Orpington Bungalow Stopcock: Inside, Outside or Both?

In most Orpington bungalows the indoor stopcock is under the kitchen sink, and if it is not there, check the airing cupboard next to the hot water cylinder. Many bungalows also have an outside stop tap in a small box at the front boundary or in the pavement, and in some it is the only valve that still works. Turn either one clockwise, a quarter turn at a time, without forcing it; once it is off, open the cold taps and flush the toilets to drain the pipes down.

Why bungalows are different

Orpington has a lot of bungalows: the post-war estates at Ramsden, Goddington and Green Street Green, and plenty more dotted around Crofton and Chelsfield. Everything in a bungalow is on one floor, which sounds simple, but it often means:

• the supply comes in through a solid floor, so there is no cellar or underfloor void to hunt in;
• the cold water tank and pipework are in the loft, right above the bedrooms;
• the stopcock may have been boxed in when the kitchen was refitted;
• the original valve has often not been turned in decades.

In winter the loft is the usual trouble spot. A frozen or split pipe up there will come through a bedroom ceiling, and the faster you can stop the water, the less ceiling you lose.

Where to look inside

Work through these in order:

• Under the kitchen sink. By far the most common place. Look at the back of the cupboard for a pipe coming up through the floor with a tap-shaped handle on it. It may be hidden behind bottles or a false back panel.
• The airing cupboard. Some bungalows bring the main into the airing cupboard first, beside the cylinder.
• Utility room or garage. If the bungalow has been extended, the main may now come up in the utility or an attached garage.
• Behind a kick board. Kitchen refits sometimes hide it behind the plinth under the units. Pull the kick board off gently.
• Bathroom or toilet. Less common, but check behind any boxing near where the pipes come through the floor.

Where to look outside

The outside stop tap is usually in a small rectangular cover, about the size of a paperback, set into the pavement or the front path near your boundary. It may share a cover with your water meter. Under the lid there is often a deep chamber with the valve at the bottom.

You need a stop tap key to reach it: a long metal bar with a forked or square end. They are sold cheaply in hardware shops. It is worth buying one now and keeping it in the porch.

Be aware that on some older roads one outside valve can serve more than one property. If you are not sure the box is yours, check before turning it off.

How to turn off the water

1. Find the indoor stopcock first and try that.
2. Turn the handle clockwise, a quarter turn at a time.
3. If it moves, keep going until it stops, but do not force the last bit.
4. If it is stiff, try a little anticlockwise first to break the scale, then clockwise again.
5. If it will not move at all, leave it and use the outside stop tap with a key.
6. Once the water is off, open all the cold taps to drain the pipes.
7. Flush each toilet once to empty the cisterns.
8. Switch off the immersion heater if the hot water cylinder may be draining.
9. Put buckets and towels under the leak and switch off any electrics it is reaching.

Do not use a wrench or a hammer on a stuck indoor valve. Old brass stopcocks can snap at the spindle, and a broken stopcock with the water still on is worse than the leak you started with.

Why the stopcock might not work

Orpington’s water is hard: about 291 mg/l in the Thames Water Orpington zone. Scale builds up inside a valve that is never turned, and after thirty or forty years the washer may have perished too. You turn the handle and it either does nothing, or the water slows but never stops.

Signs your stopcock needs replacing:

• the handle turns but the water keeps running;
• it is seized and will not move at all;
• it drips from the spindle when you turn it;
• it is a very old brass type with a lot of green crust on it.

Make it easy next time

When the emergency is over, it is worth having us:

• replace the old stopcock with a new one, or add a lever-type quarter-turn valve beside it, which can be shut in a second;
• fit small isolation valves on the toilet, sink and appliance feeds, so one leak does not mean the whole house goes off;
• label the stopcock and show everyone in the house where it is.

Then test the stopcock twice a year: turn it off, then back on fully, and a quarter turn back. It keeps it moving.

Stopcocks in other Orpington-area houses

Petts Wood’s 1930s Tudor-style houses follow a different pattern. Our guide to the Petts Wood stopcock explains where it usually is in those.

When to call

Call us if you cannot find the stopcock, it will not turn, or you have turned it off and water is still coming through. We handle burst pipes in Orpington and water leaks in Orpington, and if you cannot find the valve we can talk you through the likely places while you wait. More on the town is on our Orpington area page.

Need a plumber now?

Call 07868 281022 and tell us your postcode, what is leaking, and whether you have managed to get the water off. We agree the price with you before any work starts.