Guide · Leaks and taps
How to shut off the water in your home
To shut off the water for the whole house, turn the main stopcock. If it has a lever, set it across the pipe. If it has a round handle, turn it clockwise as far as it goes. If the problem is in one place only, the small valve under that fixture is enough. If there is no main stopcock or it does not hold, close the valve next to your meter.
5 minutes Difficulty: EasyUpdated 25 October 2026
If the water has reached sockets, extension leads or appliances, switch off the main breaker before walking through the wet area, and only if you can reach the fuse board while staying dry. If the board is standing in water, do not touch it: leave the room and call 112.
What you need
- Torch
- Flat screwdriver, for some concealed valves
- Work gloves
Step by step
Tap a step to mark it as done.
Shutting off the water in the bathroom
To work on a single fixture, its small valves are enough, under the sink or behind the bidet. Many bathrooms also have two built-in stopcocks in the wall, one for hot and one for cold, with a chrome cap. They are often near the door or above the bathtub and shut off the water for the whole bathroom. They turn clockwise. On some models you have to take off the cap and use a flat screwdriver.
The toilet cistern has its own isolation valve. On exposed cisterns it is on the wall, where the pipe enters the cistern. On concealed ones it is behind the flush plate. The washing machine also has its own dedicated tap, which is worth closing when you leave it unused for a long time.
Main stopcock stuck: what to do and what to avoid
Valves nobody has touched for years seize up with limescale, especially the old round-handle ones. Try moving it by hand, a little forward and a little back, and widen the movement gradually. Leave extension bars, pliers and hammers alone: the spindle can snap and the valve starts to leak just when you need it shut.
If the main stopcock does not move, close at the meter and have the house valve replaced. If instead the meter valve is stuck or dripping, call the water utility at the number on your bill. In Naples, for example, ABC replaces the meter stopcock on request through its call centre.
To avoid being caught out, open and close the main stopcock once or twice a year, all the way and without hurry. It is also how you learn where it is before you need it.
Shutting off the water when you go on holiday
For a long absence, ENEA advises closing the central system. The main stopcock of the house is enough: if a hose fails while you are away, the only water that comes out is what is left in the pipes. Close the washing machine and dishwasher taps as well.
With the water off, it is best to switch off an electric water heater from its own switch: there is no point keeping it hot for days. For a boiler in winter, think separately. The frost protection function only works while gas and power stay on, so before disconnecting anything read the section of the manual on long absences.
When you come back, reopen the main stopcock slowly and check that everything under the sinks and the washing machine is dry. Before drinking, run the cold water for a few minutes so the water that has been standing in the pipes flushes out.
When to stop and call a technician
- The main stopcock turns freely or leaks from the spindle when you move it
- With the main stopcock closed and every tap closed, the meter dial is still turning
- The meter valve is stuck or dripping: in that case also notify the water utility
- No valve manages to stop the water and the leak continues
- After closing and reopening it, a valve you had not touched for years starts to drip
Frequently asked questions
Where is the main water stopcock?
Usually in the bathroom or kitchen behind a small hatch in the wall, under the sink, near the boiler or by the entrance. In old buildings it may be on the landing. If there is none, the valve after the meter is what you have left.
The main stopcock is stuck: can I force it?
No. Try with your hands, with small movements back and forth, without pliers or extension bars. If it does not move, close at the meter and have it replaced.
Can I shut off the water at the meter?
Yes, the valve next to the meter is there for exactly that, but without touching the seals. If the meter or the pipe before it leaks, call the utility's emergency line, which you find on your bill. In Naples, ABC answers 24 hours a day on 800 00 95 85.
Should I shut off the water when I go on holiday?
For an absence of several days, yes: closing the main stopcock of the house is enough. Also switch off the electric water heater and, in winter, check in the boiler manual what the frost protection needs.
If I shut off the water, does the boiler stop heating the radiators?
Usually not: the radiators work on a closed circuit, separate from the tap water. With the main stopcock closed, though, the boiler does not supply hot water to the taps and you cannot top up its pressure.
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