My mains stopcock is leaking around the turning handle.
The mains stopcock is on a Lead pipe.
The mains feeds my basement flat & the flat upstairs.
The stopcock is in a coal cellar outside my front door, which is about 6ft from the footpath/property boundary.
This is the only stopcock & there isn't another stopcock on the footpath for the property.
Normally I think the water board is responsible up to the property boundary, but I'm not certain here as the one & only stopock is on my property.
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1) Who's responsibility is the one & only mains stopcock in my coal cellar (as it's on my property)
-is it mine or the water board ??
2) Will the water board replace the leaking mains stopcock at their expense or will they want me to pay ??
3) Will they want/insist on me changing the lead piping ??
(6ft from footpath to stopcock & 6ft from stopcock to connection with copper pipe in property)
3) If I have to pay, can I just get ONLY stopcock replaced quickly & easily WITHOUT replacing the remaining lead piping ??
Thanks
jack
Last edited by jack_s on Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:04 pm, edited 13 times in total
Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 7494 Location: United Kingdom Thanked: 31 times
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:09 am Post Subject:
Sounds like the council have paved over the water co. stopcock in the pavement.you could ask the water co. about fitting a new one and how much it will involve you-re. new pipe your side. Just don`t tell them your address.......and keep a club hammer near the lead main ....to hammer it flat if you need to isolate in an Emergency and the inside stopcock won`t work
Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 830 Location: United Kingdom Thanked: 1 time
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 1:20 pm Post Subject:
I think they try to get away with saying that but they're under pressure to meet leakage targets so if there is a leak they might look for your boundry box isolation stop tap.
The other tactic is to advise them that you have children and you're worried your water supply is occasionally a bit discoloured / contaminated and that the isolation valve might be responsible and has been paved over.
I say this cos I've seen it used a couple of times and it usually get someone round within a couple of days.
Joined: 24 Nov 2004 Posts: 1832 Location: Merseyside, United Kingdom Thanked: 10 times
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 1:21 pm Post Subject:
northwest at least. and from april 2006 we need to self certify plumbing work aswell as gas , electric and ventilation. bank balance going down again. we all should be charging B.G. prices.
Joined: 19 Feb 2006 Posts: 116 Location: United Kingdom Thanked: 0 times
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:31 pm Post Subject:
On point (4), do you really think I can get ONLY the stopcock changed, without having to change lead pipework
-that's what is worrying me, calling in the water board & it all starting to escalate !!
If it's my responsibility, I don't mind paying just to get the stopcock changed.
What worries me is if they insist the 12ft of lead pipework has to be changed, routing the pipework from pavement to stopcock in coal cellar,
then under the brick/concrete floor outside my front door onto the connection with copper pipe under the hall floor in property.
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EliteHeat wrote:
>> 4) If I have to pay, can I just get ONLY stopcock replaced quickly &
>> easily WITHOUT replacing the remaining lead piping ??
To the best of my understanding:-
1) Your responsibility
2) They will insist that you pay
3) All lead pipe must be removed as a matter of course
4) Yes, I expect that you probably can
Joined: 24 Nov 2004 Posts: 1832 Location: Merseyside, United Kingdom Thanked: 10 times
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:36 pm Post Subject:
i would suggest , if ur staying in the property for many years,get a new main. if not, get a local plumber to freeze pipe and fit new stop tap or repair old.
Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 19532 Location: United Kingdom Thanked: 6 times
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:49 pm Post Subject:
brumylad wrote:
The other tactic is to advise...
I say this cos I've seen it used a couple of times and it usually get someone round within a couple of days.
In other words, just tell enough lies until you get your own way for free or cheap. It's a very handy technique, usable in all sorts of circumstances - evading income tax, selling cars, making false insurance claims, getting your chav boyfriend to get you pregnant...
No wonder this country is getting so costly and unpleasant to live in. Still, at least I'm not in B/ham.
Joined: 19 Feb 2006 Posts: 116 Location: United Kingdom Thanked: 0 times
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:55 pm Post Subject:
I have tried to tighten gland nut.
It seemed to turn quite a lot with little effect and didn't seem to be tightening up.
I didn't keep turning, as it seemed to be turning too much without tightening.
In fact it probably seemed to drip more, maybe because I disturbed it.
Someone did advise to repack the gland, so I bought some plumbers hemp. Because when I tightened nut it didn't seem to be tightening up, I didn't think it worth risking untightening & trying to repack.
There is also another smaller handle on the opposite side to main stopcock handle. This is ALSO leaking !!!
-any ideas what this smaller handle is for ??
chrishutt wrote:
Quote:
My mains stopcock is leaking around the turning handle.
Just tighten the gland nut just below the leak. In most cases this will stop the leak.
Joined: 20 May 2005 Posts: 5346 Location: St. Pierre and Miquelon Thanked: 2 times
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:10 pm Post Subject:
jack wrote:
There is also another smaller handle on the opposite side to main stopcock handle. This is ALSO leaking !!!
This might be the drain valve for the system. You should be able to stop this leaking by tightening it (square head ?) clockwise. As for the gland nut, did it feel as if the thread was engaging? If so, it should be sealable, but if the threads gone, it's going to be tricky.
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Just don`t tell them your address.......and keep a club hammer near the lead main ....to hammer it flat if you need to isolate in an Emergency and the inside stopcock won`t work
Flippin `eck 
