Where is my Stopcock? How do I turn the hot water off? 

That dodgy sketch might not be a Picasso Al but it's the only work of art hanging in my airing cupboard. Super explanation...thank you.

Saving the day 9 years on! Thank you- this is one of the best explanations I’ve came across. I couldn’t work out what people meant with bleed off. Now I know- averted a potential bathroom disaster with the hot feed lol :)

Don't know how many people you've helped over the years mate, but I've watched so many of your videos.. I can't afford to pay someone to do these jobs for me, and when a pipe started leaking, I watched your videos and fixed the problems with a pipe cutter and some speedfit push on connectors. Thank you so much.

Still helping panicking dads 9years on! Thanks for the no nonsense approach. Finally got my shower to stop running so i can replace the thing!

Subscribed! Just moved into my first house and your videos are very helpful! Thank you

Searched loads of videos which were arty forty pointless. However, your video was clear, sensible and common sense…thanks.

Thank you! The diagrams really helped me understand how it all works. And I was able to find the correct gate valve I needed to close. My landlord is unable to source a plumber here in Dublin to fix niggly little problems around the house, so I’ve had to learn how to do it myself.

You have literally relieved my anxieties thanks so much. No emergency services in Dublin although advertising 24hr services. I'm in a new house thanks 😊

New mixer tap fitted in the kitchen and I couldn't have done it without watching this Beforehand. Thank you sir. Much appreciated 😀

Great video, you just gave me the confidence to fit all my taps! 👍 followed your advice and did it!

Well explained _ thanks Al!

Thanks for your help saved me a lot of time....

gave me a better understanding, i will investigate mine a bit more closely as i have a tap under the sink and also one in the airing cupboard maybe 2 i cant remember now. i have low pressure up in the bathroom takes an age to fill could opening up these taps give me more pressure upstairs in the bathroom if i turn on the hot tap and the cold together its terrible just dribbles.

Great vidoe. Excellent explanation. Really useful drawing. Cheers!

Subscribed great information helped me a lot just one question I have is that....is it possible that draining the whole thank can cause airlock.

I've just had a new combi boiler fitted so it's nice to know that turning the main stopcock off turns everything off including the hot water tap

Thank you so much for this video! You just saved me £60 for a plumber to come over! I just fixed it myself

Thanks again for your help Al. So would I be draining the entire tank when I turn off the gate valve feed to the bottom of the cylinder to fix a stuck tap in the bathroom (which is on the same level as the tank) or should I be turning off the valve where the water exits the tank?

Thank you! very informative. See a stopcock in my bathroom and turned off but still water flowing through - do I need to drain this out (pressure seems the same as normal) or do I need to locate another valve nearer the geyser to close off the water?

Very helpful. Thank you.

Nicely explained on the drawing thanks.

I literally couldn't ask for a more apt and more descriptive method of shutting of the hot water to my kitchen. Thank you so much for this buddy.

Cheers pal, saved me in a pinch when I needed to change out the device in my toilet.

Great video

Very good demo, love the drawings! However, I am struggling to find the way to shut off the hot water on a Megaflow HE SystemFit pre-plumbed unvented water heater. If I turn off the cold feed to it the cold taps and wc's stop flowing but the hot taps keep running. Do I just have to wait until the whole system is empty in this case? (This is in a ground floor flat )

Good explanation of different valves thanks

Hi, so ive always been curious. i have 2 stopcocks 1 under the sink (like always) and i have another in my bathroom in the top corner. ive closed it off and the toilet still flushes. just curious if you have any idea what it could be used for? and is it worth just keeping it closed? thanks Ps i like in a block of flats if that has anything to do with it.

Great & very helpful video. Thank you

Hi Al I live in a 1960’s block of flats. My partner and I can not locate the stopcock for our bathroom! Sure enough there is a stopcock underneath the kitchen sink which my partner turned off but apparently that only stops water to the kitchen and not the bathroom! After watching this vid I looked into the airing cupboard and there is a red gate valve with one end going into the water tank and the other end into a pipe going somewhere else. Is this the valve we’ve been searching for to stop water supply to our bathroom/toilet??? Thanks for your vids they’ve helped us out many times😃

Great vids! Quick question if i want to change a hot tap downstairs and want to isolate it i just close the cold feed to the bottom of the hot water tank and open the hot taps for a few minutes?

cheers for your help mate

Great vid mate

Great advice! Thanks

Your videos are so helpful hank you man

Great video and advice as always, keep them coming 👍🏻

Thanks for your help!!! Quick question if you have time. I'm looking to replace my kitchen sink. I plan to use the stopcock to prevent cold water running to cold kitchen tap. For the hot tap I'll need to turn off the cold supply to the hot water tank in the airing cupboard? After this, will I need to drain the hot water in the hot water cylinder through the hot tap in the kitchen or should the hot tap in the kitchen stop flowing automatically?

