Stop !!!! seized up help

Dom1n1c

Hi can anyone advise. I have an old house with lead pipes. The original stop !!!! is seized up. Can I just install another further along the pipe to avoid messing with the pipework.? If so how do I do this?
Just had a £800 water bill and can't check for leaks until stop tap works. No money so can't get plumber.... Help!

DCFC79

Dom1n1c wrote: »

Hi can anyone advise. I have an old house with lead pipes. The original stop !!!! is seized up. Can I just install another further along the pipe to avoid messing with the pipework.? If so how do I do this?
Just had a £800 water bill and can't check for leaks until stop tap works. No money so can't get plumber.... Help!

Why not ask a plumber if it can be done, they would be best placed to give advice since they can see it.

Dom1n1c

Hi was hoping to avoid plumber as don't want to pay anyone. They charge the earth round here it's awful.

spadoosh

If you cant afford a plumber i would strongly advise against doing something that you are asking others how to do. Lets say,you mess it up. Who is going to fix it?

spadoosh

Have you tried looking for an exterior stop tap?

Will look something like this...



Bear in mind it might be servicing more than your property.

bris

Problem you have is you will need to turn off the water at the main in the street picture above) because putting a new stop valve in live would flood the house in the blink of an eye.


But technically yes you can put another stop in further along, but you really need all that old lead pipe taken out.

DCFC79

Dom1n1c wrote: »

Hi was hoping to avoid plumber as don't want to pay anyone. They charge the earth round here it's awful.

Not even a neighbour, a friend or a friend of a friend.

Dom1n1c

Hi yes Ihave turned off the external mains supply before so that is no issue and only supplies my place. I have 15 mm pipe cutter and new stop tap and am aiming to place it further along on the copper pipe using compression fit.
I m also aware I will need to drain the excess off, the original stop tap has a drain off valve, is it just a matter of attaching a hose and getting off the excess? Will this cause any issues ie do I need to turn boiler and hot water off etc.
I am determined to do this myself. I am quite practical having just replaced the bearings on my washer dryer saving myself hundreds and it required dismantling and re assembling the entire machine.
I have deep pockets and short arms so will be attempting myself.
Can anyone advise on the draining of the excess..

spadoosh

Well you clearly have some skills, turning lead in to copper is remarkable.

Good luck with your DIY.

In case you dont know, most home insurance policies dont cover damage caused by diy, might be worth looking at before you start any work.

Ruski

If your stopcock has seized I doubt very much that the drainoff would work either - or at least not close properly afterwards.

Drain off as much as you can from the nearest tap, and open up the furthest away that mains fed, this will allow the vacuum to break and empty the pipework.

Cutting in a new stopcock on a 15mm copper pipe is a straightforward task, but also consider another drainoff too for the reasons above.

FYI Spadoosh - Lead often converts to copper at the stopcock.


HTH

Russ

Niv

Before you install new stop 'tap' have you tried penetrant spray on the seized one? This has worked for me in the past.