General Question - Plumbing question regarding seized tap.

[Dan Le Moignan]

Hi all,
Not sure if anyone can help, over the past few months the flow from the cold tap in the kitchen has been less and less. I need to take it apart but my main isolating valve for the cold water is solid.
I have a choice of 2 valves to isolate the kitchen but neither will budge, is this common?
I've sprayed with wd40 for what it's worth and tapped the handle with 2 hammers but no joy.
Don't want to go much further as its a 1960's house and not sure how solid the copper is.
In the next few weeks I'm fitting new work top and sink so I will also need the isolation for this job also.
Thanks for any advice

[Dan Le Moignan]

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[F12NCO]

Ditto!

[Ben Purnell]

Turn off the water from outside the house, that way you can replace the gate valves with new ones and do all the other bits whilst at it.

A little tip to stop them from seizing next time, open them fully out and then back them off a 1/4 turn, this should stop you having problems next time you come to

[spiritof'76]

Have a poke round outside and see if you can find a shut off on the drive/pavement or wherever......... if your lucky and its an up to date one there will be a plastic quater turn tap to shut off the whole house If its an old style one you'll need one of those long reach key thingies whatever their called

If in any doubt get someone in or try yourself to release your internal stop cocks........ but make sure you are up to date on your insurance first

[Dan Le Moignan]

Yes got a valve at the end of the drive so will go and see what type it is.
Ben there are pro's and cons of back seating valves, if it's on a service that won't see much thermal change then its not so bad plus you take the pressure off the packing gland on the valve stem.

[Tkracing]

If you turn off from outside and it's full of dirt make sure you don't dig it out with hands, the junkies hide their needles there......
If you hold the valve under kitchen so it can't twist round, then use footprints/big grips to turn handle clockwise to close. Best knowing where water turns off outside tho, just incase

[Dan Le Moignan]

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That's the type we have, I take it the 4 lugs are the parts that require turning?

[spiritof'76]

Can't really see too much there but as there is no apparent handle you could maybe have a square shaft top

You're either going to need the proper tool from a plumbers merchant or if you can find a socket that fits and a suitably long enough extension bar

[spiritof'76]

This kind of thing.........

http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberg...questid=524935

Though you could probs find a cheaper make

[Dan Le Moignan]

Thanks Julian, got bored of plumbing and went back to stripping 3 layers of paper off the kitchen walls.
Not bad wood chip then anaglypta then normal backing paper!.
Got a friend that's a plumber so have asked if u can borrow the tool for the job!
Thanks for the info

[The Radman]

if you clean the crap out hte bottom of the stop tap chamber you should see an internal hex drive,the key is normally in the polystyrene insulation that is in the unit, did you remove any? or is it all missing?

[Dan Le Moignan]

Nick I didn't have a good look as I was in half decent clothes, I couldn't see a hex drive, but I did see a round cap on the top of the valve? Does this just pull off and expose the hex drive?

[Tkracing]

Pics terrible but that looks like insulation polystyrene cap. Pull it off and the turn valve is under there ,,, best get yer mate round as you sound out of your depth, don't want to swim out of house do you?

[Dan Le Moignan]

Ok mate will have a better look 2moro, thanks for info.
Should be ok to do it served my time as marine pipefitter then went into petrochemical.
Just never had a need to go near a main isolation before : )