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UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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#1
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Where's my water stop-cock?
I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)?
It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. |
#3
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Where's my water stop-cock?
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#4
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Where's my water stop-cock?
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#6
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Where's my water stop-cock?
Thanks. I'll keep looking; the kitchen hasn't been moved, and there's no basement so that's two things I can discount. Nor is there a water meter.
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#7
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 27/11/2012 10:38, polygonum wrote:
On 27/11/2012 10:14, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. Probably somewhere on the ground floor (though if you have a cellar, it could come in there). You might be able to follow your ears when a tap is running or cistern filling? Ring your water company. You need (and I'm pretty sure you are entitled to) a stopcock in the road. How else could you deal with the failure of your own internal one? Thames Water quote 60 days but usually drop round a lot sooner to assess the situation. Most recently they came to my son's house the following day and reinstated the original. I thought it would be key operated but it turned out to be a conventional tap handle, so I could easily have whacked that trying to dig a foot of soil out. Turns very sweetly now and has a nice vintage flap too. |
#8
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Where's my water stop-cock?
wrote in message ... Thanks. I'll keep looking; the kitchen hasn't been moved, and there's no basement so that's two things I can discount. Nor is there a water meter. Downstairs toilet? That's where mine is. |
#9
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Where's my water stop-cock?
Thanks - I'll ring Severn Trent directly.
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#10
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 27/11/2012 11:40, Mentalguy2k8 wrote:
wrote in message ... Thanks. I'll keep looking; the kitchen hasn't been moved, and there's no basement so that's two things I can discount. Nor is there a water meter. Downstairs toilet? That's where mine is. also do you know where the water main in the street runs - it may give a clue at least as to which wall to expect the pipe to come in under. -- Cheers, John. /================================================== ===============\ | Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk | |-----------------------------------------------------------------| | John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk | \================================================= ================/ |
#11
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Where's my water stop-cock?
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#12
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On Tuesday, November 27, 2012 12:18:23 PM UTC, Lobster wrote:
Are there nearby houses of the same type and age? You could take the opportunity to say hi to your new neighbours and ask where theirs are David Good point! I'll do that tonight. |
#13
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Where's my water stop-cock?
Cupboard under the stairs, or some are still either in the front garden or
even in the road. Brian -- Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email. graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them Email: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________ wrote in message ... I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. |
#14
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Where's my water stop-cock?
How old is the property?
Brian -- Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email. graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them Email: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________ "polygonum" wrote in message ... On 27/11/2012 10:14, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. Probably somewhere on the ground floor (though if you have a cellar, it could come in there). You might be able to follow your ears when a tap is running or cistern filling? -- Rod |
#15
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Where's my water stop-cock?
Ask a neighbour?
Brian -- Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email. graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them Email: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________ "stuart noble" wrote in message ... On 27/11/2012 10:38, polygonum wrote: On 27/11/2012 10:14, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. Probably somewhere on the ground floor (though if you have a cellar, it could come in there). You might be able to follow your ears when a tap is running or cistern filling? Ring your water company. You need (and I'm pretty sure you are entitled to) a stopcock in the road. How else could you deal with the failure of your own internal one? Thames Water quote 60 days but usually drop round a lot sooner to assess the situation. Most recently they came to my son's house the following day and reinstated the original. I thought it would be key operated but it turned out to be a conventional tap handle, so I could easily have whacked that trying to dig a foot of soil out. Turns very sweetly now and has a nice vintage flap too. |
#16
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Where's my water stop-cock?
In article ,
wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Is the ground floor solid? If so, that restricts where it could be. If a suspended floor, is there an easy way to get under it? -- *It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying. Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
#17
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Where's my water stop-cock?
In article ,
wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. when we moved into this house, the water stopcock was under the kitchen floor. You had to move the cooker out of the way and then unsrew a panel in the floor. Needless to say, its not there now (especially as our cooker is now in a built-in unit). -- From KT24 Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18 |
#18
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 27/11/2012 10:14, wrote:
I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. Common places; Cellar if there is one, cupboard under stairs, under floor board near front door, boxed in with access flap/hole (with luck) - or turn it off outside. I would estimate that 40% of my customers have no idea either. -- Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk |
#19
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On Nov 27, 10:14*am, wrote:
I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. *The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. *How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. There should be a stopcock on the boundary of the property/pavement outside.. Everything downstream of that is yours. This has been so for around a hundred years. (If you have a neighbour, it may be close to theirs.) It's practice for there be an additional one in the house or under the floor The outside one may have been covered with soil, paviours or similar. What you need is a metal detector & then start digging on the place where it crosses the boundary. Important you do this, you need a stopcock if there is a pipe leak. Could wreck the place. You need to put one in if you can't find it. |
#20
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 27/11/2012 16:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article , wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Is the ground floor solid? If so, that restricts where it could be. If a suspended floor, is there an easy way to get under it? You can't beat having your own in the street, especially one of the new plastic variety. About half the internal stopcocks I've encountered over the years don't work for one reason or another |
#21
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Where's my water stop-cock?
