4 vital things you need to find when you move into your new home

1. Stopcock

Stopcocks are internal valves which are used to turn off the water supply to your home in an emergency. You’ll find your stopcock where the water pipe enters your property. In David Wilson Homes properties, this is usually below the kitchen sink. In other houses, you may find it in an airing cupboard, under the stairs or in a bathroom, garage or cellar. If you live in a flat, you may have a communal stopcock.

It’s important you establish where your stopcock is when you move into a new property. You don’t want to be running around trying to find it in the event that something goes wrong.

It’s also your responsibility to maintain your stopcock. When you move in, check it’s in good working order by turning the stopcock clockwise and ensuring it effectively stops your taps within a few minutes.

2. Fuse box

Also known as the fuse box or electricity board, the consumer unit is designed to control and distribute electricity around your home. It contains three important things: the main switch which allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your home in an emergency; circuit breakers which ‘trip’ to protect more precise areas of your electrical system; and Residual Current Devices (RCD) that ‘trip’ under dangerous conditions and instantly disconnect the electricity.

The fuse box should be easy to find - usually in places like utility rooms, porches, under the stairs or in the garage. On the day you move in you should locate your fuse box and ensure it’s easily accessible.

3. House-side gas valve

In an emergency, being able to cut off your gas supply could be vital. This is what house-side gas valves are for. Hardly works of art, you’ll tend to find gas valve levers tucked away somewhere near where the gas enters the property or around the first gas appliance.

It bears remembering though, that if you ever suspect a significant gas leak, you should leave your home immediately and call your local gas company straight away.

4. Boiler

If your boiler goes wrong, aside from leaving your home chilly, they can be incredibly dangerous. It’s important to know where to find your boiler so you can spot any warning signs like leaking water, a change in pilot flame colour or a smell of gas.

Boilers tend to be located in either the kitchen or bathroom, although sometimes they’re installed in the garage to save space.