Leaking stop cock?? What to do?

[wendybird77]

A clear plea for Piglet John!!

My builder had the water off on Friday to change a trap out. Since then the stop cock is leaking significantly causing a puddle on my floor and wrecking my new wood cladding in the bathroom. I can't get it to stop by turning it. Do I need a plumber in to change it out? Can I do anything in the meantime to stop it?

Sorry he changed the tap, not the waste. Insignificant I know.

Have you got a water meter?

How old do you think the stopvock is?

What colour is the oncoming main to the stopcock?

Have you got some spanners? If it is leaking round the spindle, slightly tighten the small nut under the T handle.

Ask the builder when he can come back.

Ask your neighbours if they can recommend a local plumber

If you phone your water company some of them will repair leaking stopcocks

No water meter and I have no idea on the stopcock except that it is not a modern handle-thing. I'd guess 70's maybe as that was when the bathroom was done which houses the stopcock. The main is just copper pipe - not plastic. I do have spanners and will try to access behind the spindle without dismantling the wood false wall I've just had put in - only the handle is accessible (design flaw, clearly). I will get on the builder again (radiator leaking too!). So much money on house renovations and so many plumbing problems as a result. I despair.

Thank you Piglet.

In the meantime, put a towel in a tray of some sort (with edges - cat litter tray maybe) and put it underneath and that should help protect your cladding etc.

if you are in a house, there is a chance you have another stopcock under the sink or in the front garden or pavement, next to where the front gate used to be, although some idiot previous owner might have filled it in or paved over it.

The one in the bathroom is the main one, there isn't one under the kitchen sink. I'll have a look around outside to see if I can find another one. It is an odd house that doesn't really have a frontage (off a gravel lane, fences and gardens in front and shared private drive behind which wraps around the houses between houses and garages - odd). I removed the bottom plank of wood, so at least that isn't getting soaked anymore. I can't tighten the nut any, so I think I'll phone a plumber tomorrow to see to it. I think all the turning on and off of water due to the works has probably loosened it rather than the builders damaging it. I need to get someone out anyway as the radiators (new) are very noisy and sometimes sound as though they are whistling and / or hissing. Gah.