In article
, harry wrote: On Nov 27, 10:14 am, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. There should be a stopcock on the boundary of the property/pavement outside.. Everything downstream of that is yours. This has been so for around a hundred years. Mine was about 2ft into the road. When we had a meter fitted a new one was fitted by the water company beside the meter. The meter is just inside our bounbary. (If you have a neighbour, it may be close to theirs.) It's practice for there be an additional one in the house or under the floor The outside one may have been covered with soil, paviours or similar. What you need is a metal detector & then start digging on the place where it crosses the boundary. Plastic water pipes don't give a reading. they have plastic taps too. Ask your water co where the external one is. They should know. -- From KT24 Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18 |
#22
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 27/11/2012 17:38, harry wrote:
On Nov 27, 10:14 am, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. There should be a stopcock on the boundary of the property/pavement outside.. Everything downstream of that is yours. This has been so for around a hundred years. (If you have a neighbour, it may be close to theirs.) It's practice for there be an additional one in the house or under the floor The outside one may have been covered with soil, paviours or similar. What you need is a metal detector & then start digging on the place where it crosses the boundary. Why would you do any of that without first calling the water co? It's what they do all day, they're better at it than you, and they don't charge. I must have missed something. |
#23
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Where's my water stop-cock?
harry wrote:
On Nov 27, 10:14 am, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. There should be a stopcock on the boundary of the property/pavement outside.. Everything downstream of that is yours. This has been so for around a hundred years. What a load of ******** harry:-) Many 1950's houses share one stopcock on the street that supplies 4 houses. The usual run for semi detatched houses is for the pipe to run between the pair of houses and split somewhere between them. -- Adam |
#24
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Where's my water stop-cock?
Lobster wrote:
On 27/11/2012 10:14, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? Are there nearby houses of the same type and age? You could take the opportunity to say hi to your new neighbours and ask where theirs are That's a good start. I have often found the stop cock under floorboards, and the best one ever was in the landing wall behind a picture! But the favourite bet is that it it just boxed in somewhere. -- Adam |
#25
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Where's my water stop-cock?
Have you tried looking between your legs? :-) |
#26
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On Tuesday, November 27, 2012 5:42:14 PM UTC, stuart noble wrote:
snip You can't beat having your own in the street, especially one of the new plastic variety. About half the internal stopcocks I've encountered over the years don't work for one reason or another Oh yes - the first time I needed to use the one in my present house I found it turned the water nearly, but not quite off. I can live with that for replacing a tap washer, I thought... What I wasn't prepared for was the fact that when I tried to turn it on again the flow didn't increase - turned out that the little brass jumper inside was so worn that after I disturbed it it migrated around to the outlet of the stopcock and stayed there... |
#27
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Where's my water stop-cock?
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#28
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 27/11/2012 17:57, charles wrote:
In article , harry wrote: On Nov 27, 10:14 am, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. There should be a stopcock on the boundary of the property/pavement outside.. Everything downstream of that is yours. This has been so for around a hundred years. Mine was about 2ft into the road. When we had a meter fitted a new one was fitted by the water company beside the meter. The meter is just inside our bounbary. (If you have a neighbour, it may be close to theirs.) It's practice for there be an additional one in the house or under the floor The outside one may have been covered with soil, paviours or similar. What you need is a metal detector & then start digging on the place where it crosses the boundary. Plastic water pipes don't give a reading. they have plastic taps too. Ask your water co where the external one is. They should know. They only found ours *(completely paved over, under the public footpath) when it sprung a leak and water started coming up through the pavement. I was rather glad as it gave me the chance to replace our own faulty, internal stop-tap. SteveW |
#29
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:42:14 +0000, stuart noble wrote:
On 27/11/2012 16:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote: In article , wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Is the ground floor solid? If so, that restricts where it could be. If a suspended floor, is there an easy way to get under it? You can't beat having your own in the street, especially one of the new plastic variety. About half the internal stopcocks I've encountered over the years don't work for one reason or another That's true! I've refurbished mine, those in the adjacent houses (before starting work!) and replaced one in a girl-friends flat (had to have everything ready as this meant cutting off the whole block). Makes things a lot easier on subsequent jobs. -- Peter. The gods will stay away whilst religions hold sway |
#30
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:13:42 +0000, stuart noble
wrote: Why would you do any of that without first calling the water co? It's what they do all day, they're better at it than you, and they don't charge. I must have missed something. Are you sure that they will respond to a random 'I can't find my stop cock telephone call' and send a man or two out in van and not charge you? In the days before privatisation I could see that happening but these days? -- |
#31
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On Nov 27, 6:36*pm, "ARW" wrote:
harry wrote: On Nov 27, 10:14 am, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. There should be a stopcock on the boundary of the property/pavement outside.. Everything downstream of that is yours. This has been so for around a hundred years. What a load of ******** harry:-) Many 1950's houses share one stopcock on the street that supplies 4 houses. The usual run for semi detatched houses is for the pipe to run between the pair of houses and split somewhere between them. -- Adam However the stopcock is on the boundary. Water company does not come on to your premises. They may or may not know where it is. Many old plans get chucked out. |
