Can't find stopcock or valve - anything we can do???

kitschkitty

Our kitchen mixer tap has bust at full flow, the teeth inside have gone. We've looked all over the house but cannot find a valve/stopcock anywhere (the plumbing looks appalling in this place).

Have turned off the boiler as it was the hot tap, and left a message with the letting agent. Is there anything else at all that we can do?

chiefgoobster

There should be an in-line valve near to the hot and colds of the tap.....or maybe someone has put it near the skirting board type of place .
Sometimes the stopcock is under the stairs , or outside the front door.
Have you a neighbour with possibly the same set up of plumbing that might know ? .....or know where the external tap might be ?

Knock on a few doors and see what u can find.

regprentice

Just recently had my kitchen done.

The kitchen fitters put drawers in front of the water main stopcock and told me if i needed to switch off the water just slide out the middle drawer. Unless i tell whoever next has the house they don't have a chance of finding it!

Also all my kitchen plumbing is now new 'hose' type instead of copper pipes, and the stopcocks on this type seem to be tiny screwhead looking slots built into the pipe. So possibly could be looking for something like this.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=930825&d=0&nmt=

If its ancient looking plumbing, then i suspect the stopcock could be anywhere, but generally when I have seen stopcocks they have been on the first few feet of pipe where the pipe first comes into the house.

kitschkitty

Thanks for the replies. OH looked outside the front door but said under the "stopcock cover" was just a 6 foot pit, sadly can't ask any neighbours (various reasons why).
Can't rip up floor boards in front room, and have looked all round the kitchen - it really is a state - we had to break up the back board of the kitchen cupboard to access the pipes but there are no valves on them at all, also loooked under the stairs.

Only ones we could find in the house were 1 near the bathroom taps and one near the central heating boiler upstairs (water boiler is in the bathroom).
This crappy house sucks!

chiefgoobster

I presume you are a tenant, as you mentioned a letting agent.
You should have your central heating boiler checked every year and as copy of that paperwork be given to you and it should have the landlords name address on it....and I think phone number.
Don't quote me but I think it's law.

If the landlord was reasonable he'd have given you his details anyway.
Perhaps you need to move if the place is that bad ?

kitschkitty

We have the landlords contact details, but have never spoken to him, we have always dealt with the letting agent. If we could afford to move we might well have considered it, but if we wanted a nicer house in a remotely decent area we would have to pay a lot more rent (that we can't afford).

ormus

http://www.handymanknowhow.co.uk/plumbing/turningoffwater.htm

you should have a stopcock out in the street/pavement somewhere.
have a look at these piccys. and ask the neighbours.

iamcornholio

The landlords responsibility is to ensure a supply of water and not to ensure that there is a stop tap.

Taps are also a tenant responsibility

You need to either trace the cold water supply back to where it enters the property and hope to find a stop !!!!, or have the supply turned off in the street via the stop !!!! there. Then either fit a stop !!!! or at least fit a service valve to the hot and cold pipes under the sink, and this will then allow you to sort out the tap

Also consider fitting a surestop

diable

Phone the water board as they may be able to advise you where the mains cut off is located.

asbokid

kitschkitty wrote: »

OH looked outside the front door but said under the "stopcock cover" was just a 6 foot pit

The tap will be there. It's probably covered in debris or water.

Have you got one of these (for murdering your landlord) ?

BaldPlumber

iamcornholio wrote: »

Taps are also a tenant responsibility

Of course they are not. Total nonsense.