In the first place, do you know how to turn your water off?  You should know this. There are cases where a tank bursts and the quicker you can turn off the water, the less damage there is.

Externally, If you have a water meter fitted, you should be able to turn off the water supply there. Alternatively, there may be a outside stopcock and you should have a tool to turn the water off. Inside the house, there may be a stopcock behind the sink or in the bathroom.  You should try turning off the stopcock , as it may have become rusted and in the worst case, break off. You should use lubricating oil or WD40 to loosen a stopcock.

One of the worst case scenarios we have come across is a house where the outside stop cock had been concreted over by builders. Work had to stop whilst the water company made the repair.

In order to buy the correct tap in the kitchen, you need to know if you have high pressure or low pressure. A conventional UK plumbing system with a cold hot tank on the first floor and a cold tank in the loft will be low pressure, unless a pump is fitted. However, modern system now use a non-vented tank or Megaflow and these deliver high pressure, so you can enjoy showers with good pressure. If you have a combi boiler, you will have a high pressure system.

Blanco clearly mark which of their taps is suitable for low pressure and which for high pressure.

Whilst talking about water, if you are going away in the winter, always leave your heating on a low setting. We have seen cases where the house has iced up and the water tank has burst. Neighbours report that water is flowing out the front door and the damage to the house is incredible. Usually, the occupants have to move to temporary accommodation whilst dehumidifiers cope with the damp.

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