stopcock won't turn off!!!!!! :(

[jamesd2008]

what do i do !!! i have noticed today my float valve in my cold water cistern in the loft is dripping, and it is quite annoying, especially at night! so i want to change it-i have done this before in a wc cistern and know how to do it-the problem is!!! there is no service valve just before my rising main enters the cistern and my main stopcock will NOT turn off!!! it is so stiff!! It is lead from beyond the stopcock. I have gtried force (i am quite strong) but it will not budge!! what can i do ....

 

[muggles]

There will be a stopcock in the road somewhere for your house, use that. If it's an old one it might be quite a long way down and the hole might be full of mud, so be prepared to do some digging. If that's also siezed then contact your water board, as that one's their responsibility and they will come out and free it up or replace it for you for nothing.

 

[jamesd2008]

oh thanks, i will try that. to be honest if its stiff i wont use too much force incase i damage it!! then they'll prob charge me!! do i need a special tool for operating this as its so far down??!!!

 

[Watchmaker]

When you do get the water turned off, ie, from the main stopcock outside your property, it's a good idea to fit another stopcock on the rising main, just after your old, immovable stopcock. In this way you can leave the old, lead jointed unit, in the open position and, in future, if you need the water turned off in the house, the second stopcock will be much easier to use and maintain. Presumably, inside the house, the main is copper or plastic and a secondary stopcock is quite easy to fit

 

[blondini]

Not a long term solution, but it costs nothing. If you turn every cold tap in the house fully on, it may drop the pressure enough to starve the feed to the loft and allow you to work on the ballcock. Just make sure no-one in the house will 'accidentally' turn the running taps off.

 

[ChrisR]

YOur seized stopcock:
Try: undo the gland nut. If it won't move, pour descaler all over it. Warm it with a blowlamp. Expet to use a say 4 to eight inch spanner on the shaft to get it to turn

If when you've finished the gland seal leaks, put a couple of turns of twisted ptfe tape in.

 

[rob8506]

Had a similar problem, advice as above find outside stockcock.

I was luck removed valve and tap from a new stop cock and screwed into the old body.

Rob