As temperatures get cooler, pipes can begin to freeze and cause thousands of pounds of damage.
But, Martin Lewis has shared some tips to help you find “the off switch” if you need to stop your water.
Martin Lewis explained on the website: “A stopcock is your mains water tap (the off switch). Everyone should know where theirs is, especially at this time of year when pipes can burst due to frost.
“If you don’t know where yours is, your house could be flooded with water everywhere, while you have no idea how to stop it.”
Who is Martin Lewis?
Money Saving Expert took to X, formerly Twitter, to explain that the damage can cost a lot of money: “Burst frozen pipes create on average £9,000+ of damage, so before winter hits, it's good to know how to turn your water off should you need to.”
How to find your stopcock
Martin Lewis said his stopcock is located under the kitchen sink in his house but explained that some homeowners will find theirs outside.
You can find out more about how to locate an outdoor valve via the Thames Water website here.
Do you know where your stopcock is?
— MoneySavingExpert (@MoneySavingExp) October 20, 2024
Burst frozen pipes create on average £9,000+ of damage, so before winter hits, it's good to know how to turn your water off should you need to. ❄️
Here's how to find yours: https://t.co/KsfYNUcOJh pic.twitter.com/UTjpy3QNGA
How to check your stopcock still works
The Money Saving Expert website shares some tips from homeowners who have checked their stopcocks still work.
It’s important to turn a stopcock “a couple of times a year to minimise ‘seizing’ due to scale.” Avoid opening a stopcock fully as “they’re more likely to jam”.
You could make sure to always check your stopcock on a set day each year so you know it is always checked.
You should “insulate outdoor taps” to help avoid pipes exploding.
One person recommended fitting a “Surestop” so you can turn the water off “with just a press of a button”.
Recommended reading:
- Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert top tips for making £1,000 before Christmas
- You could lose out on nearly £4000 a year by making this huge pension mistake
- Boiler expert reveals 7 noises you shouldn’t ignore (and what they mean)
Another said: “Don’t just locate it, check that it still turns – mine required use of pliers to get it moving.”
One warned: “Modern stopcocks are a large on/off switch sited on the incoming main water supply – DO NOT TURN IT.”
Finally, Martin Lewis recommended calling a plumber now “before you have a problem” if your stopcock isn’t working.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here