Self cutting taps

[cyberdyne]

Hi,
I need to stop the flow of hot water through my kitchen sink supply pipe.

I know; the easy way would be to turn a tap further along the system, but there are three taps in our spaghetti-junction of an airing cupboard, none of which will do the job! We've traced the pipe all the way back to the boiler, had the front panel off the bath, turned all three pipes off at once - and individually - but nothing has stopped the flow of hot water. The only way we've ever managed to do it in the past is to drain the tank completely which of course causes air to get into the system and doesn't guarantee the flow will stop for long enough.

Therefor, could anyone please tell me if a self cutting tap exists which will actually stop the flow along the main pipe, to which it's being fitted, as opposed to /as well as from its own outlet ?

Thank you.

 

[ChrisR]

No such thing.

Bung the outlet from the tank - do a search on "bung"!

 

[cyberdyne]

No such thing.

Bung the outlet from the tank - do a search on "bung"!

Oh, thats not good news. Ok, will do, thanks.

 

[cyberdyne]

No such thing.

Bung the outlet from the tank - do a search on "bung"!

Chris, am I missing something or am I running the risk of the immersion heater (element?) burning out if I bung the supply tank and stop the supply of cold water to it?

Thanks

 

[TicklyT]

Trace the cold feed from your hot water cylinder . It is usually connected near the base of the cylinder, and disappears upwards towards the cold water storage in the loft, and is ...er... colder than the other pipes. there is often a valve in this pipe, usually above the top of the hot cylinder.

With that valve closed, open the hot taps. Expect a couple of gallons of water to run off before the flow stops.

Tieing up the ball valve on the cold water storage tank will usually work, but you would have to drain the cold water storage, maybe 50 gallons, before the flow stops.

You can get pipe freezing kits that will plug a pipe with ice, allowing you to cut the pipe and fit a valve. Make sure you have everything you could possibly need to hand before you start, otherwise it could get very messy very quickly if the ice melts before you finish.

 

[cyberdyne]

thanks for that Tickly, I'm just concerned about damaging the tank by not having any water in it, but I presume it just needs to be turned off. The only problem is that I've never seen a switch to do so (it's a lagged water tank/immersion heater, not a kitchen-type boiler), so I guess I might have to fit one.

 

[sooey]

If you bung the cold tank as suggested you will still have a full cylinder of water, you will just be stopping the flow of water through it to the taps.

 

[cyberdyne]

If you bung the cold tank as suggested you will still have a full cylinder of water, you will just be stopping the flow of water through it to the taps.

Ohhhhhh I see.....
So not bung it and drain it completely, but bung it and create a vacuum.

Thanks

 

[twgas]

just abung in the cold feed will not create a vacuum, all it does is stop water exiting the cold tank and entering cylinder, the vent pipe is left open so that the cylinder doesnt implode, nowater running through the cylinder and thus none to hot taps, cylinder stays full, but turn off immersion and pump to shower (if you have one) before you start.