How to turn off the water under your sink

Knowing how to turn off the water under your sink is a simple but handy DIY skill that can be useful to know in an emergency, or to undertake household maintenance or renovations.

Needing to know how to turn off the water under your sink doesn’t always have to mean there has been a disaster. Sometimes turning the water off under the sink is simply a practical thing to do for the following reasons:

• To install a new kitchen or bathroom
• Central heating repairs
• Prevent or fix a leak
• As a preventative measure if you are going away

If you are worried about leaking water pipes in your home then it could be worth considering installing an automatic water shut off valve. This is something that you can discuss with a local plumber.

Not every home is the same, but in this guide, we’re going to cover a few different options to help you understand how to turn off the water under your sink, should you need or want to.

How to turn off the water under your kitchen sink

Depending on the reason for turning off the water, the method for how to turn off the water under your kitchen sink might differ.

If you are trying to replace your kitchen tap(s) or carry out maintenance or repairs to your sink then you can simply isolate the taps instead of turning off the water completely. To do this you should see isolation valves for each tap that will be marked red for the hot tap and blue for the cold tap.

Turning the valves clockwise will shut off the water supply to the taps so you can carry out the necessary work you need to. You may need a flathead screwdriver for this task if you are attempting it yourself.

If you need to know to turn off the water under your kitchen sink completely then you need to locate the internal stop tap, also called the stop valve or stop cock. It usually looks like a spoutless tap and is attached to a length of pipe. Occasionally the valve can also be plastic or be shaped like a small wheel.

In most homes, this stop tap can be found under your kitchen sink, but in some properties, it can also be found in an airing cupboard if there is one, or even under the floorboards near the front door.

Once you have located your internal stop tap, turning it clockwise will close the valve. It can take a couple of minutes for the water flow to stop completely. Make sure to turn the tap slowly and without too much force. If you over-tighten the tap you may struggle to loosen it again or cause damage to the tap.

If your stop tap is too stiff to turn or isn’t shutting off the water then you need to call a plumber.

How to turn off the water under your bathroom sink

Knowing how to turn off the water under your bathroom sink is a very similar process. The only main difference is how easy it is to access the pipework and stop tap. If you have exposed pipework that is enclosed by an under-sink cupboard then this should be fairly easy.

If you have a sink with a pedestal then you will need to remove this to access the pipework and locate the stop tap. This is a job you could do yourself but it will depend on the type and design of sink that you have. If the pipework is not easily accessible and it is not an emergency then it is best to call a plumber.

If it is an emergency, you can shut off all water by closing the main internal stop valve under your kitchen sink.

How to turn off the water under the sink with no valve

Every sink or water appliance in your home should have its own shut-off valve, but if yours don’t, you’re probably left wondering how to turn off the water under the sink with no valve?

If you find that your sink doesn’t have a valve, then the solution is to find the main internal stop tap to stop the flow of water inside your home. As we covered at the beginning this is usually under your kitchen sink, or in the airing cupboard.

Every home also has an external shut-off valve but this is only for use by the emergency services or your water supply company and should not be touched without prior agreement from your water supply company. If your sinks or toilets don’t have their own stop taps then you can have these retrofitted for you by a plumber.

How to turn off the water under the sink if the valve is stuck

If you’re wondering how to turn off the water to your sink when the valve is stuck then it is always best to seek help from a plumber. You don’t want to force anything or risk damaging your pipework or interrupting our water supply.

FAQs

Where is the water shut-off valve under the sink?

The water shut off valve is usually located towards the back in the lower half of the space under your sink.

Which way turns off the water valve?

If you turn the valve clockwise (to the right) then this will close the valve and stop the water supply.