Piglet John (or anyone who knows) - changing a washer

[HelenaQC]

I have a dribbling tap and need to change the washer. The trickle it's causing outside is annoying my neighbour so I need to sort it ASAP. Trouble is, when I went to turn off the water at the stop cock, I couldn't. The handle turns but nothing happens. Obviously this needs to be seen to, but in the meantime, am I OK to change the washer with the tap still dribbling? I know a bit of water will come up, but it won't be a total geyser, will it?

TIA.

If you can isolate the outside tap (the valve will have a screwhead in it which should be turned perpendicular to the direction of the pipe) then yes. If not, then I don't see how.

Piglet John will know best though.

it will be a total geyser, yes. You need to turn the water supply off to the tap somehow. As Malice says, there may be an isolation valve fitted on the pipe work going to the tap - all my interior taps do.

Thanks, both of you. Will see if I can find the isolation valve. Don't fancy having Niagara falls in my bathroom!

have you got a water meter?

Have you got a cold tank in the loft?

When you turned off the stopcock, did the cold tap on your kitchen sink stop working?

Every house has an external stop cock. Turn the water off outside if you don't expect to need wellies indoors

Hi Piglet

No to all three of those.

I live in a flat on the first floor....one below and one above. Wouldn't have a clue about a cold water tank....don't think there is one. Have a combi boiler in the kitchen.

No water meter.

Turning the stop cock doesn't turn off the water to any tap. Just does nothing. Presumably some mechanism inside is rusted up or something.

It's actually a bath tap. Is there likely to be an isolation valve under the bath?

Roneik I know where the off thing in the street it??? Right outside my front door, but I think it services several houses, and because it's all flats that could be 10 or so households. Bit nervous about switching everyone's water off!

Your stopcock should be under a little square or sometimes round inspection flap , usually about six inches or so in diameter .It usually is situated on the external part of your property (sometimes on the pathway in the street )

Sorry. Have no idea where all those ??? came from. Was meant to be - !

That's weird. We X posted, but it looks like I answered you before you even posted. Spooky

Sorry was posting and then saw your reply above

Well if you call out the water board it will cost an arm. I once had a leak on a driveway and they quoted 600 quid and that's 20 years ago. Did the job with a lot of digging and some black plastic pipe costing about 20 quid

Just go and tell the households you would like to turn off the water for a few minutes. Changing a washer is a ten minute job.

post a photo of the stopcock. A proper stop-cock has this unique diagonal part and always a "T" handle.

If you are lucky there will be a service valve on the pipe to the tap, with what looks like a scree-head to turn it on and off. Sometimes it is incorporated with a flexible hose covered in stainless steel braid.

Is the dripping tap hot or cold?

Has a notice in front of it saying, "Stop Cock" so I'm assuming that's what it is.

Does it look about right?

It's the cold tap.

it does look like a stopcock. If you are in an old building or a conversion it might be redundant, or go to another flat.

The braided flexible hose I see, does that go to the boiler?

Are you sure you screwed it all the way down tightly, until it stopped, and that the handle is not obstructed by the box?

Blimey that looks ancient , a plumber may well be able to freeze the pipe just below the dripping tap and change washer without the mains being turned off

No, that goes to the toilet which is just to the left of the pic.

I doubt it's redundant. The bathroom, kitchen and CH system were all brand new when I moved in about 3 years ago and the person fixing it up put that sign there.

Plus...I used it last year to turn off the water when there was a problem with a leaky shower.

How much would it cost to get a plumber out to sort out the stop cock? Loads?

Sorry, lots of X posting.

When I first tried to turn it the other day, I couldn't shift it at all. Went online to get some advice and there was a suggesting to bang it hard and then try. That worked, and it now turns freely....but uselessly. Even though it's squashed against the housing, it does turn.

I have tried pushing it down in for the thread underneath to catch again (if that's the problem) but no joy.

dunno. Ask around for personal recommendations of a local plumber who's been in business for some years. Avoid internet recommendations and non geographic (0800, 0870, 0845) numbers.

But if it really is the correct stopcock for your flat, and the jumper has fallen off, fixing it is the priority. Once that is done, you can easily swap all your other tap washers for years to come.

Stopcocks are very reliable, and often last a hundred years. They are still made to the same design, and often you can swap the internal moving parts without having to detach the shell from the pipes, which can be very convenient.

You can buy a pipe freezing kit for 14.99 and it freezes the pipe for half hour. It's just a bit of sponge covered in plastic 12 inches long, 2 plastic ties and a gianormous can of the freezing agent. Be brave go where no flat dweller went and turn the water of . Go on you know you want to and how will they know it's you ? Or set off the fire alarm thatr will leave you in sole control (joke)

Thanks so much for your help, Piglet. (And everyone). Will have to get a plumber out for the stop cock because....this situation aside....I do need to have the facility to turn off the water. So will be hunting around for a plumber.

Roneik Ah ha. Have just Googled pipe freezing kit. That looks like it might be the answer. I wouldn't have to switch the water off at all if that worked, would I?

You could post the job on trusted traders, I did for some tree felling and the price difference is amazing. On the site I used you set the job price limit. I would have cut them down myself but they were so tall 89 ft it was a bit high for a geriatric be it very fit 70

We have a plumbers merchant up the road so I am going to go in and ask if the pipe freezing kit would be suitable for this particular situation.

Fingers crossed :)

No you don't have to turn the water off, but you do need to be organized. Actually you do need a working stop cock ,you may need one if there is a bad leak in the future. Changing a stop cock is not rocket science it's two nuts possibly an olive compression ring change . Your stop cock is in an awkward spot so that might bump the price a bit