#32
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On Nov 27, 10:14*am, wrote:
I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. *The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. *How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. It might not be a big obvious tap - ours is one of those in-line things that you turn with a screwdriver. You've just reminded me that I don't know where the external stop-cock is - I should go and investigate... -- Halmyre |
#33
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 27/11/2012 22:37, The Other Mike wrote:
On Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:13:42 +0000, stuart noble wrote: Why would you do any of that without first calling the water co? It's what they do all day, they're better at it than you, and they don't charge. I must have missed something. Are you sure that they will respond to a random 'I can't find my stop cock telephone call' and send a man or two out in van and not charge you? In the days before privatisation I could see that happening but these days? I know of three instances in the last couple of years where Thames Water have done just that. You are entitled to a working valve outside the house, although this might cover more than one property. It's then up to you to sort the internal stopcock out. |
#34
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 28/11/2012 06:55, harry wrote:
On Nov 27, 6:36 pm, "ARW" wrote: harry wrote: On Nov 27, 10:14 am, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. The previous owner was a buy-to-letter and isn't taking my calls. How on earth do I find it, without employing a plumber (not that I've anything against plumbers, just against spending money unnecessarily!)? It's not under the kitchen sink. Thanks. There should be a stopcock on the boundary of the property/pavement outside.. Everything downstream of that is yours. This has been so for around a hundred years. What a load of ******** harry:-) Many 1950's houses share one stopcock on the street that supplies 4 houses. The usual run for semi detatched houses is for the pipe to run between the pair of houses and split somewhere between them. -- Adam However the stopcock is on the boundary. Water company does not come on to your premises. They may or may not know where it is. Many old plans get chucked out. ********. Out stop cock is about two metres from the house in the direction of the road - with another twelve metres (I estimate) to the actual boundary. Next level up controls a number of houses (5, 10, possibly a few more?) and is under a road. All built in 1970s on former farmland. -- Rod |
#35
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 27/11/2012 18:44, ARW wrote:
Lobster wrote: On 27/11/2012 10:14, wrote: I've just moved into my new house and I can't find where the water services come into the house - specifically, where the stop-cock is. [...] But the favourite bet is that it it just boxed in somewhere. Definitely. On the floor underneath the kitchen base units is a good place to lose it, in the 6"h of void behind the plinth. Tim W |
#36
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 28/11/2012 19:54, Bill Wright wrote:
When I moved in here the stop cock just inside the front door couldn't be turned. The water board came and eventually discovered that the one in the street was under a little metal lid that itself was three feet underground. The verge had been built up that much over the years. My dad's house was discovered (after 50 years of occupation) to have two stop cocks and two water supplies, one from one street and the other from the adjoining street. He should have called them out and had the water cut off, told them to stop billing them for the water (and the associated sewerage) and then carried on using the other supply! Or maybe a meter on one supply and just kept using the other! SteveW |
#37
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Where's my water stop-cock?
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#38
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 29/11/2012 09:31, BruceB wrote:
In article , says... I know of three instances in the last couple of years where Thames Water have done just that. You are entitled to a working valve outside the house, although this might cover more than one property. It's then up to you to sort the internal stopcock out. I am not convinced there is any 'entitlement' to a stop cock. I asked Bristol Water to look for mine (thinking of having a water meter) and the bloke spent half a day here with electronic detectors and signal injector but could not work out where it was. Even called another Bristol Water man in a van who got his divining rods out, but no success. They said out here in the country the pipes were sometimes just tapped straight off the main. You may be right that it's not an absolute entitlement, but certainly in heavily populated areas it seems to be the norm. I noticed a whole line of new plastic valves outside a large Victorian house divided into flats. More practical for the occupants and the water co I expect. |
#39
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On 28/11/2012 23:28, SteveW wrote:
On 28/11/2012 19:54, Bill Wright wrote: When I moved in here the stop cock just inside the front door couldn't be turned. The water board came and eventually discovered that the one in the street was under a little metal lid that itself was three feet underground. The verge had been built up that much over the years. My dad's house was discovered (after 50 years of occupation) to have two stop cocks and two water supplies, one from one street and the other from the adjoining street. He should have called them out and had the water cut off, told them to stop billing them for the water (and the associated sewerage) and then carried on using the other supply! Or maybe a meter on one supply and just kept using the other! SteveW Not having a supply doesn't stop them billing you for water! If you have reasonable access to someone else's water, that's enough apparently |
#40
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Where's my water stop-cock?
On Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:31:28 -0000, BruceB wrote:
I am not convinced there is any 'entitlement' to a stop cock. The stop cock is the interface between the water company's communication pipe and your service pipe. The actual stop cock is the property of the water company, on the same lines as BT's master socket. -- Frank Erskine |
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