How do I turn my water off

[Burnsie1983]

Plumbing 101....

Moved to the property in summer last year and want to/need to replace a washer/oring in my kitchen tap, but for the life of me, can't work out how to turn my water off.

Under the sink I have these 3.... All of which appear to have no affect on the water from my tap

 

[Dereekoo]

At a guss turn the stop valve under the meter clockwise to close off and if water has not been isolated turn the bypass isolation valve to the right of it a quarter turn also

 

[Madrab]

bypass isolation valve

I wouldn't suggest that is a bypass, rather a feed to either an outside tap or another outlet. You wouldn't normally have a bypass round the meter otherwise what's the point of having a meter in the first place, then it would just be a case of isolating the meter that and run everything through the bypass?

OP, the stop tap below the meter should isolate your mains, if it doesn't then the tap isn't working properly and needs serviced/replaced.

You may need to take that up with your water transporter as I'm not aware who's responsibility it may downstream of the meter. Mostly once the pipe is inside your border it's your responsibility but other approaches is that everything down stream of the meter is the transporters responsibility. Worth a call to them just to check.

 

[Dereekoo]

I wouldn't suggest that is a bypass, rather a feed to either an outside tap or another outlet..

Good point, just grasping at straws as OP couldn't turn off water with main stop vale (didn't think about it not actually working). But if not working OP may be able to locate boundary stop valve in the street and isolate from there and also prove if kitchen stop valve is working or not. Interesting term "water transporter" but makes a change from "water authority" as opposed to the correct terminology of "water company" (England and Wales )

 

[fixitflav]

Plumbing 101....

Moved to the property in summer last year and want to/need to replace a washer/oring in my kitchen tap, but for the life of me, can't work out how to turn my water off.

Under the sink I have these 3.... All of which appear to have no affect on the water from my tap

As madrab said, the valve under the meter is likely to be the iso valve. Do you mean you turned it (several turns) and it didn't stop the flow, or it wouldn't turn? Looks like some white crust round the stem.

 

[Burnsie1983]

As madrab said, the valve under the meter is likely to be the iso valve. Do you mean you turned it (several turns) and it didn't stop the flow, or it wouldn't turn? Looks like some white crust round the stem.

I turned it until it stopped turning. Nowt happened

 

[fixitflav]

I turned it until it stopped turning. Nowt happened

Hmm interesting. Did the flow from the tap carry on indefinitely? If so sounds like you're getting free water!

 

[Burnsie1983]

Hmm interesting. Did the flow from the tap carry on indefinitely? If so sounds like you're getting free water!

Whoop! Free water..... Unfortunately my meter still goes up!

 

[fixitflav]

Whoop! Free water..... Unfortunately my meter still goes up!

OK looks like the valve isn't doing the biz, so need to isolate in the street and replace. Doesn't look too easy to get at.

 

[oldbuffer]

If its the hot tap you are trying to work on, you may find that you have a tank based system, with a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard and a cold water storage cistern (CWSC) in the loft. If so, then the hot water, taps and probably all cold water taps other than the kitchen one, will run until the CWSC is empty.

 

[fixitflav]

If its the hot tap you are trying to work on, you may find that you have a tank based system, with a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard and a cold water storage cistern (CWSC) in the loft. If so, then the hot water, taps and probably all cold water taps other than the kitchen one, will run until the CWSC is empty.

If it's a hot tap, there shouldn't be a need to empty the CWSC, there should be a valve to close the inlet to the HW cylinder from the CWSC.
And if the mains valve won't close, the CWSC won't empty.

 

[Burnsie1983]

So, the sum up.....

I wasn't turning the stop tap hard enough. This is the one directly under the water metre.

I have to turn it extremely hard to turn it off which I am guessing is to do with the limescale build-up?

The other two 2taps don't appear to do anything. The house used to have a water tank system but now has a combi-boiler so maybe these two taps we related to that?

Ask for the bypass around the water metre than absolutely no idea

 

[fixitflav]

I wasn't turning the stop tap hard enough. This is the one directly under the water metre.

I have to turn it extremely hard to turn it off which I am guessing is to do with the limescale build-up?

I would dribble some oil on the spindle and open/close it fully several times. You might try loosening the gland nut a little, but retighten if any sign of weepage. I did the open/close thing with mine only yesterday, same sort of valve, I couldn't turn it by hand, needed a lever to start it, then it moved OK.

Ask for the bypass around the water metre than absolutely no idea

But is it a bypass? Can't tell from the photo whether it tees into the pipe below the valve, but I suspect it doesn't or as others said you could open that valve and get free water.

Good you've cracked the problem!