stopcock Isolation for a new shower

[Lorfy]

Hi,

I've just registered here today so hi to everyone, i would like some advice and primarily i know the obvious answer would be to get a plumber in as all you guys are specialists but i'm pretty tight for money at the moment and wanted to evaluate the job myself.

I need to change a shower mixer thermostat.

I've taken some photos below. I'm assuming that the 3 pipes coming down, the left one (Mainly copper part) is a cold feed into the boiler. The middle one is the hot coming from the boiler then the third one is another cold feed.

The photo showing the stop cocks. Am i right in assuming that turning both of these off will isolate the water. however the feed on the left which is the one coming out of the boiler does not seem to have a stopcock. Am i correct in thinking that if i isolate the stop cocks and drain the boiler this will then isolate all water and i can start work on changing the shower?

My only other issues is the stopcock has seized and i've tried WD40 all week. is there any suggestions for this? and whoever installed the shower the first time has plastered it into the wall!

Apart from outside the house which turns of more then just our house there does not appear to be any other stopcock that isolates the water supplies all in one. There are ones downstairs that do the kitchen, ones on the basin but if i turn all of these off the shower and bath still run water.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

thank you all

Cris

 

[dancinplumba]

hi and welcome lorf,
is that a pump? think you need to get a pro in, that pump is not piped up properly
imo

 

[Lorfy]

HI Dancinplumba,

Yes it is a pump, what seems to be the issue?

Many thanks for your response.

Cris

 

[dancinplumba]

Hi cris, is it for shower ?
it doesnt appear to have its own feed from cws and feed from hwc will/can cause cavitation also no isolators.
if it did have iso's you could isolate supply to shower.

 

[folwlerg68]

hi, looking at that photo i would be more concerned with electrocuting myself, there is no cover on your immersion heater,very dangerous!

 

[Lorfy]

Hi Folwlerg

i had taken the cover off for the photo as i was also asking a question about the immersion heater on another post - Don't worry cover is back on and safe!

 

[Lorfy]

Hi cris, is it for shower ?
it doesnt appear to have its own feed from cws and feed from hwc will/can cause cavitation also no isolators.
if it did have iso's you could isolate supply to shower.

Thanks for the feedback, so where exactly should the new stop cocks be placed coming into the pump or away from the pump?

Cheers

Cris

 

[dancinplumba]

Thanks for the feedback, so where exactly should the new stop cocks be placed coming into the pump or away from the pump?

Cheers

Cris

before the pump then you can isolate both

 

[folwlerg68]

hi.if you want to find out which valves are for you shower run your shower and try turning of the stop taps in the picture you have supplied .[clockwise to close] if flow stops youve got your answer,but make sure you turn taps straight back on or you will run your pump dry and bust it, hope this helps.

 

[Lorfy]

Final question for the evening i promise, approximately how much would it cost to get the stopcock working or/and installing 2 new stop cocks to the pump which would then leave me to replace the shower mixer myself? Or if you think i would just require the stop cocks to the pumps, how much would this be again approx.

Cheers Dancinplumba

Crispian

 

[dancinplumba]

thats a good one, depends on plumber, a good one would be able to do put new ones in live, whats wrong with valve any way ?

 

[Lorfy]

The valve just does not turn either way and seized. I've tried WD40 & 3 in one and the other valve (from the photo in first post) just turns and keep on turning so i'm unable to decipher or isolate at the moment so start work on changing the shower.

 

[dancinplumba]

no i mean shower valve !!

 

[Lorfy]

Oh, It has been leaking and its and old B&Q shower with no parts available, i took some parts out and put them on the side and the loving wife threw them away. It works okay put leaks out the valve luckily onto the bath, but just annoying.

 

[ecowarm]

"i took some parts out and put them on the side and the loving wife threw them away." don't you just love 'em, rad vent key goes missing every time the washing machine goes on! I have not seen it she say's

 

[Lorfy]

I know,then apparently its my fault that the shower has not been fixed yet! ha ha

 

[REDSAW]

hi cris,

nice plumbing....