Can't find stopcock

[PurpleCoated]

We bought our house a year ago and have never found the internal stop cock. Asked the sellers at the time after we moved in via solicitors but never got an answer. We have fortunately never needed to find it but do now. I don't have any original building plans, it is an 80s build. The water company don't know, they just know external one.

Any ideas of how we might find it? Thanks

Ours was in the dining room (which was previously a kitchen, long before we bought the house).

Ours was actually behind one of the kitchen cabinets, we couldn't find it until we had some work done in the kitchen. It's now under the sink.

Ours is under the kitchen sink, but you can only see it as there is a hole in the cupboard back.

Previous houses have had it in the garage and downstairs bathroom.

Ours was behind a kitchen cabinet, only found it when the kitchen was ripped out to replace.

Ours was behind the toilet but didn't cut off the whole house. We had a more accessible one fitted as soon as possible. We needed to switch the water off from outside to do it, but it was then simple. (Also an 80s build).

In my house it’s under the kitchen sink but there is an old one by the chimney breast upstairs as there used to be a back boiler. Worth checking if there’s anything there.

Ours is at the back of the cupboard under the stairs. I feel your pain, though - we once had an electrician here for over two hours looking for the fuse for the boiler (which was nowhere near the fuse box or the boiler). I found it five minutes after he'd left.

I owned a Victorian cottage a few years ago. The plumber eventually found the stopcock under a sort of concrete mushroom, sunk into the drive.

The fact I'd parked over it didn't help 😁

Mine is in the dining room where the kitchen used to be. Has your layout changed in the past?

In the loft?

In my 80s house it was under the stairs in the living room, where the water came in from the outside, before where the water split for the kitchen and bathroom. It should be on or near an outside wall unless someone has moved it (it possibly was moved if central heating was added afterwards, CH wasn't standard on early to mid basic 80s houses)

We have a little flap in the wall of the downstairs loo where it is hidden away.

Good luck on your hunt!

Ours is under the base of the boiler cupboard in our utility room. There's a little hatch in the base of the cupboard.

Mine is in the cupboard next to the one under the sink. We had the kitchen redone and the sink moved slightly. The kitchen fitters did cut a hole in the back of the unit so it is visible.

Cupboard under the stairs.

Just get a new one fitted under the sink or wherever the mains comes into the house - simple job

1980s dormer bungalow here, mine's behind the downstairs loo.

Mine is close to the front door in its own little cupboard.
Like pp I know people that have had to rip kitchen cupboard backs off to get to them.
What muppets don't reroute them when the kitchens are fitted.
Depending on what work uour having done could you just turn the water off to the pipe that's getting the work done ?
The valve looks like a little brass screw head , and usually about 4 or 5 inches from the tap / pump , a quarter turn is enough to turn the water off.
Go careful as the screw head can be damaged easily.

Do you have your conveyancing paperwork?

It will be in there, we have only ever visited the house we are buying once and didn't think to look but I noted that the conveyancing paperwork stated the stopcock is in the garage when I was reading it.

Its on the 'law society property information' form under 'mains water' where it will tell you the provider of the water supply, location of stop cock and location of water meter if there is one.

I've lived in my house for over 20 years and have never found one. We have to turn our water off in the street outside.

They can vary in style.
Our main stop cock is a little screw on a pipe just inside the kitchen besides the fridge

We then have further on/offs before appliances which vary between handle & wheel type valves and screw types, but when I needed to turn off everything it took time to find that one while I turned off everything in sight one at a time

In our last house, ours was behind the cooker. In the current one it's behind some boxing in the downstairs toilet.

Are there similar houses in your road. If so, might be worth knocking on some doors and see if any of them know where theirs are. Chances are if it's the same original layout it'll be in the same location.

Alternatively, have a look at any plans that where sent out when buying. We were sent one which showed who owns which fence, as well as the route of pipework/drains. One of the pipes runs up the other side of where our stop cock is.

If you don't get anywhere, I'd get a plumber out - they might be able to locate easier than you, or alternatively could advise on good locations to put one and some isolators. I'd advise you not to leave it, as we've had full flowing leaks on our pipework in both properties and had to switch water off for a few hours.

If you buy a key (actually quite a large metal rod thing) you can turn the water for about £30 you can turn the water off at the company stop tap.
I haven’t found my stop tap in a fairly new house. It really annoys me.

Ours is in the utility area where the water mains comes into the house, close to the boiler.

Look for the water meter.

Look in the kitchen, all the cupboards and maybe take out the kickboards and look under there.

Ask other people in the road where theirs is if it is an 80s build.

Try to trace it internally by following the pipes back to where it might be.

It is common to have it on entry, so maybe draw a straight line from the outside stopcock to the house and then search around there.