Stop Cock advice

[AgentDRL]

Hi all,

In the house I have just bought, I have noticed there is an outlet near my stop cock that (I think) I can connect a hosepipe or a temporary tap to. It is situated near my front door.

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• AgentDRL
• 6 Jun 2015
• 1

I was just wondering what connectors would I need to use (as I am a little unsure). What I do remember is that when the house was being plastered, I'm sure the builder had some temporary tap connected to it, but I wasn't paying too much attention....

Any help appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[longdogs]

It's a drain valve. you can just slip a hose pipe on the end with a jubilee clip to hold it in place. Undo the square nut to open it. Make sure it is connected to the same pipe as your stopcock and not on your heating pipes.

 

[AgentDRL]

It's a drain valve. you can just slip a hose pipe on the end with a jubilee clip to hold it in place. Undo the square nut to open it. Make sure it is connected to the same pipe as your stopcock and not on your heating pipes.

Thanks for that, big help!

 

[bazdaman]

It's a drain valve. you can just slip a hose pipe on the end with a jubilee clip to hold it in place. Undo the square nut to open it. Make sure it is connected to the same pipe as your stopcock and not on your heating pipes.

Im sure water regs allow this eh?

 

[Madrab]

Im sure water regs allow this eh?

Not sure what you mean? It's actually in the water regs that a suitable number of drain points should be installed to allow the draining of cold water supply pipes?
As squeaky mentions, usual process would be to attach a hose pipe and run it outside for ease of draining.

 

[longdogs]

It's a drain valve. you can just slip a hose pipe on the end with a jubilee clip to hold it in place. Undo the square nut to open it. Make sure it is connected to the same pipe as your stopcock and not on your heating pipes.

Im sure water regs allow this eh?

I suppose he could always fit a double check valve on the hose and clip the hose to the wall every 500mm

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

It is a drain off tap, used when maintenance needs to be carried out on the pipework so the system can be emptied of water. It is not designed to be used as a normal tap for supplying a hose to wash the car, water gardens etc.

Using it for such purposes is illegal under the Water Regs, and you'll probably find it'll dribble water everywhere anyway. Whilst it will hold closed at mains pressure, opening it is likely to cause it to leak everywhere. If you want to use a hose, fit a bibtap in compliance with water byelaws.

 

[Madrab]

I think there has been some misunderstanding as to what Squeaky meant when he said put a hose on it.

I'll leave it for him to confirm but as he mentioned it was a drain valve I am sure that's what he meant and not to use it as a hose to water the flowers with.

OP - to be clear and as suggested, it is not a tap to be used to supply water with, it's only to be used when the system needs drained prior to work being performed.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I understood Madrab, but in case the OP (or anyone else) didnt I wanted to clarify matters! I think we all know what some folks will attempt, no offence to the OP.

 

[longdogs]

I think there has been some misunderstanding as to what Squeaky meant when he said put a hose on it.

I'll leave it for him to confirm but as he mentioned it was a drain valve I am sure that's what he meant and not to use it as a hose to water the flowers with.

OP - to be clear and as suggested, it is not a tap to be used to supply water with, it's only to be used when the system needs drained prior to work being performed.

Thanks. Yes, I was pointing out how to use the valve to drain the system although having said that, his builder used it as a temporary tap which I suppose would work for mixing up cement or something. And he did say it was temporary.

 

[sooey]

Your mortar would be a bit runny by the time you'd turned the fcker off.

 

[longdogs]

True!

I'm just saying that we all know there are regs but sometimes needs must. I don't know what the OP wants to use the hose for or why. I'm sure we have all p****d down a pan connector or straddled a manhole or made a temporary tap here and there. Combined with a bit of common sense it's not gonna kill anyone.

Common sense being the operative words of course