Thanks for your great explanation

once again great help ..thanks

Hi I was just about to give up finding the hot water turn off as I needed to change my bathroom taps and phone a plumber when I came across your video.. Brilliant and thank you, I have another problem my oil fired central heating works great accept fir the water heating.. It doesn't.. Have you got anything I can try Regards Frankie.

Well explained, thanks

thanks mate

Thanks. I need to change the kitchen sink hotbtap washer. Set up is Like yours with gate valve in air cupbd. If i close this will the hot tank all need draining from taps first? How much roughly is this in litres? Thank you.

Hi there, this will be my first DIY attempt at changing a tap washer. Here's what I remember from when I used to help my dad. Turn off main valve (Stopcock) from outside front of lawn. Run taps. Unscrew tap and change washer. Replace tap with new washer and "bobs ya uncle' - DONE. Now I don't really think it will be that easy so could you please give me advice to stop it from being balls up. I'm also going to turn hotwater cylinder off - at switch.

Excellent vid cheers

hi nice video. I have found the stopcock and its fully off, the cold water is off and i have checked all of the pipe under the sink and all the way to the stopclock but stil the hot water tap is running. there was valve to turn but its on the cold water pipe and i cant see any on the other pipe. I,m now stuck as to what to do ?

hi there, can some one advise how to stop excess water coming out when the boiler is on, the water pipe is coming out from kichen wall and keep dripping water out side. thanks

Hi, hopefully you are still on RU-vid as I know this video was some time ago now but these videos have been very helpful over the years. I do have a question however which relates to me installing a new bathroom. I want to replace the bath but there are no shut of valves to the hot and cold feeds. Is it a case of turning the water off at the mains/stop cock or will I need to turn off the hot water feed to a gate valve which controls the feed from the unvented cylinder in the airing cupboard? Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your great content! I need to change a kitchen hot water tap & unfortunately it doesn't have a means of isolation on the pipework. I have found some gate valves in the loft next to the cold water storage tank, if i isolate the valves in order to stop the hot water do i need to do anything to prevent damage to the boiler or booster pump. The boiler is in an airing cupboard with a hot water cylinder below it. Thanks in advance!

Hi I’ve turned off my gate valves, bunged up the tank in the loft but still have hot water coming out of my taps. Any ideas as to why? Steve

Great video ! Hi Dereton 33, We have a conventional system and not a combi I have a hot water tap in the kitchen sink that is dripping slowly and needs a replacement washer cartridge. Luckily we have isolation valves, Can I use a flat head screwdriver to turn off the hot water isolation valve that is under the kitchen sink and replace the part ? Or do I still need to turn off the gate valve to shut the hot water off, ? Thankyou in advance Paul

If changing hot tap in bathroom do I close gate valve in aring cupboard

Hi I live in a 4 bedroom house building 1957 UK my water pressure of hot water is too high about 60° I would like to decrease The Hotness of water can you tell me how do I do that

good video

Where are you based ? Everything single issue Ive had at home you seemed to have covered in a vid. Currently I cant turn off internal stockcock.

Hi, I want to replace taps and isolation valves on sink in upstairs bathroom. Would you just turn the mains off under the sink downstairs and turn the taps on the upstairs basin (the basin you are working on)?

I think I have the Cold Feed System which I worked out looking at your pretty good diagrams incidentally, I find it takes ages to turn the hot water off after closing a gate valve. However I was wondering if I put a normal stop valve on the copper pipe that comes out the top of the hot water cylinder, then I could turn off hot water instantly without draining the cylinder itself. Is this safe to do and why fo typical systems not have a stop valve on this out pipe already?

Great help .Thanks

I need to replace my hot water tap but my gate valve is very old and I’m worried it might start leaking.would it be possible to turn the main water supply off from outside and just run the hot until it’s empty? Thanks

Do i have to also turn off mains cold stopcock, if i have turned off gate valve that leads to the bottom of my hot water cylinder, want to change downstairs kitchen hot water tap, thx

Great video thanks

I've got two red handled taps in my airing cupboard, one turns easily and the other seems stuck. The one I think feeds the cold water into the hot water tank, when closed, does not stop the hot water flowing. I waited for about a minute for the hot water to stop, but no luck. Can you think of a reason why this is the case? Also, the reason for this is I need to replace the valve in the cold mixer tap in the kitchen. If I don't shut off the hot water, will be changing the cold valve mean I'll have a big hot water leak? Cheers J

Hi, I'm changing my kitchen monobloc tap. I found where to turn off the cold water mains supply tap but I have a condensing boiler (Potterton Powermax HE with integrated hot water storage tank). There is no tank in the loft and the boiler is in the airing cupboard downstairs. There is one red gate valve in the cupboard on a pipe which feels cold, even when the heatings on. So, the question is: do I only have to turn off the cold water mains stopcock to stop both hot and cold water supply or do I need to turn the red gate valve as well? I have been reluctant to just turn it and see, in case I damage the boiler in some way. Also do I have to turn the boiler off as well? Thanks.

