, provided we can get the water off 😄

Two thoughts.
Firstly, if you feel the temperature of the valve or a pipe connected to it, then run a cold tap, does the pipe/valve feel colder?
That would indicate it’s a cold water pipe at least.

Second thought, a bit ‘out there’ perhaps, but I guess you were trying to turn it anti clockwise to shut it off…. Did you try turning it clockwise as well?
What if that valve is already shut off, turned fully anti clock?
( which is to suggest it should be like that )

I'm pretty confident we had a stopcock like that.

Fingers crossed you can get a grip on it in the morning and it will turn.

I'd definitely recommend fitting isolator valves if you can. Whoever plumbed my house was obsessed with them, we have one for I think literally every pipe in the house, but it does make fiddling with the plumbing easy.

@tanstaafl that's actually a very good point. Husband is fast asleep just now. But I'll mention that tomorrow when he gives it a go again.

Our house is about the same age as yours, the stopcocks in the street are shared there's not over just for our property. Ours is by the front door under a floorboard to the next of the door add you look at it from inside, only found out when an older local plumber came he said most of them are there in this area. You can tell beverage there will be a shortish floorboard with screws not nails. Luckily we have restored and exposed the original floorboards so it was easy to get to, albeit under the hall table. We've had our bathroom done since and the plumber put isolation switches all over the place