How to turn off the water

[Mark.A.]

I need to turn off my hot water to change a washer in the kitchen but in my airing cupboard upstairs next to my water tank I have two valves next to one another and no idea what one is to turn off,any help would be appreciated.
I've attached them below.
Cheers !!!

 

[Deleted member 294929]

It'll be the one thst feeds the cylinder. The other one will be the gravity cold water

 

[Mark.A.]

Thanks but I've tried to work out which is which but there are too many pipes to know,if I turned both off would that create another issue ?

 

[Justin Passing]

Not if you don't open a cold tap.

 

[Mark.A.]

So if I did turn off both and don't run a cold tap while changing the hit tap washer that will be OK?
Just curious but what would happen if I turned on the cold tap ?

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Post some pictures of the pipework the gate valves are on as well as the cylinder itself to get a definitive answer.

WARNING Gate valves are an antiquated invention of the devil. Very common to be seized solid or just not isolate the water properly when turned off.

 

[big-all]

Post some pictures of the pipework the gate valves are on as well as the cylinder itself to get a definitive answer.

WARNING Gate valves are an antiquated invention of the devil. Very common to be seized solid or just not isolate the water properly when turned off.

leave my 1970s and 80s world alone we have little to celebrate other than kenny everett and pink Floyd and you steal that from me by spoiling the valves in the airing cupboard not touched for perhaps 40 years often with calcium build up around the gland

 

[oldbutnotdead]

leave my 1970s and 80s world alone we have little to celebrate other than kenny everett and pink Floyd and you steal that from me by spoiling the valves in the airing cupboard not touched for perhaps 40 years often with calcium build up around the gland

Sounds like someone is channelling their inner steam-punk (couple of nice big round gauges would finish the job off )

 

[feynman]

There will be a cold feed pipe going into the base of your hot water cylinder - should be 22mm. The valve that feeds this is the one to turn off. Follow the pipe with your hand to confirm that it goes into the base of the hot water cylinder.

There will be two other 22mm pipes near the lower half of your cylinder, one vertically above the other. These are the heating coil which the boiler sends heated water through to heat your domestic hot water. There might be a valve in or near these but if so, don't move it.

Spray some WD40 around the shaft of the cold feed tap and leave for 5 mins. Then turn the tap gently a small angle one way then the next, repeatedly back and forth. When you feel it move freely, you can turn it off all the way.

As mentioned, the tap might not seal perfectly, so you might still get water coming through the tap you are working on - be prepared !

You might find that there is a small screwdriver operated valve under the sink feeding the tap you want to fix. If so, this is a better valve to turn off. Use the same routine as above with the WD40 etc.

 

[big-all]

Sounds like someone is channelling their inner steam-punk (couple of nice big round gauges would finish the job off )

yep with a bit off shiny shiny copper and a cast iron radiator

 

[Mark.A.]

Thank you Feynman,I'll give that a try.
Much appreciated for explaining it so well.
Thanks to everyone else too

 

[Mark.A.]

Post some pictures of the pipework the gate valves are on as well as the cylinder itself to get a definitive answer.

WARNING Gate valves are an antiquated invention of the devil. Very common to be seized solid or just not isolate the water properly when turned off.

Cheers ReganAndCarter,I'll do that as soon as I can,I'm actually decorating the room the airing cupboard is in and there's a lot of furniture in front if it at the moment.

 

[terryplumb]

Just bung the cold water tanks outlets.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

yep with a bit off shiny shiny copper and a cast iron radiator

Suits you Sir

 

[ReganAndCarter]

leave my 1970s and 80s world alone we have little to celebrate other than kenny everett and pink Floyd d

I'm with you on that, big-all. That was a fantastic period and one I still partially inhabit. The 'progressives' try to deny us though.

However I fear gate valves are a little earlier than flares and Abba. From the steam age - as far as I know.