stop tap

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

The box hedge at the side of my drive has been infested with the caterpillar, so it had to go. I want to get the roots ground out, but thought I’d better check where the water pipe is first. I know where it comes up in the garage, and I dug the trench straight to the stop tap in the pavement over 30 years ago, so draw a straight line, and Robert is your mother’s brother. There is no sign of the stop tap in the pavement. All my neighbours have one, and I used to because I’ve used it in the past. However, since the council re-tarmacked the bi of pavement outside my house there is no sign of the stop tap. Contacted United Utilities. It seems that since they are no longer allowed to turn your water off if you don’t pay they no longer maintain stop taps, and don’t care if the council tarmac over them, so of course as it’s easier, the council just take off the cast iron access lid and cover it all over.

If there is a leak between the main and my stop tap I am responsible to get a plumber, dig down to the pipe (how do I find it?) and get it repaired. How would I know, we’re on sandy soil, so a small leak would just drain away. They used to be able to put one of their listening rods on the tap and hear if there was flow. What nonsense.

[JAParticipant @ja]

Water divining!

It works for me. Why? I don’t know. Try it (first on a known water main).

JA

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I knew it doesn’t work, couldn’t possibly. Until I tried it. It’s really disconcerting when your bent coat hangers spin round. I’d just like some confirmation from physical evidence

[modeng2000Participant @modeng2000]

I have done it as well, dont know why but it just worked for me.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

I bet the lid is still there,

Water pipe should be 2.5 to 3 ft down, why worry?

And yes, dowsing does work, only a few can’t do it. Just tuck your elbows into your sides and when they swing something metal or wet is under your heels.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

I thought the utilities were responsible up to the meter, but not past it ?

[JA]

On JA Said:

Try it (first on a known water main).

 

Hardly removes the element of self-deception if you know the water main is there and where it is.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

As Dave said, the lid is probably still there so you might be able to locate it with a strong magnet – unless they’d swapped it for plastic. And I’d have no qualms about carefully chiselling away the tarmac to access it again. It’s quite likely to be on a straight line between the neighbour’s stop taps too, if the properties are in a straight line 🙂

Rob

[Peter Cook 6Participant @petercook6]

I presume that you don’t have a water meter installed. As Speedy Builder says “…the utilities were responsible up to the meter”. Given all your neighbours still have stop tap chambers, it’s quite possible that they have installed meters.

You could try asking UU to install a meter. They usually install it in the stop tap chamber, and it has an integral stop tap. They would then be the ones trying to find it!!

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I don’t have a meter, SWMBO is a gardener and we have very free draining soil, so she uses a lot in watering. A grey water system is in the todo list. Mine is the only bit of repaired pavement, and I’ve been over it with a buried cable detector. This easily found neighbours stop tap lids, which all looked pretty old and too small for a meter?  From others who have had meters fitted they put them by the domestic stop tap, in my in laws case under the sink, so it wouldn’t find the tap under the the pavement.

I’ve decided to limit root grinding to 9″ or so deep, that should see off box hedge and give me room for replacement

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

The listening for a leak certainly does work. So well in fact that there are modern devices called leak correlators. These use two or more acoustic sensors (normally contact types) and digital signal processing to pinpoint the location of a leak.

Robert.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Robert I had a friend sadly now passed who did that type of work he travelled all over the UK  ‘leak’ detecting sometimes he would spend several days at large companies finding as many leaks as he could thus saving them in the long term money

H

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, it does indeed work, some 15 or so years ago, and although I can’t remember the exact reason, there were a couple of chaps from the water company who came round mine wanting to listen for leaks, they had a stick with an ear sized cup shape on the end, and they let me listen what they could hear, and it certainly was the trickling of water somewhere, but it wasn’t anywhere in my house. I guess if they got louder trickling sounds from different places, it would help them pin point where the leak was likely to be. When you think about it, it’s not much different than a mechanic pin pointing noses from a car engine, using a screwdriver, and I’ve used the same technique to find a nosey bearing in machines, during my maintenance years.

Regards Nick.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Thought the responsibility for the utilities was to the stop tap and not the meter. From the tap to the meter is usually down to the property owner. Certainly is for drainage.

Regards Ian

[Circlip]

On Circlip Said:

Thought the responsibility for the utilities was to the stop tap and not the meter. From the tap to the meter is usually down to the property owner. Certainly is for drainage.

Regards Ian

I keep getting mail from a dodgy company wanting me to take out insurance for my water main from the outside stop cock to the house.

JA

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

JA, they are obviously watching this forum!!!!

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

Duncan

Have you tried your local council? If they have removed or tarmacced over the stop tap they should find it and replace it.

As far as United Utilities, it says on their website that they are responsible up to your boundary, so I am surprised they won’t help. Perhaps you need to try again and ask to speak to someone who looks after maintenance in your area.

Stuart

 

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I’ve always understood that United Utilities are only responsible up to your boundary, and I’ve had letters from my water supplier, telling me that they do offer insurance for failures on private property. Anyone thinking about digging the ground up, or chipping away tarmac etc. on a public pavement/road, should consult Street Works first.

Regards Nick.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I know when a battle isn’t worth fighting. This is between a utility company and a local authority. I doubt they have an ounce of of integrity between them. When I built my extension I put a new alkathene pipe in a trench down the drive. They tried to charge me to connect it to the main. Only when I made it clear that I knew they had to do it free to get rid of lead pipe did they send round a contractor, who put such a bad kink in my pipe that it split. Ring them up, it’s my problem as it is my side of the stop tap. They broke it, but I have to fix it. Wasn’t worth fighting. Lack of integrity is nothing new.

[SteveWParticipant @stevew54046]

Couple of days ago my builders managed to dig up and break my neighbours water supply.  Who would have thought it came through my back garden and came within a couple of inches if the lawn surface?  Neighbour had to agree it was poor.  He was less understanding when they did the same thing the next day.  Once you dig in Devon you find all sorts!

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

My stop tap is out side my kitchen window and more than an arm’s length down, I have cleared all the dirt from around the stop ready for plumber in the morning he’s here to do other jobs but Ive asked him to see if the stop tap will turn off as I would like the stop tap under the kitchen sink changed if possible the last time the one outside was turned off was some 50yrs ago.

H

 

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[Harry Wilkes]

On Harry Wilkes Said:

My stop tap is out side my kitchen window and more than an arm’s length down, I have cleared all the dirt from around the stop ready for plumber in the morning he’s here to do other jobs but Ive asked him to see if the stop tap will turn off as I would like the stop tap under the kitchen sink changed if possible the last time the one outside was turned off was some 50yrs ago.

H
———————————————————————-
Quick update date after 50yrs it was stuck fast it wasn’t that important that the stop tap under the kitchen sink was changed so didn’t push our luck with the outside one.

H

 

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

At my last house, I turned off the stop tap in the pavement to change the stop tap inside, and it stuck closed. United Utilities came out immediately with a supply of bottled water (!) and changed it the next day. The chap said it was a very common problem with old ones – I’d guess it would have been 60 years old at that point.

Rob

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Had to turn stop tap  off a couple of months ago, killed water supply for four houses.

Regards  Ian.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

I had a quick look today but could not see where I could turn the water off in the street, it would feed 5 houses but where at the moment is a mystery.

H

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