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[Rods2]

I went to turn off the mains water this evening to replace the cold tank ball valve and the valve was seized, so I put a block of wood between it and the kitchen cupboard and applied a bit of leverage and the stopcock top joint came off the feed pipe. Tried undoing the top connection and olive and putting it back together while getting soaked, but the pressure was too strong. 

The spanner to turn to stopcock in the road is in the garage somewhere. A quick look and I can't see it anywhere. 

Grabbed socket set thinking that will do, called at next door neighbours to see if he the road stopcock spanner to hand and no, so went into the road, where fortunately the water mains pipes and all of the valves have been replaced over the last month and found it is a plastic valve you can turn off by hand. 

By this time I had about 0.5" flood in the kitchen, 0.25" in lounge dining room and about the same in the utility room and running under the connecting door into the garage. 

Fortunately, the kitchen has a lino floor, the utility room ceramic tiles and the lounge dining room also has ceramic tiles with rugs (continental style), with only the edges of the rugs slightly wet, a wet dogs bed, so all cleared up with a couple of hours of mopping. It could have been far worse. 

I took the internal stopcock off but it is seized solid, put it all back together and I will get a new valve tomorrow.

An important lesson is make sure you know where your stop valve is in the road and have a suitable spanner to hand, if required, before you start any plumbing. 

[Sir Tigger KC]

Hope your not on a water meter Rods?     

[dbug]

Always worth turning the mains stopcock on/off a few times once every 6 months

[Varche]

Ah the joys of plumbing

[pauls]

This is why I always call a plumber.

[joff]

Turn it off at the meter first if you have one. I was always told (when i was in the Navy) when you have opened a vavle fully (stop cock) always close by 1/2 a turn to prevent it sticking (ie: after 6 mths when you go to close/shut the valve it will be stuck open as in your case). To late now but maybe in the future.

[The Red Baron]

Turn it off at the meter first if you have one. I was always told (when i was in the Navy) when you have opened a vavle fully (stop cock) always close by 1/2 a turn to prevent it sticking (ie: after 6 mths when you go to close/shut the valve it will be stuck open as in your case). To late now but maybe in the future.

correct, open fully then turn back 1/4-1/2 turn. 

[Steve B]

That will be 3/8 of a turn then

[cem_devecioglu]

for those occasions thats the best I think


http://birlikticaretistoc.com/?products=vileda-pratik-paspas

[Andy B]

Turn it off at the meter first if you have one. I was always told (when i was in the Navy) when you have opened a vavle fully (stop cock) always close by 1/2 a turn to prevent it sticking (ie: after 6 mths when you go to close/shut the valve it will be stuck open as in your case). To late now but maybe in the future.

I still do that now ...... I wish they would do the same at work. 

[Rods2]

Turn it off at the meter first if you have one. I was always told (when i was in the Navy) when you have opened a vavle fully (stop cock) always close by 1/2 a turn to prevent it sticking (ie: after 6 mths when you go to close/shut the valve it will be stuck open as in your case). To late now but maybe in the future.

I always turn it back 1/2 turn, my dad taught me that as a child.

In this case the tread is well a truly seized. Managed to get it to turn about one turn by taking the valve to pieces and putting the arm in a vice and turning with a spanner, but didn't want to risk tearing the thread and it leaking. 

The problem is not turning it on and off every 6 months as it is probably over 5 years since I last needed to turn it off.