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We have a mains water stopcock in the cupboard under the stairs that is weeping and has seized solid. The previous owners have some how fitted antiher one after the knackered one but the original is still weeping. I want to get rid of both and fit a new one but not sure how to do it as we can't turn off the water supply to the house as there is no stop cock outside.
How do we do it ?
There will be an external one somewhere,if not call your supplier and ask why not.Have you checked around the boundary front and rear? Ask a neighbour,it may be shared.
there will be on out in the street down under one of the little square covers, this will most probably be for more than 1 house.
Best to let your neighbors know what you are up to.
I misread that title as "Changing a [b]man's[/b] stopcock that is weeping"
Man up and use a freeze kit, what could possibly go wrong.....
All the houses in the row have a little square stopcock cover on the path at the front of houses. My plumber mate who was changing the boiler had his arm down there along with a long rod and its empty.
I had the same problem and wimped out and paid someone. Too much potential for disaster.
Did they put the cover there for future use? Get a torch and look again,why would it be empty?They can get covered over with cack, just take your time it isnt always central to the cover.
It's not a new one. The hole was full of mid and clay. They dug down quite deep well past the level a cock would be at.
Check your insurance cover before you do anything too adventurous.
How deep? Reckon my stop cock key is about 1 metre long.
Might be worth having a look down a couple of the neighbouring covers, you may be able to guage a depth from them.
Nobody wants a weeping stopcock
he stuck a broom handle down there and it went in near enough all the way without resistance
Freeze spray, X2.
This may end in a disaster.
Contact your supplier, it may be the internal valve is the only one. If it is the supplier will change it.
I've worked in a lot of houses in the past with no external stopcock.
Our main stopcock was leaking when we moved in, and we didn't find out for months. 😕
MrAdamW repacked the stopcock gland, which does not require shutting off the supply.
If it is that it may help. [url= http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/how-to/taps/repack-stopcock-gland ]http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/how-to/taps/repack-stopcock-gland[/url]
Ring the water company, tell them you have a leak inside and you can't turn the outside tap off. They'll come and locate and test the outside tap.
I had a similar thing a good while back, putting new kitchen in and big range cooker would have been in front of stopcock, wanted to move the stopcock over so it would sit at the back of a cupboard. Went into street, found the stopcock, dug out a foot of silt on top of it, gave it a twist and the whole thing came away, 15 foot fountain, whoops.
Ring your water company, and tell them your internal stop tap needs changing (make sure you tell them it's leaking) and you need the outside stop tap locating/fixing as the leak can't be repaired until it's done.
They are responsible for repair or replacement, and it costs you nothing. and in my experience they are usually there same day/next day to do the work.
Yep, give your water company a call and they'll send someone round. If the stopcock is faulty they'll arrange to get it changed as they own it.
Just repack the gland nut. Doesnt need the water turning off to do it.
If it is the first tap between you and the main, its the water board's problem.