Changing kitchen taps - how to turn off hot water?

edtheduck_2

Hi, I am changing the mixer tap in the kitchen and thought it would be reasonably straightforward and knew where to turn off cold water,(that I'm ok with) but foolishly didn't think about the hot water!!

I've done a bit of research but it all seems a bit too technical for me. The hot press - where the hot water tank is, has a pipe with a red 'wheel' at the top that I tried turning both ways and then running hot taps - did nothing, water still flowed as normal. There is no other wheel going into or coming out of the tank, nor evidence of where one may have broken off.

Now not even sure if I should have left this open or closed and can't remember which way it was to begin with! Any advice?

Anyway, can someone please tell me when I go up to the attic what I should be doing - IF this is where I need to go to turn off the HW.
There is a big tank in attic and a wee tank too, not sure from memory if there's a wheel/tap up there but what is the best/most efficient way to turn the HW off please?
I don't want to risk doing something that when I turn water back on, something won't work properly.

Any simple, step by step advice greatly appreciated. Thank you.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

You need to either:

1) drain the hot water tank by isolating the cold water cistern in the loft by turning off the mains or stopping the fill valve of the cold water tank & running the hot taps until they stop.

2) find the gate valve that controls the flow of cold water to the hot water tank & make sure its off

3) Bung up the cold water tank & vent pipe.

4) Get someone in who knows what they are doing.

When your finished fit an isolation valve to the sinks hot water pipe.

& if your gate valve in the airing cupboard is faulty why not replace it?

edtheduck_2

Thanks - I'm thinking the first one is probably the easiest option for me, and then failing that, i will move down your list! thanks a lot. will let you know how i get on -will be the weekend when i get a chance to do properly.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

edtheduck wrote: »

Thanks - I'm thinking the first one is probably the easiest option for me, and then failing that, i will move down your list! thanks a lot. will let you know how i get on -will be the weekend when i get a chance to do properly.

No problem.

Its probably the safest.

When you are finished & start filling the tanks back up make sure you keep checking in the loft to make sure the fill valve doesn't seize up.

edtheduck_2

will do - thanks :-)

Mankysteve

Might be worth getting some isolation valves while you at so you don't have to fart around next time you decided to change your taps.

edtheduck_2

Well I tried at the weekend - no joy.
Went up to attic - 2 pipes coming out of bottom of big cold water tank, have taps on them , seized, but I reckoned these weren't the ones I was looking for anyway.
Then another pipe with a red gate valve on it - didn't think it was what I was looking for either, so didn't touch it.

Traced pipes down into hotpress and found a hot pipe at top of tank where it appears there should have been a gate valve,(?) so turned this anti clockwise fully and ran taps....they still ran??, turned off cold water at mains under sink still seems to be hot water flying out.

I saw the ballcock thing in the big tank in the attic, when u say tie this up, do you literally just mean make sure it doesn't let water refill??cos i can see how the water stops flowing when this is lifted out of the water.

What then? Is this in itself enough to turn off the hot water? Do I turn off the cold now too?

Sorry, but as you can see I'm a plumbing novice and there just seem to be a whole lot of pipes and I'm afraid if I turn something the wrong way, or don't leave it in the same position I found it in, I could really do something major that would cost me dearly.

Any further 'simple' advice greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance, but if it really gets too much, I'll have to get someone out, though I don't want to atm.

Kiran

edtheduck wrote: »

Traced pipes down into hotpress and found a hot pipe at top of tank where it appears there should have been a gate valve,(?) so turned this anti clockwise fully and ran taps....they still ran??, turned off cold water at mains under sink still seems to be hot water flying out.

Anti clockwise opens the valve. Righty tighty lefty loosey....remember??

Anyway, you will need to block up the header tank to stop it from refilling, but I'd be tempted to use a pipe freeze kit, cut the pipe and fit an isolation valve and save yourself the bother of playing about with the valves in the loft.

Don't run any hot water from the kitchen tap for a while (make sure its reasonable cool to touh), freeze the pipe atleast 12" away from where you want to fit your new isolation valve, cut the pipe and fit the valve. Once this is done you have all the time in the world to play around with the tap and also means you can have the hotwater on to the rest of your house/ central heating on.

HTH

bryanb

If you tie up the ballcock in the loft tank (string it right up to a rafter) it will eventually stop the hot water. Remember to turn off the water heating.

edtheduck_2

thanks kiran and bryanb - Bryans sounds a bit simpler for me ty Kiran.:)
So
1. make sure central heating off,
2. tie the ballcock up,
3. turn off cold water(mains) and then
4. run taps 'til they stop??

(please say yes....this sounds do-able!)
Thank you both

Kiran

Yeah, that will do the job. Definitely worth fitting an isolation valve too.

Good luck, its not that bad!!