Picture a small metal tap, but without the fancy nozzle you use for washing your hands. It’s usually chunky, brass-coloured (sometimes shiny, sometimes dull), and about the size of a thumb. It has a simple handle that looks like a little wing or a flattened oval, reminiscent of a tiny metal butterfly.
Imagine the handle on a garden hose tap, but squatter and more secretive. That’s your stopcock. It often sits in an awkward spot, like the back corner of a kitchen cupboard under the sink, hiding behind bleach bottles and lost Tupperware lids.
