Street Stop Tap

[Kewat66]

Hi All,
i am looking for clarification on the problem of a seized street stop tap. I have a customer with an internal leaking stop tap that needs replacing. There is no room and no way of isolating the water supply to this other than by switching the water of in the street. I have had my long stop tap key on this but it is not for moving and I don't want to use to much force as I have always believed that this was the property of the water company.
We have contacted them and the girl on the phone said they no longer maintain older mains pipes and to try to freeze and squeeze the pipe?
Not sure she really understands what we are trying to do but am I correct in thinking the stop tap in the street on mains pipes up to the property boundary is the water companies responsibility?
thanks
kewat66

 

[snowhead]

Ring them again, it's theirs.

Hopefully you'll get someone to help instead of just speaking to their cleaner.

 

[Masood]

Yep, as snowhead says, it is their responsibility. They will come out to replace it but it might take a few days.

If you tell them that there is water leaking in to the foundations, causing damp and that they will be held liable in an insurance claim as they failed to repair their infrastructure, they will be a lot quicker. I had a similar thing last year...

 

[plumben]

Use as much force as possible and break it open so theres a fountain in the street, they'll soon come and fix it
from the property boundry onto your property is your responsibility everything outside of that is theres

 

[brum]

Hi there plumben is correct they will respond and fit new outside main stoptap free of charge done a bit with Severn Trent Water back in nineties (fitting internal meters)..brum

 

[Ermintrude]

We call with uncontrolled escape. Rapide!!!

 

[kris]

Yeh its defo the water boards responsability kewat, but looking at the water key again is there any way you can get a short scaff pole onto it,,,, as ive had a couple of woppers in my time that ive struggled to open but that extra bit of leverage can do the trick ,,,, Also if it was to break then your still in same situation u started in lol,

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

if you cant move leave it and wait for water board to come out to replace it. had cust who was trying to shut outside stopcock and they have unscrewed valve top and caused massive leak on the street and had to call water supplier do emergency digging as they couldnt stop it either. (be honest it was bit funny at that time, water gushing everywhere, just because i told them to not to touch it)

 

[Centralheatking]

I have had loads of gushers - when the guts of the valve unscrew cause its
all siezed inside the valve body. My best one in Bath was over70 ft high - then I closed
the A4 at Corsham the next day on one sidefor a whole weekend

wessex water boys loved me for the overtime that weekend -often abit of
engine oil or hydraulic fluid left on the top after all the rubbish sand soil etc is cleared
overnight does the trick

centralheatking

 

[lame plumber]

dropping the cover onto the plastic meter connection is amusing as well, I now have spares given to me to do my own repair in future if they are busy, saves hanging around

 

[brum]

Phone the water company and when girl answers ask if you can speak to a man ..brum

 

[Chris F]

I had one where the tap in the flat was leaking, the one in the path outside the flat was siezed. Severn trent said it was still on the HA property so I had to dig it all out :-(

 

[AWheating]

they should still be able to isolate the supply for you on there side if needed, if theres no isolation on there side then tell them to fit one or turn the road off. If they still are unhelpful find and sever the water main and hide.