The Correct Way to Open and Close Your Water Valve or Stopcock

The main cause of valves becoming stuck is when they are opened fully and left there. The correct way is to open them fully and then close them half a turn or so. This enables a little ‘wiggle’ room for the valve when it slowly becomes stuck again over the years. A valve stuck hard against the stops is very difficult to persuade to move again. On stuck valves I always use a penetrating lube the day before, WD40 or such like. Try a little gentle tapping around the valve …