Please Help ... No Mains Water!!

[Pippa09]

Hi, I will try to cut a long story short ... but the jist of the saga is that we have turned our water off at the mains and cannot get it back on because the tap broke off!! We had to fit a part in our faulty Triton shower (that's another story) and unfortunately there was no other way but to turn the water off at the mains due to no isolation valves upstairs or downstairs. The mains stopcock is located in our conservatory in a deep hole that you can't reach and need a special tool to turn it on/off ... easy-peasy, until the tap on the stopcock broke off. We rushed to Wicks purchasing a utility key to to fit the broke stopcock, which of course when we tried it didn't fit!! We've tried various pliars and most other stuff that will fit in the hole (approx 8x8inches). Because of the location of the stopcock it is extremely difficult to get a good grip on it to do anything. After lots of swear words and threats of violence, I stormed out the house no longer able to assist my boyfriend, who had by this point totally lost it.

So my question is ... how the hell do we get the water back on, preferably without calling a plumber out?? I would appreciate any advice and the number of a Relate Counsellor!!

 

[JohnD]

ask around for a good plumber. As local as you can find. Ask price first and make sure you know call-out price, minimum charge, price per hour. Write it down and read it back to him and say "have I got that right".

Or phone your water co and see if they can help, and what they charge.

if you have to look at adverts, the Parish Magazine is a better gamble than the Yellow Pages and far better than online search.

Otherwise dig a hole round the stopcock so you can get your hands to it.

When and if you get it fixed, remember to get an indoor stopcock fitted as well for future use.

I am a householder not a plumber.

Say where you are just in case anyone here has a recommendation.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Is there any other stoptap near to or outside the property boundary with the road? If not I think this may be a job for the Water Authority, it may be you are fed from a communal main at rear of the properties. (Likely in an older property.) I would give the Water Authority a ring, it'll require excavation to replace, and they will either be able to shut supply down elsewhere to replace the stoptap or replace it 'live'. If its only means of shutting supply off to the property they may do it for free.

 

[kevindgas]

or replace it 'live'.

swimming trunks or snorkel anyone?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Its not that bad!!! If its already MDPE its a doddle, if its lead then fairly straightforward. Get the appropriate fitting onto the end of decent length of MDPE, cut through lead, put fitting onto cut end of lead (quickly!) and tighten. Water is now going through new MDPE and away from you and the hole! Clamp MDPE close to fitting, cut to required length, fit stoptap, remove clamp. Replacement of a knackered stoptap. Done!

(As demonstrated by Clancy Docwra, rather than turn entire street off!)

 

[Pippa09]

Thank you JohnD for your reply. We phoned a plumber that we have used in the past and his reply was "well I don't really know what to say" so I was a bit miffed by that. I have got a couple of other numbers that people at work have used and will try them. With regards to the indoor stopcock ... we did have one but a couple of years ago the water mains burst under the house and the guy that came to fix it seems to have rendered it useless now ... its seems to have been bypassed somehow?? I don't like the idea of digging a hole, when the mains burst we had a huge hole in the conservatory and it was a complete mess. But if this is the only way of fixing it we will have to do it I suppose. I'm in Tring (Herts), near Aylesbury if there are any plumbers that want a nice cup of tea!!

Also thanks to Huge Jaleak. As far as I know there is no external stopcock in the street, or if there is it has been covered over with the drive/driveway!! Do the Water Board know where the external stopcocks are in the street?? Calling them is going to be the next port of call if all else fails. We are also going to check with the house insurance, worth a try, and I would rather pay a £100 excess and know that everything else will be covered.

So, we have another night of excitement ahead of us ... I will post up the outcome. Thanks everyone, your advice is much appreciated!

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Water Authority should know where the stoptaps are, worst case scenario is they'll turn entire street off! Worth giving them a call, will likely send someone out to have a look and/or advise. In your situation they should make it a priority job.

 

[doitall]

I stormed out the house no longer able to assist my boyfriend, who had by this point totally lost it.

Macho man pulls hair out has to be quote of the year to date.

 

[Pippa09]

Thanks for all your replies. This is the ("lost it") boyfriend now posting! The fitting on top of the stopcock is a small rectangle and measures 8mmx4mm. Anyone know if they do a spanner/wrench for this? I have had a size 7 spanner on it but as the whole is 2ft4 down and a (small) arm wide, you can get no leverage on it. The only way I can now see this being rectified is by digging it all up, which as Pippa stated above is extremely annoying as we have already had this done when the mains burst!! Looks like the insurance is the way to to, although i am now going to phone the water board and see what they have to say.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Its easy done, they're made from brass which wont stand too much force as you've discovered!

Id still try water people 1st, if they'll do it you'll likely get a nice new plastic box that dont fill up with carp, and has a wire rod shaped like a minature give way sign to turn the water on and off. Doddle to use compared with laying on the floor and sticking your arm into lord knows what trying to find the handle on the stoptap!

 

[doitall]

Hi Lost it

Two possibilities, push the crutch head back on

Get a 3ft length of steel tube, reasonably strong, and flatten it till it's a tight fit over the square.

 

[keego]

If it's a brass stop tap that has the crutch broken off then the water company may have a tool that will turn it back on, I've got one & it was the first thing to leave the van when they told us we were getting finished up.

 

[Aquaheat]

Silly as it sounds and desperate as you may be and am assuming that you only have basic DIY tools, if you can one spanner onto the head and it is a tight fit then you can try to interlock a couple or three more spanners onto the existing one and that should bring the level up high enough to allow you to put a screwdriver horizontally through and create a bit of leverage.

 

[Pippa09]

The latest is ... last night we didn't manage to get the water on, so another stinky night!! We have gone through our house insurance and the workman is now here trying to sort it out ... he's confident he can do it without digging up the conservatory, so I hope that will be the case. But just in case he does, at least its all covered. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Agile]

I am glad you have got someone there working on it and hope he will succeed.

Its interesting that you are apparently managing to claim through your insurance.

When you tell us how he fixed it could you also explain which aspect of your house insurance is covering it as usually it would not be covered ( quite apart from the excess which is usually about £300 or higher. )

Tony