Stopcock for mains supply

billielouisea

Hi all, looking for a bit of help if possible - 

I own a flat (leasehold) in a block of 6, the building belonging to the local council. 

I am looking to have the bathroom redone but the plumber i have had out said that the stopcock for the mains needs to be located before any works can be completed. He has looked in the property and found a stop on the kitchen and one in the bathroom but told me these are not for the main supply into the flat. I have also had the water board out to look who found the same thing.

I contacted the local council to ask them to send me the location of the main stopcock and they have advsied that they do not know where this is and advsied us to have a plumber install one inside of our flat. 

2 questions - to install one we would need to switch off the mains supply so this is a catch 22 situation, unless i am missing something? also, wouldn't it be their reposibility to advise us of the location and provide access because it is not located inside of our property? 

Thanks!

Slithery

Switching off the mains supply isn't the only option.

If you can find where the supply comes into your property then this pipe can usually be frozen for enough time to cut it and install a master stopcock for just your flat.

Any decent plumber should be able to do this.

deannagone

Ask your neighbours maybe?  Although I must admit when I had the same problem within a maisonette block, no one knew where it was.  Fortunately we located a caretaker who had worked on the block for years, and he knew where it was.  Even more fortunate, when a neighbour had a torrent of water coming from a broken mains water pipe last week, I was able to locate her stop !!!!!! and turn the water supply off.  Ignoring the 'confident' male neighbour who tried to turn the gas supply off thinking it was the stop !!!!!! (the stop cocks are hidden in a back corner of the meter cupboard each property has)..

user1977

deannagone said:

Ask your neighbours maybe?  Although I must admit when I had the same problem within a maisonette block, no one knew where it was.  Fortunately we located a caretaker who had worked on the block for years, and he knew where it was.  Even more fortunate, when a neighbour had a torrent of water coming from a broken mains water pipe, I was able to locate her stop !!!!!! and turn the water supply off.  Ignoring the 'confident' male neighbour who tried to turn the gas supply off thinking it was the stop !!!!!! (the stop cocks are hidden in a back corner of the meter cupboard each property has)..

Is "!!!!!!" only censored here in the singular, but fine in the plural?

I'll make sure to insult other forum members collectively then, rather than individually...

fiveacre

If freezing isn't an option (due to not enough space etc.) there are also other ways to retrofit isolation valves without turning the mains off.

For example - https://www.toolstation.com/aladdin-easyfit-isolater-starter-pack/p90909 

theoretica

There are several possibilities - there may be a tap in the pavement outside the property, where the water enters the building, and where your pipes separate from your neighbours.  Which may be in a communal space, or may not.  I can shut my neighbour's water off from the comfort of my own home...

eddddy

billielouisea said:

I have also had the water board out to look who found the same thing.

I had a similar problem - the water company assumed the stop-tap had become buried somewhere, but had no idea where the mains pipe was, or where the stop-tap was.

• First, the water company sent out somebody with a electronic pipe detector - but that wouldn't work because of interference from underground mains cables.

• So next they sent out a gang with jack-hammers to drill a few holes in the pavement to look for the pipe / stop-tap. But they still couldn't find it.

• But then somebody I spoke to at the water company eventually suggested that they send a 'leak detection team' - even though there was no leak.

I turned on a tap, and they used 'listening sticks' to listen for underground flowing water to find the location of the pipe. They found the pipe and stop-tap within a few minutes. 

lookstraightahead

Our was conveniently boarded over with nails when we moved in 🙄. Took an age to find. 

penners324

The stop !!!!!! will be where your water meter is. They are usually the same

canaldurhone

penners324 said:

The stop !!!!!! will be where your water meter is. They are usually the same

assuming there is a meter of course....