The guide to UK automatic water shut off valves

Protect your family and your home by installing a UK automatic water shut off valve. Including guidance to choose the best valve.

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Leaky pipes and valves can cause untold damage in your home. From rotting floorboards to damaged possessions, and even structural issues, leaks are a serious problem. One of the best solutions to prevent water damage is to install automatic shut off valves. Keep reading to explore our UK automatic water shut off valve guide.

We’ll be exploring key areas like common types of automatic water shut off valves, the best option for your home, and how these clever valves work.

What is an automatic water shut off valve?

Put simply, automatic water shut off valves are designed to detect leaks from your water pipes. Once a leak’s noticed, automatic water shut off valves turn off any incoming water into your home. This stops the leak in its tracks, preventing further damage to your property and possessions.

Manual water shut off valves are very common, but these valves can only stop the water supply if you notice a leak yourself. This can be a real issue if you’re out of your home, or the leak is somewhere hidden. That's why automatic valves are a fantastic alternative to manual valves.

How does the automatic shut off device work?

There are a few different options for automatic water shut off valves (more on this later), but essentially these valves work by detecting moisture or flow increases in your system and shutting off the water supply to your property.

Common types of UK automatic water shut off valve

Choosing to switch to an automatic water shut off valve is a brilliant choice, protecting your home from serious water damage.

There are two main types of automatic water shut off valve, these are:

Flow-based leak detection systems: These valves monitor the flow of water throughout your home and can quickly shut off your water supply. They can detect how long water has been flowing anywhere in your home and if it has been continuously running for a certain amount of time, the system will shut off the water supply. This can prevent ongoing leaks.
Moisture sensor systems: Unlike flow-based leak detection systems, these systems use pucks to detect moisture in your home where it shouldn’t be. Once the moisture comes into contact with a puck, the water supply to your home is automatically shut off.

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What is the best UK automatic water shut off valve?

There's a wide range of different automatic shut off valves so it’s worth taking the time to do a little research and find the best valve for your home.

To help you decide, first think about how quickly you want your water to be shut off in case of a leak. For example, the leakSMART valve can shut off your water in 5 seconds.

Next, decide the type of valve that’s best for your home. For example, the Flologic valve measures your water usage and determines patterns. This means if unusual water use is recorded it can shut off the water supply completely.

Looking for inspiration? Below are a few of the most popular options:

The WaterCop leak detection system
The leakSMART automatic shut off valve
The Flow by Moen automatic water shut off valve
The Phyn Plus automatic water shut off valve
The Flologic automatic water shut off valve

For further guidance and tips to help you choose the best valve for your property, why not visit the smart home perfected website.

If you're ever in doubt when it comes to your plumbing then we have thousands of plumbers near you who can advise. Check them out by entering your postcode below.

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How can I find my stopcock in an emergency?

If you haven’t yet chosen to install automatic shut off valves in your home, you’ll need to know exactly what to do in an emergency. The most important thing is to know where your stopcock is. This can usually be found under your kitchen sink although it could also be next to your boiler, in your airing cupboard, in a bathroom cupboard or even near to your front door.

If you’d like to learn more about locating and using your stopcock, our how to find your stopcock guide is the perfect source of information.

Considering switching to automatic water shut off valves?

Making the switch is the smart choice, keeping your home and possessions safe from leak emergencies and minimising any damage. Thankfully, our search feature can instantly connect you with a variety of highly qualified professionals near your home.

Choosing an expert has never been easier with access to profile pages full of customer reviews and examples of previous work.

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How much does it cost to install an automatic water shut off valve?

Once you’ve decided to hire an expert to fit new valves in your home, you may be wondering “how much does it cost to install an automatic water shut off valve?” On average it’ll cost £310 for a professional to supply and fit your new valve. If you choose to buy the valve yourself, you’ll only need to pay a plumber to install it. The average hourly rate for a plumber is £50.

If you’d like to look further into this topic, our plumber cost guide and our water shut off valve installation cost guide are full of helpful tips and information.

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