Emergency - tap not turning off.

Gingham_Ribbon

I've found the stop tap and turned it off but we've no water and consequently no heating. I can't get in touch with our plumber. The tap is just spinning round without turning off. It has been dripping for a couple of days. I could kick myself for not sorting it out sooner.

I have to babysit 2 toddlers tomorrow and don't know how I'm going to do that with no heating and limited access to water. (I can turn the stop tap on and off when needed but don't fancy not being able to flush the loo.)

I think the tap needs a new washer. Is there anywhere open after 10pm that I could get something like that? (Can't go till hubbie gets home and he doesn't drive.) Is it a straightforward job?

Do I have to call an emergency plumber?

Thanks.

se999

If it's not really old plumbing regulations say that a cut off valve should be fitted. Look under the sink at the pipe. It should be chrome looking and about 5 cm's long if it's there. There will be what looks like a screw head on the side. You turn this 90degrees to cut off the water. This will just cut off the water to the one tap.

Hope your plumbing isn't too old.

Gingham_Ribbon

It's pretty new but the guy who fitted our kitchen was a total cowboy. We have a lovely plumber now who would have done a great job. Hey ho. I'll look under the tap. Thanks!

Gingham_Ribbon

Nope. Not one there. :mad: :mad: :mad:

The sodding kitchen is falling apart and it's only 3 years old. :mad:

Sorry. Having a less than fun evening!

se999

Sorry, not got any other ideas.

Gingham_Ribbon

I think it's time to phone a plumber. A bit scared of calling out someone who's not been recommended incase I get someone as dishonourable as the last gentleman. (Insert your own expletives!)

Tim_L

Is there a problem with leaving the tap running? Most sinks drain faster than they can fill as long as they're not blocked.

There's a good guide to taps at

http://www.diydata.com/problem/taps/washer_replace.htm

Worn washers would tend to cause drips rather than allow flows through. Probably there's something else wrong.

It's quite likely there's nothing seriously wrong - quite often in modern taps the handle works loose or the ridges inside the knob wear out so they don't actually turn the tap. Try (with the water off) lifting the knob off vertically to see if it comes off. If it does then mark a line with a bit of pencil on the shaft the cap fits on, put the knob back on and turn to see if it's going round. If not you'll probably be able to turn it off using a monkey wrench to grip the shaft - be careful not to force anything (turn reasonably gently and hold the fitting so you don't shear the tap off the pipe with excess force). One of the most important things to learn about plumbing is never to overtighten or force things that appear stuck!

Fundamentally taps aren't that complicated - just a screw that pushes a valve down to close off the flow of water. Either the screw isn't turning (most likely, see above) or something internal has broken. You can have a look if you're confident following the instructions at the website given above.

Gingham_Ribbon

That's very helpful. Thanks. I'm going to hang fire till my husband gets in then get him to read this. I know my limitations!

Rikki

Different taps have different washers. My kitchen taps only turn a 1/4 turn so I need the appropriate washer. Do you know the make taps or the washer type?

If the tap is only dripping as was mine a while ago I let it drip into a bucket and used the water to flush the toilet. This allowed me to keep everything else turned on.

Gingham_Ribbon

I don't know either unfortunately. And it's not dripping. It's a torrent! Which is surprising considering how bad the water pressure is in here! Perhaps I'm not being very objective here...

Rikki

When I had my kitchen refitted I had a tap put on under the sink just for that tap (as it is used the most ) Also you should have the same setup on your toilet systems so each one can be isolated without turning the water off.