Do I have two stopcocks

[rubyriley]

Hi, my house was built in the 80's and I'm trying to change a pair of taps in my downstairs w.c. I've found the stopcock under the kitchen sink, and when I turn the water off, then try to drain the pipes, all cold water taps run dry except for the bath tap. though the bathroom sink one runs dry. I don't know why I'm thinking the answer is probably obvious but I haven't a clue. I have a power shower, does this make a difference to the water supply to the bathroom? Is it usual to have more than one stopcock? Left the tap running for five minutes but it doesn't seem to be losing its pressure. Surely it's a simple task, changing a tap! I'm a complete novice, can anybody help??

 

[JohnD]

if you turn off the water main, those taps that run dry are fed from the main. those that don't are fed from a tank, usually in the loft.

depending on when your house was built, and what part of the country, bathroom taps are often fed from a tank. This is especially common in London.

If you have a power shower or mixer shower it will (should) be supplied from the tank.

the tank will hold about a bathful of water so will take a long time to empty through a basin tap. plumbers like to call the tank a Cold Water Cistern (CWC) but almost nobody else does.

Kitchen cold taps are fed from the mains supply.

 

[rubyriley]

Ah, thank you, that's a big help So, if I keep running the tap it'll eventually run dry. I'll try again tomorrow, when there's more daylight hours left. Thinking it'll take me a whole afternoon to do it; it's a learning curve but I'm willing to have a go. May post again tomorrow if it all goes horribly wrong Thanks again.

 

[JohnD]

run the bath taps.

if you tie up the ball-cock float beforehand, you will partially drain it in normal use.

 

[rubyriley]

Ok, good idea, thanks. And what a great website

 

[gas_man_gaz]

or if ya put a bung in the feed from ya tank it'll take 5min!

 

[rubyriley]

No idea what that means but no doubt it works. I can just about tie up the ballcock float but anything more technical and I'll have to call a plumber It seems plumbers are in short supply cause they're all on their laptops.......

 

[Goldspoon]

 

[Goldspoon]

Basically instead of draining the tank you can seal the hole where the water leaves the tank (with a bung)... then all you drain is the water from the tank downwards... that's what he means

 

[gas_man_gaz]

he's rite

 

[rubyriley]

Oh, ok, thank you. Problem is, the loft is dusty, dark and the entrance hole uninviting and requires a ladder. I don't have a torch and I'm not great at heights. So maybe easier (even though on a water meter and trying to be ecological) to turn the tap on and drain the cold water tank. And that's supposedly the easy bit. Not looking forward to changing the taps Actually, the help on this website is amazing and thanks to all who've contributed.

 

[kirkgas]

there may be a valve outside the loft somewhere to turn off the cold supply to the bathroom, depending on position of pipe as it comes out of the loft, into airing cupboard with hot water cyliner perhaps, or sometimes into the bathroom itself, you never know

 

[Bambergaspipe]

Ok, good idea, thanks. And what a great website

Yeah, just don`t ask him about condensation on your toilet cistern