Any plumbers

[NeedthatFridayfeeling]

Is there a way to replace a seized internal stop tap without shutting the water off at the external one? Ours isn't on our land and the water company won't come out to figure out which is ours, wanted to ask before a called someone to look at it as don't want to waste anyones time if i need to go back and argue with the water company

How brave are you feeling? What size pipe do you have coming into the current stopcock? You may find with a bit of heat and some lubrication you can work the stop cock free. Depends how seized it is. If it were me, I’d first try to get an Aladdin easy fit isolator valve on there before the stop cock. They are designed to be self installed with ease and this will allow you to shut off the water supply to the house and therefore do the work to replace the stopcock. Google them - you can get in a variety of sizes but will depend on the size and type of pipe that you have coming into the stopcock as to whether you can use it or not.

Another possible option is going for a pipe freeze kit, but I’m not sure about use on mains water. Some seem to have done it successfully but I’ve never tried. Do you know where the mains is in the street? Could you chat to your neighbours about turning off for the 15 mins that it would take you to fit a new stopcock? Or just do it at 2am or something like that when nobody likely to be in shower etc.

Then we get to the more brave option of doing a live swap. Again depending on pipe and accessibility you can get push fit stop cocks as well as regular. It’ll be somewhat tough to get on with live pressure but it’s doable. I’ve done live swaps with central heating pipes at about 1.5 bar and I did get wet but only for a few seconds. Make sure you have a plan B however if you can’t do it as you will not be able to stop the water - hosepipe running outside as an example.

Depending on your skill set there are options - the Aladdin option would be my go to here.

I'm not brave at all 😄 going to get a plumber to do it so good to know there are ways as i didn't realise there were, the water company just told us they don't come check these things unless there is a leak.
We've tried many times to release the tap but it's stuck fast, the previous owners left it fully open

Please don't do what nonmagicmike said. A freeze pack won't touch mains pressure water, and push fit will be disastrous. Not many plumbers will try a 'snatch' on a mains pressure pipe!

Oh yeah definitely ways to do it if you can’t shut off at the street. Sounds like fitting an isolator valve like the Aladdin to me is the route to go. Then your plumber can put a new stopcock on and away you go. Hours job or so. There’s a fun video on YouTube somewhere of a plumber in the states I think it is trying to do a live swap and failing and creating a swimming pool in the persons flat.

Thank you for the reassurance, best give the plumber a call as been long enough sorting this and always on the back of my mind something going wrong

I’ve frozen a mains pressure water pipe before with no issues. Im not a plumber and its a relatively straightforward job. I have also done a “ snatch “ as you call it on a mains pipe , it was in a garage and i got wet but was perfectly doable. I wouldn’t want to do it inside a house due to the amount of water that comes out.

I also watched the water people change my stoptap on the street they did it live and made it look easy with minimal water loss.

They did mine recently by clamping the mdpe. You didn't see their prep.

But I agree about the awesomeness of Aladdins.

The pipe on the street to my stop tap was copper , i asked them how they were going to stop to water coming out when they put the new stop tap on, his reply was “ I’ve done this 1000’s of times i don’t need to stop it”. There was no clamping.