Outside stop cock(tap?)

[smellynose]

Hi,

We've just bought a new house and the water isn't flowing through.

I called United Utilities and they are coming on Monday.

I've looked at the outside stop tap and (I'm not a plumber) it has a meter on the right and a silver bit of plastic with a screw through it which goes into something underneath it. I thought if I turned the silver thing counter-clockwise then the water would turn on, but it eventually just came off.

I can't see much further down because it's murky water about 4 inches underneath the silver thing.

There are two plastic 'keys' with a little horizontal handle at the top and a circlular bit at the bottom.

How do I turn the water on? Is the silver thing the handle to turn the water on or is it something else?

We're with United Utilities in the North West.


Thanks

 

[doitall]

A pic would be a good idea.

Are you sure it's turned off and not just a stuck washer inside the house.

 

[smellynose]

 

[dextrous]

Don't suppose there's another cover in the pavement nearby?

 

[doitall]

The plastic thingy fits in the hex hole where that phillips screw is.

Try a 1/4 turn anti clockwise.

 

[smellynose]

The plastic thingy fits in the hex hole where that phillips screw is.

Try a 1/4 turn anti clockwise.

That's what I thought. After putting it in and turning it nothing happens, but water tap is on in house so not sure what it could be now.

The silver hex hole lark turns lots, should it do that? Just screws in and out it seems.

Thanks for your help

 

[doitall]

Lift the flat, is the meter going round.

 

[smellynose]

Lift the flat, is the meter going round.

Nope, doesn't look like it.

Should I screw the screw as far down as it will go then try and turn it or not?

Not sure how the silver thing is supposed to feel, and/or whether it should only move a little bit.

Was hoping it would be easy and it would just come on so I didn't have to wait til Monday for UU

 

[dextrous]

So no other manhole cover nearby which may contain the stopcock to your meter and beyond then?

 

[JohnD]

We've just bought a new house and the water isn't flowing through.

Ask the vendors. Perhaps they turned it off somewhere.

 

[dom2466]

i work for Northumbrian Water in the North UK.

we installed theses stop tap boxes (Atplas Boxes), these boxes are hard to turn on as the key slips etc when turning. the silver screw does nothing. it simply attaches the tap head workings of the box.

have you turned you internal stop tap on ?

turn the interal stop tap up and down, turn you cold water tap on. it could be a blockage behind you internal stop tap. hopefully the water should flow through the cold water tap.

 

[bigbird23]

the plastic thing is the key to turn of the water they can be stiff just work it back and forward