basic plumbing advice

[woodford]

afternoon all,

I'm installing a kitchen for the first time and have struggled with the electrics and am now attempting the plumbing.

Does anybody know a good book for general advice on plumbing. I'm putting in a new sink and taps, but the existing pipework do not have isolating valves, therefore I need to shut the main stop cock off.

My questions are

i) will I have problems with my combi boiler when I turn the water off or does it have a fail safe for when pressures drop?
ii) if I got a plumber in to do this work(if I chickened out), does anymore know a ball-park figure they may charge?
iii) there are alot of cheap taps on ebay. Does anybody know if they are any good? I don't want to buy cheap only to have to buy expensive later if they are sh*te.

any advice help, greatly appreciated

Michael.

 

[kevplumb]

i) will I have problems with my combi boiler when I turn the water off or does it have a fail safe for when pressures drop?

unless you drain the heating the pressure won't drop

 

[loafer]

are you gonna move or install additional radiators??? If you do you may have to drain down the central heating in order to extend reallign the pipework and ensure that your boiler has the capacity for any additional rads.
Shouldnt be beyond your capabilities if your general handiwork is good.

Try ur best not too get any debris in your pipes as this will clog the wire gauze filters on your taps and dont forget to make sure that supplementary earth bonding is run from copper near taps wash mac valves etc to consumer unit.

old fashioned taps have a washer in em; new posh taps usually employ ceramic discs and are generally maintenance free, but pricier. are you gonna install a kitchen sink with twin tap holes or are ya gonna get 1 for a monobloc tap?

shop around is my advice.

Good luck!

 

[woodford]

I had thought of moving one rad but was going to start easy by doing the taps first.

Just found another problem now, stuck fast stop cock so can't get main down.

Would turn off in steet, but in flats and neighbours may complain if I break shut the outside stop cock.

Looking at a monobloc tap, got a bargain sink with one hole.

Thought if i can get the water off for long enough for me to install two isolating valves to the sink I'd be at my leasure to put the rest of the cabinets in. Anyone used the freezing method so I wouldn't have to shut off the main supply?

 

[MANDATE]

If your stop cock is stuck. First remember it will be in the open position so don't try turning anti clockwise. Secondly you could try removing the gland nut and applying WD 40. I think it is the gland packing material gripping the spindle that is the main cause of the problem.
You could consider removing some of the material and repacking after closing the stop cock
If you have access to the street stop cock I should try reaching down and see if it will close by hand. or try a key .If you can close it easily,you wouldn't need it off for that long to repair the inside stop cock, you should let your neighbours know if your'e turning the water off.

 

[loafer]

regularly exercise your stop cock once you get it up n running smoothly by turning off n on 3 or 4 times a year just dont crank over eagerly to fully shut or open and it shouldnt jam.... theoretically.
give your neighbours plenty of notice and dont attenp to fix the iso valves on a sunday when they all want to wash their cars, try and choose a least inconvenient time.... or they'll nail roadkill to your door if your neighbours are anything like mine
dont 4get to take the opportunity to flush and or desludge and put in new inhibitor when you move the rad...

 

[woodford]

Thanks all for your comments,

looks like I'll try the stop cock again and then the outside one at 3 in the morning to not upset my neighbours.

Hopefully won't flood the whole place!

 

[woodford]

Thanks everyone for your help. Installed two isolating valaves to the two pipes to my sink this weekend with minimal effort.

Sooooooooo happy the stopcock inside worked after some effort. Now getting on with installing the rest of the kitchen....