What to Do if your Stop Tap Isn’t Working

One essential component of your plumbing system is your stop tap, also known as a stop cock or shutoff valve. Knowing how to shut this off is an essential skill for both homeowners and renters alike. 

However, what do you do if your stop tap isn’t working? In this guide, we’ll discuss why your stop tap might not be working and what you can do to resolve the issue.

How many stop taps are in your home?

Depending on the age of your home, you may have two stop taps. 

One will normally be located to the closest possible point where the cold water enters your home. This is usually under the kitchen sink or in a downstairs bathroom. 

If you have two, your other stop tap may be located outside the boundary of your home. It will be the responsibility of your water supplier to fix any leaks.

Reasons why your stop tap isn’t turning off

There are a number of different reasons why your stop tap isn’t turning off, however, the main reasons tend to be:

Leaking compression nut

If you can see water leaking from the compression nut on either side, you may need to tighten them. To do this, hold the body of the stop tap with pliers and use a spanner to turn the compression nut in an anti-clockwise direction. 

Leaking gland nut

If the leak seems to come from the stop tap, you may have a leaking gland nut. Like the compression nut, it can easily be tightened. Use a spanner to tighten the gland nut, being careful not to tighten it too much as it could prevent you from turning the stop tap. 

Leaking head gear joint 

A leaking head gear joint is usually the result of a broken or eroded washer. The washer is located at the base of the spindle and it is a mechanism that stops the flow of water. 

What to do if your stop tap doesn’t work

If your internal stop tap isn’t working, you will need to contact a plumber to come and fix the issue for you. If there seems to be a leak or a repair made, you can check to see whether you have localised isolation valves underneath the specific area where you need to turn the water off. 

Our team at Lacey Plumbing & Heating has years of experience helping our customers with all kinds of plumbing emergencies, including broken stop taps. Our local emergency plumbers specialise in a variety of different plumbing issues and can be with you as soon as possible to get you back up and running. 

How do you open a stuck stop tap?

If you think your stop tap is stuck, it is important that you try not to force it open with brute force. 

Instead, you should give it a gentle spray of an oil lubricant, such as WD40, and leave it to penetrate for 10 minutes and then try the handle again. Try to turn the handle both ways as this can help to loosen the seized part. 

If the stop tap will still not move, you can then move onto removing the gland nut using a spanner. Once it’s unscrewed, spray more of the lubricant spray onto the spindle and allow it to sit again. If this does not work again, you can try gently tapping the handle with a hammer. 

If you still can’t get it open, you will likely need to replace the stop tap. 

• There is also a product that our plumbers can install for you, called a Sure Stop Tap. This is a unique stopcock that has a built in switch function, meaning that you can stop your water flow with the flick of a switch, rather than having to loosen a tight valve or reach into a tough space!