www.tubebuddy.com/LurgsHowToGuides I use TubeBuddy to grow my TH-cam channel. Click this link to install, even the FREE version is great. This link is an affiliate link which means if you buy a TubeBuddy licence I will receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. . Other useful How To Guides to help you save ⏱TIME and 💰 MONEY: How to fix a leaking toilet cistern with dual push buttons-Toilet cistern still running after flush th-cam.com/video/psE5J224ouE/w-d-xo.html How to remove Cistern Lid on a Modern Toilet th-cam.com/video/vT5KwJ2A2eU/w-d-xo.html How to free a seized Stopcock DON'T DO THIS (even though it worked) th-cam.com/video/WcNa0tGgfms/w-d-xo.html How to fix a Leaking Stopcock th-cam.com/video/LV0Anz7cSkQ/w-d-xo.html How to replace a toilet handle flush lever th-cam.com/video/s4cICvOsX4w/w-d-xo.html How to fix a Loose Toilet Handle Flush Lever th-cam.com/video/KBlpS_5J0TE/w-d-xo.html How to fix a leaking Pipe under the Sink th-cam.com/video/a8gYINlozpw/w-d-xo.html Combined Sink and Toilet Demo th-cam.com/video/06TOA8PMXqU/w-d-xo.html How to fit a new Toilet Seat in 15 minutes or less th-cam.com/video/DCf2KCeIfHM/w-d-xo.html . How To's, Life Hacks, Helpful Tips th-cam.com/video/dcmxUTsedlk/w-d-xo.html Washing Machines How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/0_gst8RokRo/w-d-xo.html Dishwasher How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/6z22-Ysn7rE/w-d-xo.html Toilets and Plumbing How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/vT5KwJ2A2eU/w-d-xo.html Combi Boiler How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/1gGEP2y_qHM/w-d-xo.html My Reviews th-cam.com/video/QX0ge0QOXJk/w-d-xo.html . TECHNOLOGY ========== Windows 10 How To's, Tips, Tricks and Fixes th-cam.com/video/eZW7ka9xgXg/w-d-xo.html iPhone iPad iTunes How To's, Tips, Tricks and Fixes th-cam.com/video/hcGfZTcJxvo/w-d-xo.html iMovie iOS How to Guides th-cam.com/video/uTkXwZJ0gE4/w-d-xo.html WhatsApp iPhone How To's Tips, Tricks and Fixes th-cam.com/video/5hhxjxkNMUA/w-d-xo.html Google Chrome How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/iLSbSA5YECc/w-d-xo.html Microsoft Word How To's, Tips, Tricks and Fixes th-cam.com/video/OZi6yS79FLA/w-d-xo.html . Vehicles How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/w44aQ7dc_Lk/w-d-xo.html
Useful video. One thing - I also use heat ( blow torches, lighters, boiling water etc.) to free nuts on cars and DIY stuff. But I find it best to heat the outer casing - causing that to expand away from the inner bolt/tap shaft that it is gripping. ( Not as shown here) Then accurately hit just the bolt/shaft with a tiny jet of freezing oil (eg. Shock and Unlock) to encourage that to shrink away from the ( now warm and expanded ) housing. It's best to prep everything well: In this case try releasing the gland nut a smidge, then rehearse the procedure getting all tools set to the right dimensions, consider using tin foil, putty or a wide pallet knife to shield the inner tap shaft from the flame. The idea is to heat the outer elements faster than they can conduct heat through to the inner element - and then immediately but cautiously get on with loosening - forwards & backwards as Lurgs says. If it fails to work, have cup of tea, let everything totally cool down before deciding if you'll try again. NB. too much heat can melt internal washers etc. . So if you reached this stage make sure the plumbers merchants are open in case it all goes to plan B ! Top tip - if there's any danger you might use so much force that you twist and split the pipe below the stopcock - check you know where the street stop tap is before you start. Also check you're not going to spark a fire in a wall cavity that will be difficult to put out. Have your car or kitchen extinguisher next to you. I'll stop waffling now. Good luck all.
