Seized Stopcock

SteveQ

We have an outdoors tap that needs replacing/servicing - which is dripping badly

It needs to be isolated from mains water - but the stopcock won't shut off the water supply totally

So - we need a replacement stopcock (situated in the kitchen (luckily not in  a cupboard and a new outside tap

What would be the expected cost of this work and how long should it take ?

Jeepers_Creepers

No idea, but it'll largely come down to how easy it is to shut off the water at the outside stopcock - do you know where it's located?

If it's easy to do that part, then swapping the two items is a 'blindfold' job for a plumber. 1 hour if all goes well, and unknown if it goes pear-shaped.

One thing I'd personally recommend - fit a full-bore lever ball valve in the kitchen instead of the same type of stopcock you have. This will (a) not seize and (b) can be shut off in a second in case of emergencies.

Browntoa

There's a lever on your water meter to isolate supply

oh_really

Get a pair of stillsons on your c0ck, I suspect you will close it.

AskAsk

if you can turn off the water outside the property then it is very simple and you would expect £100 for this work.  if you can't and need to freeze the water then it may escalate.

DiddyDavies

Browntoa said:

There's a lever on your water meter to isolate supply

Assuming that they are on a metered supply. I know that all new properties are metered and a lot of older ones but it's not guaranteed that the OP is.

oh_really said:

Get a pair of stillsons on your c0ck, I suspect you will close it.

Either that or they will shear the handle off and in the worst case scenario, cause a major and very expensive leak.

adonis

If you buy a new outside tap if yours is like this,

and prepare it by wrapping ptfe tape around the thread just turn the stopcock off as much as you can and unscrew the old one and screw the new one on with a bit of water coming out it shouldn't be too bad to do.

FreeBear

SteveQ said: So - we need a replacement stopcock (situated in the kitchen (luckily not in  a cupboard and a new outside tap

If you don't have an external stopcock somewhere between the house and road, contact your local water board - They will replace it free of charge and possibly fit a water meter at the same time.

oh_really

DiddyDavies said:

Browntoa said:

There's a lever on your water meter to isolate supply

Assuming that they are on a metered supply. I know that all new properties are metered and a lot of older ones but it's not guaranteed that the OP is.

oh_really said:

Get a pair of stillsons on your c0ck, I suspect you will close it.

Either that or they will shear the handle off and in the worst case scenario, cause a major and very expensive leak.

If extremely heavy handed or incompetent, perhaps. I've never had it happen or known it to happen (I used to work on the tools) with anyone.

I appreciate you are offering the op a heads up however I have every confidence they will avoid a crisis.

EssexExile

DiddyDavies said:

Browntoa said:

There's a lever on your water meter to isolate supply

Assuming that they are on a metered supply. I know that all new properties are metered and a lot of older ones but it's not guaranteed that the OP is.

No lever on our meter.

DiddyDavies

Have you double checked the feed pipe to the tap to make sure that there isn't an inline shut off valve for it?
A lot of outside taps have these so that it can be isolated during the winter to prevent it freezing up.