External Stop tap, Plumber not able to turn off external stop tap and Yorkshire Water won't help

[littlesparrow]

Thanks oldbuffer, very helpful.

 

[littlesparrow]

Thanks Opps, there did seem to be more than a trickle even when the internal stopcock was closed. It's one of those circular, steering wheel type stoppers. Plumber said something about it working on gravity?

 

[HERTS P&D]

Post a picture looking into the water meter, I have never found one that I coundn't turn off.

Andy

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Bit late now to help you but had a similar problem last year with an outside tap that had failed, was leaking moderately (a litre every hour or so) and causing damp in the wall it was mounted on, street stoptap was buried (looks like someone washed a concrete truck out nearby). Messaged Northumbrian water (emphasising the possible 3rd party property damage), they came out 2 days later & sorted the street stoptap. No charge.

 

[HERTS P&D]

I know of other plumbers removing the water meter, letting the water flow onto the pavement then fitting a new internal stop tap and then refitting the meter. They did get wet.

Andy

 

[opps]

Thanks Opps, there did seem to be more than a trickle even when the internal stopcock was closed. It's one of those circular, steering wheel type stoppers. Plumber said something about it working on gravity?

That sounds like a gate valve and not a mains stopcock.

A plumber can chime in, but I do not believe that they should be used for mains pressure water.

 

[ianmcd]

As above that is a gate valve and no such thing as gravity fed mains, you would be better posting a pic of the valve

 

[littlesparrow]

Here are pictures of what I thought was the internal stop tap & the outside meter/stop tap. Thanks again for your help.

 

[oldbuffer]

1. Looks like lead incoming pipe with a piece of copper sweated into it.
2. If that's the case I wouldn't freeze within a foot of the lead for fear of damaging that joint.
3. It is no longer permitted to sweat lead onto copper.
4. In any case, that would lead to a leak which, if the external stopcock isn't working, would be unstoppable.

 

[littlesparrow]

Thank you everyone for your help. Hoping the plumber who is coming tomorrow can turn off the external stop tap! Not sure what plan B will be after Oldbuffer's analysis, but trying not to think about it until I need to . Can't believe that Yorkshire Water are able to wash their hands of their side of the pipe network.

 

[Exedon]

That looks rather like one of Yorkshire water 'lift up' stop taps.
Bloody awful things regularly don't work they used to replace them under current system God knows !

 

[littlesparrow]

Oh dear. Let's hope tomorrow brings better news

 

[littlesparrow]

Thank you everyone for all your help. A very lovely plumber came this morning and managed to turn off the external stop tap. We are now the proud owners of a new proper internal stop tap and a new kitchen tap