What Does a Stop Tap Look Like

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Let’s be real: we don’t think about stop taps until our bathroom looks like a swimming pool. But knowing what it looks like could save you from a thousand-dollar plumbing bill. Turn your tap fully clockwise to shut it off—and test it now, not during a crisis.

Pro tip: put a bright sticker on your stop tap. Your future self will thank you while standing in a puddle.

The "Worst Case Scenario" Look

Sometimes, a stop tap doesn’t look like a tap at all. If your house was built in the 1950s, you might find a weird gate valve—a long, rusty screw that you turn with a wrench. It’s annoying and ugly, but it works.

Newer homes often have ball valves. These have a lever handle that turns 90 degrees. If the lever is parallel to the pipe, water is flowing. If it’s perpendicular, you’re dry. That’s it. No spinning required.