Hi there, I have a bit of a mystery...

we've just tried to turn off our water from the stop cock near our
property boundary. Lifted the lid, the hole was full of mud (as you
would expect) but we excavated, found the tap, turned it clockwise
until it reached the end... and absolutely NO effect on water pressure
in our house (or next door who share our mains from the street). We
even tried turning fully the other way, and still no effect.

There are no other visible signs of a stop cock outside. The around
the house back and front is old concrete and the stop cock we tried
had been carefully concreted around so we assumed that was the one.

We can turn off our water at the inside stop cock obviously, but there
might be a reason to need to turn off further back. I'm completely
puzzled by this... any suggestions anyone?

Unless I am mistaken, those tap operate like a 90 degrees toggle - i.e.
assuming water in on. Choose a direction (say clockwise), turn 90 degrees
and water is off. Turn 90 degrees again, and water is on again, etc.

"Clare" wrote in message
...
Hi there, I have a bit of a mystery...

we've just tried to turn off our water from the stop cock near our
property boundary. Lifted the lid, the hole was full of mud (as you
would expect) but we excavated, found the tap, turned it clockwise
until it reached the end... and absolutely NO effect on water pressure
in our house (or next door who share our mains from the street). We
even tried turning fully the other way, and still no effect.

There are no other visible signs of a stop cock outside. The around
the house back and front is old concrete and the stop cock we tried
had been carefully concreted around so we assumed that was the one.

We can turn off our water at the inside stop cock obviously, but there
might be a reason to need to turn off further back. I'm completely
puzzled by this... any suggestions anyone?

On 18 July, 16:27, "JoeJoe" wrote:
Unless I am mistaken, those tap operate like a 90 degrees toggle - i.e.
assuming water in on. Choose a direction (say clockwise), turn 90 degrees
and water is off. Turn 90 degrees again, and water is on again, etc.

Thanks Joe, your idea sounded promising so have given it a go, but I'm
afraid still no change.

"Clare" wrote in message
...
On 18 July, 16:27, "JoeJoe" wrote:
Unless I am mistaken, those tap operate like a 90 degrees toggle - i.e.
assuming water in on. Choose a direction (say clockwise), turn 90 degrees
and water is off. Turn 90 degrees again, and water is on again, etc.

Thanks Joe, your idea sounded promising so have given it a go, but I'm
afraid still no change.

I once looked into my stop tap hole and could only see mud. I poked about
and couldn't find anything - called the water board and they came out -
cleaned the mud tested the tap and sent me a £10 (I think) rebate off my
bill because they were later than they said.

"Clare" wrote in message
...
On 18 July, 16:27, "JoeJoe" wrote:
Unless I am mistaken, those tap operate like a 90 degrees toggle - i.e.
assuming water in on. Choose a direction (say clockwise), turn 90 degrees
and water is off. Turn 90 degrees again, and water is on again, etc.

Thanks Joe, your idea sounded promising so have given it a go, but I'm
afraid still no change.

Not in my experience for water (although it would be for gas). My guess is
that the rubber washer has long since disappeared. A plumber might be able
to freeze it and then just replace the "removable" part.

In message
,
Clare writes
Hi there, I have a bit of a mystery...

we've just tried to turn off our water from the stop cock near our
property boundary. Lifted the lid, the hole was full of mud (as you
would expect) but we excavated, found the tap, turned it clockwise
until it reached the end... and absolutely NO effect on water pressure
in our house (or next door who share our mains from the street). We
even tried turning fully the other way, and still no effect.

If there are any other houses around, turn off the tap and wait to see
who complains. On one site I know of a stopcock in front of the house
leads to a pipe that runs under the house, down the garden and into a
house on the other side of the block. The two buildings were once part
of the same builder's business.



--
Bernard Peek

wrote:
On 18 Jul,
"newshound" wrote:

Not in my experience for water (although it would be for gas). My guess is
that the rubber washer has long since disappeared. A plumber might be able
to freeze it and then just replace the "removable" part.

