Outside tap leak - cannot be isolated from house

veryintrigued

TIA for any advice

So after isolating at the house stop !!!!!! and trying to empty the system through the outside tap (which I was going to try and repair as it has a small leak through its threaded joint) Ive come to the conclusion that, after two hours of running the tap, the outside tap is not on the house stop !!!!!! leg.

The flow didn't reduce at all whilst the flow in the house stopped totally.

Is having the outside tap not covered by the internal stop !!!!!! normal??

It's a 20yr old extension.

veryintrigued

!!!! Has replaced c@ck in the post above

theoretica

I think plumbers pragmatically lead pipes from wherever is convenient.  Question is where does it actually come from and how can you shut it off - either tracking that pipe backwards to find something just for that tap, or looking to the street stop c.  Must have been shut off somehow for installation.

Andy_L

If you're confident of your ability to work swiftly & it being an easy repair (or at least being able to cap off the pipe if you can't) then freezing the pipe is an option

https://www.screwfix.com/p/arctic-products-pipe-freezing-kit-150ml/433fj

Ant555

veryintrigued said:

TIA for any advice

Is having the outside tap not covered by the internal stop !!!!!! normal??

Its not unheard of - my parents house has an outside tap that completely bypasses the stop clock (sic) and also the water meter.

Its now WELL insulated as one year it burst in freezing weather, and water was flowing unnoticed all over the patio for a good while before it froze again for a personal ice rink.

Andy_L

Are there any intriguing hatches/panels inside cupboards or on the floor in the house near the tap that could be hiding the stop c0ck?

Or an "powerswitch" (again hidden away) that doesn't seem to do anything that is actually a remote isolator?

veryintrigued

Thanks so far folks.

The (new to be us) house has a water meter so hoping there might be an isolation point there.

Nothing else obvious for the outside tap itself

Bendy_House

Is this 'normal'? No. Is it relatively common? That's prob a 'no' too.

But is it sometimes the case? You best yer bottom it is.

But, since you have a water meter, there will almost certainly also be a stopcock there too (see? you can say '!!!!!!' without it being censored...)

Cough

So, open up the lid over the SC, and have a peer inside. See that thingy beside the whatsit? Cool - turn it.

canaldumidi

As above, turn off the water at the meter. Check outside pipe. If it still flows you've hit the jackpot and have free water for life!

If it stops, fix the tap, and also fit an internediary stopcock of some type for future use, ideall inside if you can so you can turn it off in wonter and prevent freezing.