Hi folks,
I broke my local water company's stop tap after shearing off the handle after what I would call average force didn't halt the trickle that was still coming through.
What narks me is that when SWW came out to fix the problem they used a specialised tool (round with 3? diff size holes in it) to grip the broken shaft, turned the water back on then declared that the job was done! They won't repair it as "policy is they're left as is once broken unless there's a leak.. you need to get a plumber in to fit a mains isolating valve in the house".
I explained I wanted the water off because I was replacing a cold water kitchen tap & that unfortunately the local isolator had failed too, hence I needed to turn off at the pavement (there is no main stopcock inside our old house; I have always used the one in the street and fitted isolator valves at all local points).
So not only can I not replace my faulty kitchen tap and repair the faulty isolator valve, I now can't isolate at the street to fit an internal stopcock or comfortably deal with any future emergencies! A nice little earner for them if I have a leak between pavement and house when on a meter!
So my query is does anyone know, or can suggest, what the tool that was used might have been so I at least have a backup? It grips the tap's shaft and has a square cam at the top to attach a long handle to turn it.
Size wise it lookes like one of those round pipe cutters but having 2 or 3 holes in the middle, one of which goes over the broken shaft. It needs to be quite small because of the lack of space in the pavement ducting.
Many thanks if you can help me out with this one.
Regards
I broke my local water company's stop tap after shearing off the handle after what I would call average force didn't halt the trickle that was still coming through.
What narks me is that when SWW came out to fix the problem they used a specialised tool (round with 3? diff size holes in it) to grip the broken shaft, turned the water back on then declared that the job was done! They won't repair it as "policy is they're left as is once broken unless there's a leak.. you need to get a plumber in to fit a mains isolating valve in the house".
I explained I wanted the water off because I was replacing a cold water kitchen tap & that unfortunately the local isolator had failed too, hence I needed to turn off at the pavement (there is no main stopcock inside our old house; I have always used the one in the street and fitted isolator valves at all local points).
So not only can I not replace my faulty kitchen tap and repair the faulty isolator valve, I now can't isolate at the street to fit an internal stopcock or comfortably deal with any future emergencies! A nice little earner for them if I have a leak between pavement and house when on a meter!
So my query is does anyone know, or can suggest, what the tool that was used might have been so I at least have a backup? It grips the tap's shaft and has a square cam at the top to attach a long handle to turn it.
Size wise it lookes like one of those round pipe cutters but having 2 or 3 holes in the middle, one of which goes over the broken shaft. It needs to be quite small because of the lack of space in the pavement ducting.
Many thanks if you can help me out with this one.
Regards
