How can I find my main water supply pipe?

[farticus]

I'm trying to find where water enters my property, with a view to fitting a descaling or softening device. I don't want to get into an argument about those, I'm just looking for the pipe where water comes in.

I've looked:

- Under the stairs. Gas and electricity, no water.
- Under the kitchen sink, there's just the sink supply lines.
- Various other kitchen cupboards.
- Cloakroom.

Apparently there was a stop cock under the floorboards in one room, but no chance of getting to it now. No obvious boxed in areas either.

In the airing cupboard there are a load of pipes, some cold, but it's difficult to tell if they are the supply for the whole house. The loft has some pipework, but it's all buried under insulation now.

How do I know what I'm looking for?

 

[terryplumb]

Try asking neighbours where their stopcocks are located.

 

[Exedon]

Assuming a normal house supply will come through ground floor somewhere.
If the stop tap you refer to under a floor is ground floor that's a good place to start.
Kitchen fitters especially are great at boxing in stop taps completely.

 

[Alec_t]

Under the kitchen sink, there's just the sink supply lines.

Following those pipes away from the sink taps should lead you to the stop tap.

 

[farticus]

Good suggestions, thanks.

terryplumb: Our house is different to the others, so unfortunately not much help there.

Exedon/Alec_t: I'll keep looking, but the pipes disappear into walls and under the floor. Maybe that's where the main distribution point is. If so I'm not going to be able to get anything onto it.