STOPCOCK SIEZED

wally · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:21 pm Post Subject: STOPCOCK SIEZED

Stopcock siezedin house.No outside mains stopcock visible on pavement or road.situated in small village & local plumbers want a fortune to do the work. I have heard about freezing the pipe but is their any other method.

doitall · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 12:56 pm Post Subject:

Get the water company to find it, or failing that the old bent coat hangers makes great diving rods

Could always dig a hole to the pipe and cut it in half and fit a new one, great fun if you have the nerve to cut a live mains.

Ps you will need whellies, because you doitunderwater.

kevplumb · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 1:05 pm Post Subject:

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Bahco · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 1:08 pm Post Subject:

Try loosening the gland nut under the spindle and spray lots of wd 40 on it .
Leave to penetrate.
If this works turn your water off and fit a new stoptap further up the line.

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watertight · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 1:38 pm Post Subject:

Wally,

How old is the property, what type of property is it?

If it's an old victorian terrace it could be that there is a means of turning off your supply at a neighbours house upstream.

Mark

brumylad · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 8:56 pm Post Subject:

hire an electric pipe freezer for £50 they work very well

Bahco · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:02 pm Post Subject:

£50?

A plumber would be cheaper me thinks

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kevplumb · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:19 pm Post Subject:

__________________
a little thanks

goes a long way

Twiney · Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 1:57 am Post Subject:

Did U try the freezing kit Wickes sell them do they work??

oldskool_plumbski · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:19 am Post Subject: stuck.

freeze it. simple job,dont panic, follow the instructions on the can, no need to replace the whole thing, once frozen,remove the body from the existing and new tap, exchange bodies..
Be warned, if it's not looking likely to fit,dont cross thread, replace the old one and then call the water board, unless you can remove the whole stop cock within the allotted freeze time.
Other than that (room permitting) slice of pipe three inches below ceased valve(one frozen) and whack the valve on then.
Make sure the new valve is in the off position when fixing to incoming supply.
PS: use a pipe slice,not an hacksaw,this will give you a cleaner cut,and no need to de-burr.

bikerm4 · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:36 am Post Subject:

Think he will have sorted it by now, it was 12 months ago!

JohnD · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:45 am Post Subject:

It's always worth trying the water company, one of my chums had the same prob, no sign of a stopcock in the pavement.

Water co came along with their diving rods, discovered it had been tarmacked over, dug it out, fitted a new hatch, remade the pavement, great job done. no charge.

JohnD · Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:46 am Post Subject:

bikerm4 wrote:

Think he will have sorted it by now, it was 12 months ago!

Stupid boy, JohnD, should have noticed that