Find your stopcock: a two-minute check every homeowner should do
The most common thing we hear on an emergency call-out is that the homeowner did not know where their stopcock was.
The usual locations
Under the kitchen sink in most housing, including the newer streets around Sholden and Kingsdown. On Walmer's older Georgian and Victorian terraces, check a cellar or under-stairs cupboard too.
What it looks like
A small lever or wheel-style tap, sometimes a plain brass fitting needing a key.
Test it, gently
Once a year, turn it fully off and back on, since chalk-aquifer hard water can make a stopcock seize faster here than in a soft-water area.
Know the outside stopcock too
Most properties have one near the boundary, belonging to the water company.
Honest price from a photo
Photos, description and postcode to hello@walmerplumbers.co.uk or on WhatsApp. Same-day reply on straightforward jobs.