Just tried this on my stop tape which would not move. After doing everything in this video my stop tape now moves like it should do. Thanks for the help ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Use WD40 and gentle heat from a hair dryer, and keep applying the WD40 followed by the hair dryer and the wd40 gets sucked into stopcock shaft. Gentle tap-tap-tap with a hammer also helps to break the hard water bond between the shaft and the tap body. It's all about taking the time and having the patience to free it up. Brute force will end up damaging the stop cock in some way and causing a leak. If you do car repairs you will know that the careful application of heat and wd40 solves most stubborn threaded nut problems, bleed nipples, break hose connections etc.
Living in this house for 2 years; time now to change the electric shower but stopcock not moving (and never moved since the beginning) Eventually, the cuppa before the operation was the detail that worked; jokes a part, it worked straight away; thank you so much, you made my day with a video!
@@en66685 Great news, glad it’s freed up. Remember don’t leave it fully open, turn it fully open then a quarter turn closed, this will prevent it seizing up again
Omg! You don't even know how much you have helped me!!! I watched maybe 100 videos of 💩 but your video worked and I'm so grateful 😫😫😫you saved me from smashing up the whole bathroom🤦🏽♀️lol. Thank you 😂👏👍🏼
Just done this with Plusgas, no heat needed. Had to wirebrush all the green stuff of shaft joint first, sprayed on the Plusgas left it a few mins and worked the tap back and forwards and it came loose.
A pair of stillsons is your best tool. The Wd40 is of no use at all. This is advice from an eighty five year plumber. When you open your tap fully, turn the tap half turn back. so it will be easier next time. Never leave it full open. J. Calveley.
@@defconed Defiitely, but don't keep the heat on to long.and move heat heat around Remember there's a rubber washer in the stop tap. There won't be if it's a gate valve. A gate valve has a round handle. J. Calveley..
I would of probably loosened my tap but after squirting some highly flammable WD40 into it and them bringing a naked candlelight to it,my house burned down.
I have water hammer, really loud rumbling when hot water was turned off, had to leave it on to stop it. I found the stopcock tap, rotated it anticlockwise and left all taps running for a minute or two. Now the water hammer is gone, all taps turned off n no rumbling... Is it ok to leave the stopcock how I left it or should I rotate the SC tap to how it was? I'm clueless when it comes to plumbing etc
The packing gland is almost invariably where it’s seized. I say that with 40 years experience as a professional Plumber. Using a spanner or a pair of grips to slacken the gland nut back a turn or two is more likely (and quicker) than spraying WD 40 on it. It’s nearly always a build up of crap and verdigris on the shaft that causes the problem. The hammer should not be used unless you feel lucky.
Just be very careful. You can try tightening it first before you untighten it. Make sure you don't put any strain on the pipework. If it really is stuck fast you'll need a plumber to probably replace the stopcock. Good luck.
That sounds odd. Blue tap indicates it's a cold feed. No idea what the red button is, track the pipework to see if it goes to a tap or washing machine. It could be your main water inlet.
You could try removing the paint then trying to free the stopcock. Else if you can't manage that then you would need a plumber to isolate the mains water out in the street and get them to put in a brand new stopcock in it's place. Ideally you need to be able to isolate your water in an emergency so you need to get that sorted sooner rather than later. Good luck.
@@LurgsHowToGuides You were more than lucky, if that stop tap was really seized up, you'd have been there till next Christmas. The "hammer" i see , got a no, no from someone.. Well l'm an eighty five year old plumber and you can use a hammer, but not the way you did. Make sure that the stop tap is securely, and I mean securely ,secured at the back, and can't move, then give the tap, a couple of taps with the hamner on the top, dead centre. J. Calveley..
@@LurgsHowToGuides Should you have a leak upstairs, turn you taps on down-stairs and turn off your central heating, this is important, no water a can get to your header tank. It will save your carpets,and water won't be flooding down the walls .You can rewasher your taps, and toilet cistern with out worrying about a stop tap that won't shut off. Test a spirit level . Place the level on a table, and look where the bubble stops. Turn it around, place in exactly the same place. If the bubble is not in the same place, the level Is not true. Just bits and pieces of info. J. Calveley.. .
