Need advice to isolate water supply

[isdoo]

Hi,

Need some guidance on how to isolate a water supply to part of a building. The plumber who came out didn't really seem to know! Just need some guidance as to what to do and where perhaps to find a decent plumber in south Devon who can assist. Or perhaps we need more than a plumber?!

Single water supply to a largish building.

Have no idea the route of the water pipes beneath the ground.

Need to isolate part of the building from water for demolition.

Found one stopcock in the part to be isolated, but this seems to only have limited effect on taps in the building. So doesn't seem to control the entire property. Can't find any other stop cocks.

Seems to be impossible to locate the route of internal pipes either.

Any idea how we can isolate part of the building which I wish to demolish?

What I wish to avoid is a big fountain!!

However the people doing the demolition require water, so we can't keep it off - a catch 22

Any advice from someone who understands water would be appreciated.

And perhaps advice on finding the right people to assist us in South Devon.

 

[Doggit]

Start demolishing that part of the house, and when you come across the water pipe, turn off the main stop cock, and then fit a tap, or isolator at the relevant point, and incorporate a stand pipe. If you don't know the existing route, then you can't plan ahead.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Going to have to start investigation, maybe carefully digging, until you find the supply. Without being on site, its impossible to say exactly.

Company demolishing an old factory near me last year, hit the supply to the former sprinkler storage tank, with no way of turning it off, the surrounding area lost all water pressure until the Water Company could get out to isolate the main and cap the supply. Cant imagine it was cheap to sort out either.....

 

[Ian H]

If it's an old building the pipework will probably be metal so you could connect a Genny to the pipe and follow it where ever it goes.

But if your not expecting a complicated system I'd go with Doggits suggestion of cracking and find the pipe when you burst it.

 

[Doggit]

Well, I was hoping they'd actually uncover it before it burst, but I can go with your interpretation just as easily.

 

[Ian H]

Found one stopcock in the part to be isolated, but this seems to only have limited effect on taps in the building. So doesn't seem to control the entire property. Can't find any other stop cocks.

Maybe some of it is fed from a tank, did you leave it closed for a while with the taps open?

 

[isdoo]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the responses.

No tanks, that I know of - unless there is one in the loft space. But I do not think so. I'll check on Monday.

Just a lot of pipes. Put it this way after turning off the stopcock in the street, water was still coming out of taps after an hour!! I left site and it was still running albeit much slower as soon as the street was turned off. I cannot find a stopcock for the main building, doesn't seem to exist. I can't think that the only stopcock is at the back of the property in an extension.

I guess I will have to employ a plumber to sit in his van and await the fountain! haha

The pipes will be 50 years old - and very little has been done with them in that time.

I did get one plumber out who to be honest was a bit useless - capped the gas supply and that was about it.

As you will gather, I know very little about DIY and need professionals - but when they are crap it isn't very helpful.

 

[isdoo]

If it's an old building the pipework will probably be metal so you could connect a Genny to the pipe and follow it where ever it goes.

But if your not expecting a complicated system I'd go with Doggits suggestion of cracking and find the pipe when you burst it.

Depends what you call complicated - I have 10 toilets (maybe more), a lot of rooms, a few old kitchens and I guess a lot of pipes over an acre site haha

 

[Doggit]

If the water didn't turn of from the road, then that stopcock needs replacing. Was it in the road, or your garden. If the road, then it's the waterboard responsibility, so start there. If you had a tank in the loft, it would have run out well before an hour, unless it was absolutely massive of course.

Whereabouts in Kent are you.

 

[isdoo]

If the water didn't turn of from the road, then that stopcock needs replacing. Was it in the road, or your garden. If the road, then it's the waterboard responsibility, so start there. If you had a tank in the loft, it would have run out well before an hour, unless it was absolutely massive of course.

Whereabouts in Kent are you.

No it did turn off in the road. That seems to be okay.

Moved now to Devon, so apologies my profile needs updating.