hi, wondering if you could help at all. from my limited plumbing experience, i've only ever previously worked on houses with a mains stop cock which allowed me to carry out any tap changes etc. however my friend has recently bought a house which has both a boiler and hot water cylinder. my problem came when i tried to isolate the water, the cold was simple as it has a stop cock in the bathroom isolating the cold taps there, however the hot water (even when not actually hot!) just keeps pouring out the bath tap that the last person so kindly removed and never replaced! now i found what i now know thanks to you is a gate valve which lead along to the hot water cylinder, i did turn this valve assuming it would kill the water pouring out the bath tap, however it didn't seem to change the level of flow at all, could i ask, how much should i be expected to turn this valve, and once i assume i've fully "closed" the valve, should there be a small length of time before the water stops coming out or should it stop coming out immediately? i understand my wording of this may be useless and it's never easy when you can't see the actual install itself, however any information about this would be greatly appreciated! thanks

You are great @dereton33!!!!!

Nice one sunshine. When you move way out west from East London you need someone who has the spiel.

I learned a new word today😂

thanks, very useful

Is possible for the plumber to change the flow of the cold water whereby it back up to the hot water flow and you get no hot water?

Can’t find a video on how to repair a leaking hot water tap in the bathroom . Old type plumbing with hot water tank and separate hot and cold taps . Water dripping from hot tap only . If I turn off water supply to the hot water cylinder and drain the hot water by running a hot water tap , will this affect the sealed central heating system ?

Perfect! Good man .

wish you lived by me,dereton .iam trying to change my hot waterbath tap.ive tured the gate valve of going in to my cylinder,and allso every stop cock valve in and around cylinder all so the main cold valve . but the hot walter is still coming out slowly,for a bout 1hrs now dosent seem to be stopping,will it stop eventually and how long ,please. i cant wait to fix this bloody hot top,done the cold one about 2hs ago

Hi where could I find my stopcock with an immersion tank as I’ve looked in the kitchen and can’t find it

I just had Thermostic Shower put in and hot water keeps running hot and cold and the hot tap in sink does the same and in Kitchen. We have a Combi do you have an idea what's causing this?

Thankyou helped alot!

Thanks 👍

I have a blue plastic tap with a red button on it, in a cupboard near my kitchen sink. Is it a stopcock and what's the red button for?

Sorry silly question but how do I turn it off once I’ve turned the hot water supply off in the cylinder?

Thanks for this, I knew how to turn off the stop cock for the cold water but not the feed for the hot water tank.

So if I want to change the taps on the sink & mixer taps on the bath, I have to let the system tank drain out after turning the hot water supply off? Annoyingly, there's no isolation valves on the pipework.

If it is a Combi can you just turn the main off?

You have an earring cupboard? Fancy!

How to turn off heat water to hot water tap in the bathroom . I have a dripping hot water tap . What is best way to repair it ? Do you have a video on this subject ?

Thanks

A work man turned the water off in my mothers house then asked my elderly mother to go up stairs and turn all the taps on. Is there any reason why you would do this? I’m just worried that she was being tricked in some way.

Went to replace kitchen sink tap in my new house (built 2003) couldn't work out how to isolate hot, isolated stopcock under sink, ran taps downstairs until flow was zero. Took existing tap apart, lastly taking off hot water pipe annnnnnd.... Drenched???? Wtf... I changed upstairs shower unit doing exact same and no water came out hot or cold. Anyone reading this, especially OP as this is a great wee video with any ideas/advice? There are two outlet pipes from hot water tank with iso valves, but they seem to be for radiators. Helllllllllllpppppppp for future plz. Cheers in advance.

Thanks Al. But I have always wondered why the gate valve for the hot water is on the input to the tank only and not to both input and output.

In case of a seized under sink main water tap just heat it up with a blow torch for 15-20 seconds and it will loosen up and turn.

I don't think I even have a gate valve for the bathroom's hot water.

Which way do I twist the red tape in my airing cupboard? ??? To turn off

Great video - one question...am about to replace my kitchen mixer tap for the first time with a new kitchen mixer tap - so from what I have googled - I know to turn off the combi-boiler, turn off the stopcock, and turn the 2 screws on the hot and cold pipes (of that kitchen sink) from "vertical" to "horizontal" - but if I do all that, do I still need to turn all the "individual flow-controls" to OFF on various things, like upstairs bath, bathroom sink, bathroom toilet, etc? Or does doing what I listed before that suffice? Thanks from London :-)

thanku now i wont get burnt teeing into the hotwater

Morgage company came in and stopped the hot water supply but my cold taps work in kitchen and bathroom but I don't have a flush on my toilet or hot water 🤷‍♂️ Divorce is over and I have my house back. Can you help ?

Hot water off. Thank you

were you born 1933?