changing ballvalve but stopcock won't shut off!

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My friend is trying to change his ball valve in the loft cistern.

But he says his stopcock will not shut off. He says he has turned it by hand clockwise and anticlockwise but no joy water is still running. why is this - could it be seized up after years of non operating?

I advised him to turn the external stopcock off - he says his is in his driveway. But he will need a special external stopcock key from a merchant. Would he be right to turn it off this way, then cut the old stopcock off (after draining the water in pipe) - and fit a new one (compression type). I said if he cuts a bit too much pipe off, he can add the new stopcock and then a bit more pipe and a straigh coupler up to the original rising main.

Any more help on this subjext/advice I can give him? ...
 
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Turn off external stopcock
Open cold tap in kitchen
Depress ballvalve in loft
Let water drain down the rising main (through open kitchen tap)
Fit isolator in supply to loft tank & change ball valve


Is the internal mains stopcock on plastic/copper/iron/lead

Whatever it's on make sure that your friend has all the correct fittings ready to go - nothing more frustrating that cutting out an old fitting only to discover that what you thought would fit won't and it's too late to pop to the merchants for the bits needed!
 
He could leave the old stop cock in place and just fit a new one above it, as long as he knows it is jammed fully open.
 
turn on the kitchen tap and do the ballvalve live,split the ballvalve on the nut in the tank,after all the water goes in the tank.
 
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do it live? water will go everywehere though won't it???!

his stopcock is on copper. as mentioned before, leaving the old one there and adding a new one is probs a better idea. it is def open, just won't close!!
 
also why did the stopcock not turn off? it can't be the handle sezied! it turns!! just doesn't shut off the water !!!
 
Hi there,

DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE


Turn off external stopcock
Open cold tap in kitchen
Depress ballvalve in loft
Let water drain down the rising main (through open kitchen tap)
Fit isolator in supply to loft tank & change ball valve

Opening the kitchen tape will NOT drain the contents of the Loft Cistern.

Turn off external stopcock, drain loft cistern from 1 of these places.

1.Drain off on rising main (should be just above the stopcock)
2.Drain off from Hot Water Cylinder
3.If Loft Cistern Supplies cold water to bath empty fom there.

If not using number 1, then there will be a small out of water that comes out when you cut out old internal stopcock.

YOu may also find the easiest way to sort internal stcopcok is to just replace the tap head and spindle. Unscrew the knackered one, at which point you should be able to tell why it won't shut off, could be knackered washer. If looks more than that, take old one to plumbers merchant and get a new stockcock of same soze and just use the spindle.

Hope this helps any more questions let me know.

Rico
 
Behave Rico, theres no need to empty a cystern to change a ball valve.

Simply issolate from outside stop, drain down and replace washer on tap jumper. At the same time put in an issolation to cysterns and repair valve.

15mins topside.

;)
 
Hey CIF,

What do you mean behave and not to empty cistern but then you say drain down.

If you close off the outside stopcock them remove spindle on internal stopcock the water in the cistern is going to back flow down rising main and all over your feet.

The other way would be to bung the supply inlet in the cistern.

Rico
 
the water in the cistern is going to back flow down rising main
no it isn't

if it did, it would have to jump upwards out of the cistern and climb through the cistern ballvalve.
 
CLF & JohnD

Yep you are both correct, confused myself, O thought the same thing when I read the post I dissed, but then typed the samething myself. :rolleyes:

Apologies.

Rico
 
Hey CIF,

What do you mean behave and not to empty cistern but then you say drain down.

If you close off the outside stopcock them remove spindle on internal stopcock the water in the cistern is going to back flow down rising main and all over your feet.

The other way would be to bung the supply inlet in the cistern.

Rico

Its C L F. :rolleyes:

You clearly dont have a clue, Explain how the water within cystern jumps the air gap :confused:
 
There are times it will have to be done as Numpty says as in both stop cocks (house and street) seized, just turn on all cold taps in the house full blast and you maybe lucky and nothing reaches the loft to ballvalve inlet so even whole valve can be changed. Had to do this loads of times and far easier and quicker than freezing
 
are the external stopcocks easy to turn off? or are they stiff too? maybe if my mate gets a normal stopcock key (for internal stopcocks) this leverage will help him to shut off his stopcock more so than by hand only?

i think if both are seized, then surely the water company need to replace the fualty external stopcock don't they??
 

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