Surestop stopcock

westy23

Good morning
We are having a kitchen refurb and while the base units are out I was
Thinking of replacing our troublesome brass stopcock with one of these http://www.surestop.co.uk/data_docs/Consumer%20final%20Aug%2018%202011.pdf
Has anyone had one installed and are they worth it or should I just have a new brass stopcock installed?
Thanks.

Mojisola

We've got one - not to replace the stopcock but because it's in an awkward place to reach quickly.

The only issue we've had is that we now have a bang in the pipes whenever a tap is turned off. We've played about with the pressure and have reduced the noise but can't eliminate it completely. The plumber thought it was to do with the design of the SureStop.

I'll be interested to see if you get other comments about it.

ic

Is such a thing really necessary? Once a pipes has leaked, say for hours whilst you were out or asleep, will the few seconds saved in pressing this button versus reaching to the back of a cupboard make much of a difference to the damage caused?

Biggles

My old brass stopcock is stiff and hard to reach but I find the plastic(?) tap on the water meter is much easier and more positive, and was installed free.

Mojisola

ic wrote: »

Is such a thing really necessary? Once a pipes has leaked, say for hours whilst you were out or asleep, will the few seconds saved in pressing this button versus reaching to the back of a cupboard make much of a difference to the damage caused?

Someone puts a nail through a water pipe under the floorboards - would I rather
a) move a big fridge, lie on the floor and reach into a small hole and try to move a stopcock that hasn't been turned for a couple of years
or
b) press a switch.

-taff

I assume it's an automatic valve. If it is, and you live in a hard water area, it will eventually scale over the same as any other stopcock. You can add another tap to the stopcock line a bit further on if its difficult to reach.

I just had to replace a brass one that wouldn't stop leaking [hard water area, tap stopped working] I got very wet, but I am impressed with the plastic pushfit one so far. So much so that I bought another one to fix on a separate line.

Prothet_of_Doom

http://www.plumbase.com/tprod95082/section1953/comap-lever-ballvlv-cu-x-cu-15mm-c.html

I re-routed my mains water supply because it is behind the freezer, so that is comes under the sink, where I have 5 of these fitted.

1 on the incoming water supply.
1 on the mains supply to the sink,
1 on the mains supply to the garden (I turn the supply off in winter and open the garden tap to prevent it freezing)
1 to on the mains supply which is now heading for the loft
1 to the hot tap.

This means I can replace tap washers or the whole sink, without turning off the rest of the house, or I can turn off the rest of the house and still get water to the kitchen sink.

Because they are are simple design they do not fur up, and a 90degree movement of the lever is all they need.

Also have 2 on supply to washing machine (hot no longer in use), 2 under the bathroom sink, 2 under the bath, and 2 next to the toilet, and 1 in the loft.

AndyPK

no just fit a normal one.

Waste of money & electricity.

If you have a power cut, probably means to have no water supply either.

Mojisola

Ours isn't electric.

the_matrix

I would install a proper stopcock somewhere that is more easily accessible. These things are expensive and not worth the money IMO.

Mojisola

You have to have a proper stopcock as well.