Clark Drain CD880 140mm x 115mm x 75mm Stop Tap Stopcock Cover/lid PVC Locking Surround Box

Product Information

If the mains up to the stop valve is made from lead you will need to use a special fitting to connect the old lead pipe to a short tail of copper before fitting the new stop valve. Carefully measure the size of the lead pipe and take these details with you to the plumbers merchant so that you can get the correct adaptor. Lead is toxic and relatively easily damaged so take care with it. Planning the New Stop Valve Position We all have a list of things to do around the home that we may or may not get round to. Filing paperwork, sorting out the linen cupboard and in all likelihood, testing your stop tap is on that list too. The problem is, while not being able to find a record of your accounts or your towels being in a mess might be annoying, failing to test your stop tap can be disastrous. A gravity or low-pressure system, when there is a tank in the loft that supplies the toilets and basins, will have the mains stop tap that supplies water to the kitchen sink, plus a stop tap coming out of the tank for the hot-water flow and for the cold-water flow too. This kit includes four things manufactured in polypropylene. The foundation, the shield pipe, the support collar and a surface box badged H20. The Stop Tap Install Kit was created with a base to match the large assortment different of 25mm and 32mm water stop taps; the service shield pipe is 150mm in diameter, and along with the support collar, has secure fixings for the Quad surface box (badged WATER). These kits have been supplied to most of the water utility companies in the UK for many years. All items available separately. Is my water company responsible for the mains water stop valve is a common question and one that the answer has recently changed. The water utility companies provide two main piped services to your home. The first is the delivery of fresh water. The second is the removal of waste water from both sewage and drainage. In the past it has been unclear as to who is responsible between the homeowner/landlords and the Utility Company for which of the piping and associated taps within each boundary. Very recently the government and utility companies have moved to clarify this as follows.

Important: if your home is on a shared water supply, turning the water off will also turn your neighbour’s off. Let them know before you start work. How to turn your water on using the outside stop valve If you’ve got a plumbing problem, you can find a Which? Trusted Traders endorsed plumber in your area. How many stop taps in your home? See our Which? Trusted traders’ tips on how to deal with a burst pipe. Prevention is better than cure If the T-bar handle is across the pipe, this should mean the mains are shut. If it’s in line with the pipe, the mains should be open.You can try gently using a spanner to get leverage, but it is easy to snap the spindle, at which point the stop tap will need replacing in its entirety. Mark cautioned: ‘Too much torque from a spanner can twist the spindle like toffee, as it’s made from brass.’ Depending on your system, you may have one or three stop taps in your home. If you have a high-pressure system – usually found in homes with combi-boilers or a mega-flow hot water tank, there will be one single stop tap that turns off water from the mains. If in doubt, call in a plumber who will advise you on whether it’s possible to fix it or replace it. You can find an endorsed plumber in your local area with Which? Trusted Traders. Can you turn off the water from the street?

If you’ve got a water-meter, there’ll be a modern plastic tap next to the meter. Mark says: ‘A modern water-meter comes with a plastic stop tap, which doesn’t corrode.’ In other words, it should work and is relatively simple to turn off by hand or a universal stop tap key (available from any hardware store) if it’s too deep to reach. You'll usually get to a point where you can’t turn it anymore. You shouldn’t use force to turn it further. Put the new compression nuts over the pipe ends and slide them along out of the way. Put a new olive on each pipe end and position the valve. You can use a little PTFE tape around the olives to ensure a good seal – not on the compression thread which is a fairly common mistake.In a home the inside stop tap is usually located under the kitchen sink, but can also be in an airing cupboard or under the floorboards near the front door. The external valve controls the flow from the water main that serves your street to the supply pipe into your house. WaterSafe plumber Colin Stainer shows you how to find and turn off your stop tap in our short video.

Without isolation valves or a working stop tap, your plumber may need to drain the entire system before making any repairs. This takes time and, as plumbers often charge by the hour, often means higher charges. On the plus side, once your system is drained, it’s a great opportunity to install new isolation valves or a new stop tap.The diagram below shows the typical pipework at most homes and who is responsible for maintaining it.