Shutting off neighbours water

jonnygee2

Okay, so, perhaps a strange question here.

I have recently bought an ex-council flat. One thing that needs doing quite desperately is that there is a hot water tank that needs replacing (it is very badly corroded in several places).

The hot water comes from a communal system. The piping that comes through to my flat also goes through to my neighbours house and to get the work done, the plumbers need to shut off the valve which will stop my neighbours water supply. The work will take several days, but I have requested the plumber first fits a new valve higher up so that we can isolate my own system and allow the neighbours water. It should only take a few hours, if that.

I knocked on my neighbours door, who I've previously only spoken to once when I brought them a card over when I was moving in, to ask when was convenient for them for me to do this. They made it extremely clear they would not be agreeing to this and threatened to call the police and the council if i tried to shut off their water for any length of time at all, which they said is a 'human right!' :mad: . They even knocked on my door again several hours later just to remind me how they would react if their water got shut off and that I would be violating their 'human rights'.

I obviously feel they are being unreasonable. I don't want a bad relationship with them, but I really do need to replace this tank before it springs a leak.

Can I just tell them when it's happening and shut it off anyway? What can they actually do about it?

ProDave

Does the neighbour go out to work? if so that is the time to shut it off, install the valve, turn it back on, and he will never know.

If the police are called and find a plumber fixing a leak, your neighbour will be on a charge of wasting police time.

Doozergirl

Agree. If they go to work or if there is a routine then it could happen without them knowing.

Otherwise you just do it. You gave them a choice. It doesn't sound like they're going to be your best friends.

Being without water for a little while in the middle of the day isn't all that bad. A few jugs in the fridge or a pack of bottled water is fine.

A bucket of water for any toilet emergencies but letting it mellow for a bit isn't the end of the world.

Commiserations on your mew neighbours.

G_M

Your difficulty will be if they don't (all) work so are around during the day-time.



I agree with ProDave that the police would take a very dim view if they were called out about this (ad might well bring charges for 'wasting police time') but even if they didn't do this I can foresee unpleasantness on the doorstep....


As for 'human rights':
:rotfl:
Some people simply have no idea!

jonnygee2

Your difficulty will be if they don't (all) work so are around during the day-time.

There are two people in the household who, as far as I understand, do not work and are in all day.

I can foresee unpleasantness on the doorstep....

Maybe I should just hire the largest plumbers I can find???

I suppose as long as the police won't be interested, there's nothing else they can do? The council are the leaseholders but I can't think of any action they could take other than sending a letter (which would probably arrive several months later anyway!)

G_M

I've just re-read your post.

an ex-council flat. One thing that needs doing quite desperately is that there is a hot water tank that needs replacing (it is very badly corroded in several places).

The hot water comes from a communal system. The piping that comes through to my flat also goes through to my neighbours house

It doesn't sound to me as if the tank is yours to replace!
The tank is not in your flat.
It is a shared tank.
It is a communal system.


Surely it is the freeholder's responsibility? Indeed, if you start messing with it you might be in hot water (pun intended!). Just as it would be for the freeholder to fix the roof, redecorate the communal hallway...


What does your lease say?
How did it come about that you felt you should replace the tank?

jonnygee2

It doesn't sound to me as if the tank is yours to replace!
The tank is not in your flat.
It is a shared tank.
It is a communal system.

Sorry, it's a bit of a complex system, but the tank is in my flat. There's a communal boiler that feeds the flats, but each flat also has a hot water tank inside it fed by the main boiler. The pipework in question comes from the boiler, and on my bottom floor (it's two storeys) it splits out - two pipes run to my neighbours and one runs to my hot water tank.

The valve currently sits just below where the pipes split out.

hazyjo

Their water won't immediately disappear if you turn it off. Should even be enough to flush a loo. Doubt they would even notice unless they're about to run a bath or run a bowl of water.

I would be tempted to just go ahead and lie if they come knocking saying you have an emergency plumber cos of a water leak, which prob isn't far off the truth.

eddddy

jonnygee2 wrote: »

Sorry, it's a bit of a complex system, but the tank is in my flat. There's a communal boiler that feeds the flats, but each flat also has a hot water tank inside it fed by the main boiler. The pipework in question comes from the boiler, and on my bottom floor (it's two storeys) it splits out - two pipes run to my neighbours and one runs to my hot water tank.

The valve currently sits just below where the pipes split out.

I guess you mean that you have an indirect hot water tanks (or cylinders) in your flats. The water in the tanks is heated by the hot-water from the communal boiler.

So your neighbour will not be without water during the work. They will have a tank of hot water, but if they use it all, the water from the hot tap will eventually run cold.


But - in order to fit a new valve, you plumber will have to drain part of the system.

Is your plumber sure that he can achieve that without getting air into any of your neighbour's pipework? If air gets into your neighbour's pipework, your plumber will need to get into your neighbours flat to bleed their pipes.


TBH, I would discuss all this with your freeholder (the council) first.

I'd guess things could go badly wrong if your plumber drains part of a communal heating system. It may not refill correctly, air locks might move around the system, the system pressure might drop...

eddddy

hazyjo wrote: »

Their water won't immediately disappear if you turn it off. Should even be enough to flush a loo. Doubt they would even notice unless they're about to run a bath or run a bowl of water.

As I say above, I don't think the water supply will be turned off.

It will just be the hot water from the boiler that's turned off. (So it would be like if you switched off the boiler in a regular house/flat.)

You would still have a whole tank of hot water to use up - before the hot taps started running cold.

And the cold water taps (and toilet) would not be affected in any way.

jonnygee2

TBH, I would discuss all this with your freeholder (the council) first.

I'd guess things could go badly wrong if your plumber drains part of a communal heating system. It may not refill correctly, air locks might move around the system, the system pressure might drop...

I didn't realise this was a risk. Thanks for the advice. I will phone the council.