Stopcock? Boiler? Help!

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

We rent out a property that we used to live in, so yes we're the dreaded accidental landlords but we do try and do our best for the tenant in terms of repairs etc. Anyway the tenant has been in touch today saying the pilot light on the boiler keeps going out so I've been in touch with a plumber who is going to pop in today and try and get it sorted. Earlier this year the tenant (who claims various benefits and is not in work at present) said he qualified via one of the government schemes for a new boiler and asked if we were happy for him to get this fitted, we replied that this was fine. Anyway today after the message re the boiler I asked if this was the new boiler and he said they hadn't been able to fit it as they could not locate the stop cock.

Can anyone tell me where a stop cock might be located in a 100ish year old terraced house?!

[soaccidentprone]

Cellar?

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

Ooh no cellar, kitchen is an extension to original house, does have a loft though. Is it likely to be in there?

[Twitterqueen]

You need PigletJohn

Is it not under the kitchen sink? (I imaging they looked there.)
Mine is right by the font door, cut into the wall surround.

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

Apparently not under the kitchen sink. From memory the gas meter is next to the front door and the electricity is at the top of the stairs. If that is likely to have any bearing on the subject!

[PigletJohn]

All gas meters have a lever to turn the gas on and off.

You probably mean the stop cock for the water. A competent plumber can freeze a pipe and fit a new stopcock.

If the house has a water meter, there is a stopcock incorporated in it, and a (usually blue plastic) handle unless someone has pulled it off.

In an older house, there may be a valve under a flap in the pavement, or down a hole next to where the front gate used to be when the house was built. Either or both of these may have been buried or paved over by idiots.

There is probably one where the water pipe comes up through the kitchen floor, some idiot has probably built a cupboard in the way.

If you are in a streetful of similar houses, peer over their fences until you find one with the stopcock visible, or ask the neighbours. Yours is probably in the same place.

[specialsubject]

er....you used to live in it and you don't know where the stopcock is?

and do you have a gas safe cert for that new boiler? The responsibility is yours.

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

Thanks pigletjohn, that is really useful.

Special subject, there is no boiler and I'm well aware of my responsibilities as a landlord.

Yes I used to live there and no I don't know where the stopcock is. In my defence I never needed to know although I appreciate if I had needed to know and wasn't able to find out it'd have been a bit of a mare.

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

Sorry yes the original post wasn't clear, I do mean the stop cock for the water. I'll ask the tenant to have a chat with the neighbours, if he gets no luck out of that, would the water board know where it was originally located? Or I guess getting a competent plumber in to feeeze the pipes.

[specialsubject]

really puzzled now about there being no boiler when your original post reported a pilot light going out on it!

anyway, good luck with it all.

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

No new boiler I should have said! There is of course an original boiler that the tenant said he was looking into getting replaced but has since reported he was unable to do due to not being able to locate the stopcock. Does that make any sense?

[PigletJohn]

"the pilot light on the boiler keeps going out"

"there is no boiler"

eh?

[PigletJohn]

too slow.

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

Sorry I though the OP was clear. Apparently as clear as mud

[roneik]

Have a look near to the front door under the floor, I lived in a house of that age decades ago and you had to lift up a board. Yes I know it's daft but that's where the stopcock was

[itstheyearzero]

It could be under the stairs. Mine was!

[PigletJohn]

perhaps it is in the corner where the sink used to be before the kitchen moved.

Have you got a loft tank? Follow the pipes down and see where they go.

[roneik]

Who said anything about the sink being moved?

[PigletJohn]

SeattleGraceMercyDeath Wed 29-Oct-14 16:19:39
...kitchen is an extension to original house

[roneik]

Oh right on

Many old terraced houses have services coming in at the front door. Many did not have leccy or indoor toilets when built,

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

Thank you all, I'll follow up on the suggestions and let you know where it is. I'm glad it's not necessarily something that should be easy to fine. I lived in the property for 7 years and didn't come across it

[roneik]

Thank your lucky stars you didn't have a bad leak.

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

I know! Out of interest though, if it has been paved over or buried, wtf will I do?

[Selks]

If so you should be able to get a new stopcock fitted within the house somewhere convenient eg under kitchen sink.
I had this situation when I moved into my current place, an old cottage. Couldn't find stopcock, conclude it must be outside somewhere. Fitted new one under kitchen sink.....then a week later the washing machine inlet hose split sending a waterfall of water into my kitchen.....was rather glad I had just fitted a new stopcock!
The lesson for you to learn from the above is get your stopcock found or replaced ASAP!

[PigletJohn]

Get a plumber to freeze the pipe and fit a new stopcock. Old plumbers are used to finding pipes. If you are thinking of getting a combi, fill a bucket at the kitchen cold tap, time it, calculate how many litres per minute you get. It may not be enough so you may need a new water pipe out to the pavement.

The budget for social boilers is very low, and I have heard heating engineers say that no-one can do a proper job and make a profit.

[SeattleGraceMercyDeath]

Well plumber has been out, problem fixed and located stopcock - outside but reachable and is putting a quote in the post for a new boiler.

Thank you for all your help!