Surely up to /and/ /including/ the external stop tap is the responsibility of
the water authority.

As I wrote in another thread, our new water meter has been fitted after
the in house stop tap. So the water authority are responsible for the
feed from the street tap right up to our in house shut off tap. :-)

Yes, I know. If that pipe develops a leak, it would have to be a very
bad one for me to pay for it to be repaired.

Dave

Bernard Peek wrote :
In message
, Clare
writes
Hi there, I have a bit of a mystery...

we've just tried to turn off our water from the stop cock near our
property boundary. Lifted the lid, the hole was full of mud (as you
would expect) but we excavated, found the tap, turned it clockwise
until it reached the end... and absolutely NO effect on water pressure
in our house (or next door who share our mains from the street). We
even tried turning fully the other way, and still no effect.

If there are any other houses around, turn off the tap and wait to see who
complains. On one site I know of a stopcock in front of the house leads to a
pipe that runs under the house, down the garden and into a house on the other
side of the block. The two buildings were once part of the same builder's
business.

Turn taps on inside the house, find a bit of steel rod to place on top
of stop tap and you should be able to hear the sound of your water
flowing through it. No sound probably means it is not your stop tap.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Bernard Peek wrote :
In message
,
Clare writes
Hi there, I have a bit of a mystery...

we've just tried to turn off our water from the stop cock near our
property boundary. Lifted the lid, the hole was full of mud (as you
would expect) but we excavated, found the tap, turned it clockwise
until it reached the end... and absolutely NO effect on water pressure
in our house (or next door who share our mains from the street). We
even tried turning fully the other way, and still no effect.

If there are any other houses around, turn off the tap and wait to see
who complains. On one site I know of a stopcock in front of the house
leads to a pipe that runs under the house, down the garden and into a
house on the other side of the block. The two buildings were once part
of the same builder's business.

Turn taps on inside the house, find a bit of steel rod to place on top
of stop tap and you should be able to hear the sound of your water
flowing through it. No sound probably means it is not your stop tap.


I wouldn't speculate. Just ring the water company and tell them you
can't turn your water off. That's your

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Bernard Peek wrote :
In message
,
Clare writes
Hi there, I have a bit of a mystery...

we've just tried to turn off our water from the stop cock near our
property boundary. Lifted the lid, the hole was full of mud (as you
would expect) but we excavated, found the tap, turned it clockwise
until it reached the end... and absolutely NO effect on water pressure
in our house (or next door who share our mains from the street). We
even tried turning fully the other way, and still no effect.

If there are any other houses around, turn off the tap and wait to see
who complains. On one site I know of a stopcock in front of the house
leads to a pipe that runs under the house, down the garden and into a
house on the other side of the block. The two buildings were once part
of the same builder's business.

Turn taps on inside the house, find a bit of steel rod to place on top
of stop tap and you should be able to hear the sound of your water
flowing through it. No sound probably means it is not your stop tap.


"that's your right" I meant to say. Bloody cat walked over the keyboard

Dave wrote:
wrote:
On 18 Jul, "newshound" wrote:

Not in my experience for water (although it would be for gas). My
guess is that the rubber washer has long since disappeared. A plumber
might be able to freeze it and then just replace the "removable" part.
Surely up to /and/ /including/ the external stop tap is the
responsibility of
the water authority.

As I wrote in another thread, our new water meter has been fitted after
the in house stop tap. So the water authority are responsible for the
feed from the street tap right up to our in house shut off tap. :-)

Interesting. I wonder if that's official procedure now. The old system
always left a difficult bit between the property boundary and the
internal stopcock

Thanks guys,

we've just tried Harry's ingenious listening with a metal rod trick
and *can* hear something when we turn our taps on (finally feel we're
getting to the bottom of this!) so looks like it is our stop cock and
will get onto the water board tomorrow to have them come fix it.

Clare wrote:
Thanks guys,

we've just tried Harry's ingenious listening with a metal rod trick
and *can* hear something when we turn our taps on

He can also tell which way the Apaches went & how long ago...

:-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk