Changing lever in cistern

clairesinclair · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:27 pm Post Subject: Changing lever in cistern

I\\\'m just about to change the lever and ball cock in my toilet cistern and I need to turn off the water supply to the cistern. Will there be a valve or stop cock I need to turn off and if so, where am I likely to find this?!

JohnD · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:35 pm Post Subject:

Maybe.

If it is fed at mains pressure, look for a valve in the supply pipe under the cistern, else where the water comes into the house, e.g. under the kitchen sink, else in the front path, or in the pavement outside.

If it is fed from the cold tank in the loft, look under the cistern, at the outlet pipes from the bottom of the cold water tank, and in the airing cupboard.

If you find any unlabelled taps, find out what they do and fasten labels to them for next time.

clairesinclair · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:04 pm Post Subject: Hmmm

I'm rubbish! Damsel in distress, attempting to fix things on my tod...

Found two valves in the airing cupboard, a red tap attached to the hot water tank which is obviously for the hot water (worked that one out on ym own :O)) and another which is attached to a pipe behind the water tank which goes up to the loft - is that likely to be the cold water supply or am I going to blow my house up?!

JohnD · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:13 pm Post Subject:

Have you found out yet if the WC cistern is fed at mains pressure water or from a tank in the loft? What about the cold taps in the bathroom?

Have you looked for taps on the pipes coming out of the bottom of the cold tank?

If the second tap is attached to a half-inch pipe, which is cold, and not attached to the hot water cylinder, and comes up through the floor and goes up through the ceiling, then it is quite likely to be the mains supply to the cold water tank in the loft. In this case it would only be useful for cutting off the supply to the WC cistern if you turned if off and then drained the cold tank with the bath taps.

If it has all these characteristics but is three-quarters of an inch in diameter, then it is quite likely the cold supply from the loft. and turning it off might cut the supply to the WC cistern.

Before you turn off any taps you do not understand, turn off the boiler.

clairesinclair · Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:34 pm Post Subject:

Looks like it's a 3/4 inch, it's one of three and it's one of the bigger ones. The actual tap/cock says 'shut' on it. I've done this and run the bath taps/flushed the toilet a couple of times but the water supply remains the same. Unless it takes ages to empty the tank, it may be for something else although I'm unsure what else it could be for.

Thought it would be simpler, can't even get passed the 1st stage to turn the water off! Looks like I'll have to get someone round...

Thanks though