How to turn the water off?

[acknowledged74]

Hi

We have just bought a flat and I'm trying to turn the water off to the kitchen so that I can remove everything.

The issue is that there are no Isolator valves on the hot and cold water pipes going to the sink taps. There is a a stop tap under the sink that needed quite alot of brute force to turn but this has had no effect at all on the water, could this be broken?

As its a flat is there usually a water overide outside for each flat, 6 in the block, or am I missing something?

Please help.

 

[Charnwood]

Depends what day it was when the architect drew up the plans.

On the outside walls of all our ground floor kitchens (3 storey blocks) there are 2 metal plates.
One gives access to the ground floor stop cock, the other gives access to the 2 upper floor stop cocks. There are also stop cocks in the upper floor kitchens.
We also have 3 stop cock boxes set into the ground for the same reason. Overkill, possibly.

Should an occupier be away and there's a leak there's no need to force entrance to the flat itself to isolate the water.

 

[acknowledged74]

OK apparently there is a stop cock in the general cabinet outside of the building but we need a FB key of something to get access? Not sure at all what this is.

 

[dann09]

Can you describe the "stop-tap"? Do you see an arrow on it? Does it have a T-bar handle? Be cautious of forcing the valve.

Whatever happens with the immediate business, you must sort out the stop-tap because in an emergency it will be too late.

Blg Regs require an internal and an external stop-tap.

Surely, a neighbour has access to, and info about, the external shut-off arrangements?

 

[bellairaphon]

You could get a freeze kit and freeze the pipe after the stop tap to fit an additional stop tap.

Nathan

 

[Charnwood]

If you're going to fit a stop cock fit a Surestop stop cock.