No Hot water

[Jarvster]

A plumber came earlier today to install a new bath tap shower unit. As the bathroom cold water is served from a cold storage tank in the roof of of flats there is a separate stopcock but he couldn't turn it so abandoned it for the day. Problem is none of the hot taps are now working! Does anyone know what I'm supposed to do to turn it back on. The stopcocks in this picture would feed the tank at the base but I can't see anything in the pipe which comes out the top?

Any help appreciated

 

[HERTS P&D]

He turned off the gate valve which has now stuck closed. You won't be seeing him again.

Andy

 

[CBW]

Have you turned either gate valve (What you’re calling a stopcock) anti-clockwise?

 

[Jarvster]

The red one is definitely open. The blue one is harder to tell. It keeps spinning and the nut in the middle keeps loosening as I turn. I presume I could grip the brass column with a set of pliers and turn? Or will the stem be inside that brass column?

 

[HERTS P&D]

How big is your block of flats? How many floors?

Andy

 

[Jarvster]

I'm on first floor in the middle. Ground beneath. Second floor at the top

 

[HERTS P&D]

Ok. The cold water storage tank in the loft will need the water supply to the hot water cylinder isolated, then those 2 gate valves can be removed and a full flow lever valve fitted.

Andy

 

[CBW]

Yep, as per Andy (Herts P&D), gate valve likely to be stuck shut, and will need replacing.

 

[Jarvster]

Thanks for the help. He must've closed it pretty damn hard!

 

[HERTS P&D]

It's a bit naughty what is has done, he should of told you that there might be a problem closing the gate valve. He could of fitted a new lever valve for you which would of involved more work so the price would of gone up. But at least the job would of be done correctly.

Andy

 

[Agile]

It all seems a bit vague as to why he was there and who is to pay him.

Those gate valves can fail and jam shut and also fail internally and just keep on turning.

Likely blue one is jammed open and red one was fitted to take over the isolation.

The roof tank should have an isolating valve on its outlet.

 

[Jarvster]

Turns out the blue dial is now redundant presumably because it sheared and is stuck in the open position. The red dial must have been a replacement. It was actually closed (plumber forgot to open) and despite having 180° movement from left to right it could actually be turned more fully than I was willing when I felt resistance (thinking that was its range of movement.). Anyway all fixed now. I think I want lever arch valves on all these pipes though.

 

[Jarvster]

It all seems a bit vague as to why he was there and who is to pay him.

Those gate valves can fail and jam shut and also fail internally and just keep on turning.

Likely blue one is jammed open and red one was fitted to take over the isolation.

The roof tank should have an isolating valve on its outlet.

Yes next job to get the shower tap installed, is get my management company to turn off the roof tank so he can replace the jammed stop cock. The bath itself had isolating valves but he didn't trust them. I suppose having a working stopcock in the flat is sensible in any event!

 

[HERTS P&D]

I wouldn't be calling that 'plumber' again.

Glad it's all sorted!

Andy

 

[MeldrewsMate]

...I think I want lever arch valves...

Yes, they've got much more capacity than the ring binder valves...