Lifetime homes standards: Surestop water switches

Fitting Surestop water switches in new builds or decent homes refurbishment programmes will help them to comply with the lifetime homes legislation.

The Government recently announced details of its Lifetime Homes standards, an important new housing strategy that aims to address the challenges of an ageing population.

In the foreword to the "lifetime homes" policy document, the prime minister, Gordon Brown, wrote: "I want our homes to be places that help us adapt as we age - safe and familiar havens rather than obstacle courses to be negotiated each day.

The Government, published a list of 16 features that will be required for new houses to meet the "lifetime homes" standard, so that they could, if required be easily adapted for a wheelchair user.

All new social housing will have to be built to the "lifetime homes" standards by 2011.

The private sector will need to comply by 2013.

One of the 16 standards relates to the ease of use of controls, fixtures and fittings, and states that: Switches, sockets, ventilation and service controls should be at a height usable by all (i.e.between 450mm and 1200mm from the floor).

This means that post 2011 it will no longer be possible to use a conventional brass stopcock on low level pipe work as the primary means of controlling the water supply in a domestic property.

Thankfully, there is already a much better method of controlling a domestic water supply, namely installing a Surestop Water Switch and they can be installed now.

The Surestop consists of a valve which connects directly into the water supply which is connected by flexible tubing to a remote switch, which is located in a convenient position for the user.

You then simply press the switch to turn the water supply on or off.

The Surestop is:.

* Easy to install - typically in less than an hour.

* Powered by water pressure - the Surestop requires no batteries or electricity.

* Totally reliable and proven - with over 200,000 units already in use.

All of the other services that we use in a property, heating, lighting, etc are all accessed by conveniently located switches.

Should a homeowner want to control their water supply they have to often crawl on their hands and knees to try and locate a stopcock that many of us are unable to turn off, even if we can locate it.

In the words of Noel O'Donnell Surestop ltd's Sales Director, there is a better way.

"Surestop's are easy to install, easy to use and at around GBP30 they are not expensive.

Fitting them now in new builds or decent homes refurbishment programmes makes absolute sense as it will be far more expensive to have to revisit your property at a later date to try to comply with the lifetime homes legislation".

Surestop Water Switches are specified by over 100 social housing providers around the UK as well as a growing number of private house builders and developers.

Surestops are available from all of the UK's leading plumbing merchants.

For more information and details of stockists, please visit www.surestop.co.uk.

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