Sorry to piss on your bonfire but I cringed when you said a hammer was involved. Been around pipework for 42 years and wouldn’t do most of what you suggest. If that pipework isn’t full entered into the fitting by whoever installed it and you go tapping it.....flood. As a previous person said, loosen the packing gland first .
Cheers man. As you can tell I'm not a plumber! I literally only tapped it very gently though. Yes I saw that other comment about the packing gland. Thanks for the info.
@@TheTrueKailash It's the small nut round the stem of the tap, closest to the handle. Loosen it half a turn anticlockwise. It will drip water so tighten it up again afterwards.
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Other useful How To Guides to help you save ⏱TIME and 💰 MONEY:
How to fix a leaking toilet cistern with dual push buttons-Toilet cistern still running after flush th-cam.com/video/psE5J224ouE/w-d-xo.html
How to remove Cistern Lid on a Modern Toilet th-cam.com/video/vT5KwJ2A2eU/w-d-xo.html
How to free a seized Stopcock DON'T DO THIS (even though it worked) th-cam.com/video/WcNa0tGgfms/w-d-xo.html
How to fix a Leaking Stopcock th-cam.com/video/LV0Anz7cSkQ/w-d-xo.html
How to replace a toilet handle flush lever th-cam.com/video/s4cICvOsX4w/w-d-xo.html
How to fix a Loose Toilet Handle Flush Lever th-cam.com/video/KBlpS_5J0TE/w-d-xo.html
How to fix a leaking Pipe under the Sink th-cam.com/video/a8gYINlozpw/w-d-xo.html
Combined Sink and Toilet Demo th-cam.com/video/06TOA8PMXqU/w-d-xo.html
How to fit a new Toilet Seat in 15 minutes or less th-cam.com/video/DCf2KCeIfHM/w-d-xo.html
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How To's, Life Hacks, Helpful Tips th-cam.com/video/dcmxUTsedlk/w-d-xo.html
Washing Machines How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/0_gst8RokRo/w-d-xo.html
Dishwasher How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/6z22-Ysn7rE/w-d-xo.html
Toilets and Plumbing How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/vT5KwJ2A2eU/w-d-xo.html
Combi Boiler How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/1gGEP2y_qHM/w-d-xo.html
My Reviews th-cam.com/video/QX0ge0QOXJk/w-d-xo.html
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TECHNOLOGY
==========
Windows 10 How To's, Tips, Tricks and Fixes th-cam.com/video/eZW7ka9xgXg/w-d-xo.html
iPhone iPad iTunes How To's, Tips, Tricks and Fixes th-cam.com/video/hcGfZTcJxvo/w-d-xo.html
iMovie iOS How to Guides th-cam.com/video/uTkXwZJ0gE4/w-d-xo.html
WhatsApp iPhone How To's Tips, Tricks and Fixes th-cam.com/video/5hhxjxkNMUA/w-d-xo.html
Google Chrome How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/iLSbSA5YECc/w-d-xo.html
Microsoft Word How To's, Tips, Tricks and Fixes th-cam.com/video/OZi6yS79FLA/w-d-xo.html
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Vehicles How To's, Tips, Tricks & Fixes th-cam.com/video/w44aQ7dc_Lk/w-d-xo.html
Worked for me after having a seized stop tap for a year. I can't thank you enough
Great news. Don’t forget the tip, Don’t leave it wide open
Useful video. One thing - I also use heat ( blow torches, lighters, boiling water etc.) to free nuts on cars and DIY stuff. But I find it best to heat the outer casing - causing that to expand away from the inner bolt/tap shaft that it is gripping. ( Not as shown here) Then accurately hit just the bolt/shaft with a tiny jet of freezing oil (eg. Shock and Unlock) to encourage that to shrink away from the ( now warm and expanded ) housing.
