Water leak help

elsien

This is going to have to be very general for now, because I’m not at the property in question.
Parent has a leak in the bathroom. Water shooting outside through the toilet overflow, and also coming out of the pipe that feeds the cistern. She thinks it’s a ballcock problem but said that lifting the ball !!!!!! up as high as it goes won’t stop it.
She’s tried turning the water off at the mains but can’t manage to turn the stopcock all the way off. I’ve dissuaded her from taking a wrench to it just because I’m worried that might cause more problems than it solves.
It wouldn’t normally be a massive issue because of a bucket underneath it that needs emptying every few hours but she’s meant to be going away for the weekend tomorrow.
I realise without seeing the set up no one can really give any proper answers. I’m just wondering what we can do to the stopcock that’s not going to break anything and cause an even worse flood?  She said she’s oiled it, but it might be WD-40 rather than oil. I can’t get round there till the morning.
Obviously she left it till 7 o’clock this evening to tell me rather than first thing this morning which is slightly exasperating.

mi-key

They should have a main stopcock out in the street. if its a modern one it will be under a smal metal flap cover, and just has a plastic tap that you can turn.

If she doesn't know where it is, or its the old style you need a stopcock key to turn, can she ask a neighbour for help?

It does sound like the ballcock valve has either stuck open or failed. If she looks at the end of the ballcock arm there should be a plastic plunger the arm engages that goes into the valve. Try pressing this multiple times to see if it frees up and stops the water.

MikeJXE

If she can turn the stop !!!!!! off at all tell her to turn it on and off repeatedly and it might eventually shut off completely 

elsien

mi-key said:

They should have a main stopcock out in the street. if its a modern one it will be under a smal metal flap cover, and just has a plastic tap that you can turn.

If she doesn't know where it is, or its the old style you need a stopcock key to turn, can she ask a neighbour for help?

It does sound like the ballcock valve has either stuck open or failed. If she looks at the end of the ballcock arm there should be a plastic plunger the arm engages that goes into the valve. Try pressing this multiple times to see if it frees up and stops the water.

30s semi and no water meter so she wouldn’t have a clue about the street main, 

mi-key

elsien said:

mi-key said:

They should have a main stopcock out in the street. if its a modern one it will be under a smal metal flap cover, and just has a plastic tap that you can turn.

If she doesn't know where it is, or its the old style you need a stopcock key to turn, can she ask a neighbour for help?

It does sound like the ballcock valve has either stuck open or failed. If she looks at the end of the ballcock arm there should be a plastic plunger the arm engages that goes into the valve. Try pressing this multiple times to see if it frees up and stops the water.

30s semi and no water meter so she wouldn’t have a clue about the street main, 

Ah ok, it should still have a street stopcock out there probably on the pavement under a cover. That is the easiest way to turn it off for now. It could be the internal stopcock is just very stiff, but you don't want to force it as it could damage the pipe connected to it if it twists !

elsien

That’s why I banned her from attacking it with a wrench which was her next plan.

mi-key

Might be worth contacting her water supplier  if she cant find a friendly neighbour to see if they can send someone out to turn it off at the street. At least you know its safe then until you can get there and look at it

Jonboy_1984

Does she have a cold water tank that feeds it, and if so does it have a separate stopcock on the pipe out the bottom?

(or failing that if there is one in the supply into said cold water tank, she could turn that off and then drain the cold tank through the bath taps etc.)

anselld

Probably stating the obvious but has she checked for an isolation valve local to the toilet fill valve, the small screwdriver type, below where the pipe comes into the toilet?

elsien

No cold water tank.
I did ask her about isolating the toilet and she doesn’t think there is an isolation valve but I’ll suggest she has another look as I think she was presuming rather than checking. 

propertyrental

The outside stopcock will be under a (probably) circular cover in the pavement, often marked with a 'W'. Might need a screwdriver or similar just to lever it up. If the stopcock is the old style, deep down, probably need a long stopcock key which she won't have (but neighbours might). If modern it will be a white plastic tap that just turns a quarter turn for off.

WD40 is ideal to loosen the internal one. Try turning it back and forth a few times, then more WD40 and leave for 15 minutes, then repeat to loosen it and that might get it right off.

If the ballcock in the cistern is the type with an orange ball, look at the opposite end to the ball where it joins the mechanism. As the ball rises, it pushes in a small plug and this stops the water. Try checking the pole from the ball is aligned with the plug and pushing it right in.