Check your stop tap ahead of cold snap

With freezing temperatures set to return this week, Wessex Water is urging people to find and check their stop tap.

Every year the company helps hundreds of customers whose homes have been flooded internally, often during cold weather when a frozen pipe bursts.

Turning off the stop tap shuts off a property’s water supply, minimising the damage if the worst should happen.

The stop tap is normally found under the kitchen sink, in an airing cupboard or an adjoining garage. It can be closed by turning it clockwise, and testing it regularly means it won’t seize up.

A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “We’ve visited more than 300 properties with internal flooding in the last year alone, and customers who call us often aren’t sure where their stop tap is or how it works. A simple check now could avoid a lot of that stress.”

Wessex Water is also recommending people lag their pipes to prevent them freezing or bursting, which can leave homes without water as well as causing flooding.

There is more help and advice on protecting your home in our cold weather area.