It's best to prep everything well: In this case try releasing the gland nut a smidge, then rehearse the procedure getting all tools set to the right dimensions, consider using tin foil, putty or a wide pallet knife to shield the inner tap shaft from the flame. The idea is to heat the outer elements faster than they can conduct heat through to the inner element - and then immediately but cautiously get on with loosening - forwards & backwards as Lurgs says. If it fails to work, have cup of tea, let everything totally cool down before deciding if you'll try again. NB. too much heat can melt internal washers etc. . So if you reached this stage make sure the plumbers merchants are open in case it all goes to plan B !
Top tip - if there's any danger you might use so much force that you twist and split the pipe below the stopcock - check you know where the street stop tap is before you start.
Also check you're not going to spark a fire in a wall cavity that will be difficult to put out. Have your car or kitchen extinguisher next to you.
I'll stop waffling now. Good luck all.
Great info thanks. Have a very Merry Christmas. 🎄
Great explanation, cheers.
Just tried this on my stop tape which would not move. After doing everything in this video my stop tape now moves like it should do. Thanks for the help ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Assume you mean Stopcock, glad my video sorted it out 😎
We tried this didnt have any WD40 so used lawn mower oil.....and it 100% worked....Thanks x
Marvellous news 😎
Use WD40 and gentle heat from a hair dryer, and keep applying the WD40 followed by the hair dryer and the wd40 gets sucked into stopcock shaft. Gentle tap-tap-tap with a hammer also helps to break the hard water bond between the shaft and the tap body. It's all about taking the time and having the patience to free it up. Brute force will end up damaging the stop cock in some way and causing a leak. If you do car repairs you will know that the careful application of heat and wd40 solves most stubborn threaded nut problems, bleed nipples, break hose connections etc.
Wow, this comment just helped me free a jammed solid stop cock in a matter of minutes, thank you!
Living in this house for 2 years; time now to change the electric shower but stopcock not moving (and never moved since the beginning)
Eventually, the cuppa before the operation was the detail that worked; jokes a part, it worked straight away; thank you so much, you made my day with a video!
@@en66685 Great news, glad it’s freed up. Remember don’t leave it fully open, turn it fully open then a quarter turn closed, this will prevent it seizing up again
Omg! You don't even know how much you have helped me!!! I watched maybe 100 videos of 💩 but your video worked and I'm so grateful 😫😫😫you saved me from smashing up the whole bathroom🤦🏽♀️lol. Thank you 😂👏👍🏼
Great news, glad you got it sorted. 😎
Worked for me. Thanks very much! I didn't use a hammer, just a normal pliers and a hairdryer to heat it.
Great news. Saves a callout. Money saved. 😎
Just done this with Plusgas, no heat needed. Had to wirebrush all the green stuff of shaft joint first, sprayed on the Plusgas left it a few mins and worked the tap back and forwards and it came loose.
Tell folks not to leave stopcock fully open, just slight turn away. Less likely to seize. Yes,check every year
A pair of stillsons is your best
tool. The Wd40 is of no use
at all. This is advice from an
eighty five year plumber. When
you open your tap fully, turn the
tap half turn back. so it will be
easier next time. Never leave it
full open.
J. Calveley.
@@defconed
Defiitely, but don't keep the heat
on to long.and move heat heat around Remember there's
a rubber washer in the stop tap.
There won't be if it's a gate valve. A gate valve has a round
handle.
J. Calveley..
Penetrating oil or spray will work much better. I cannot see WD40 loosening things.
Thanks for this. I managed to unstick my stopcock today
using advice given in your video.
Great news, remember after opening it fully remember to turn it back slightly, stops it jamming
Let me try. My shut off valve is hard to turn. Thanks
I would of probably loosened my tap but after squirting some highly flammable WD40 into it and them bringing a naked candlelight to it,my house burned down.
Worked a treat mate cheers!🎉
@@Londoner2006 Great news 😎
Thank you, it worked for me, the oil+candle did the trick !
Great tip thank you
Thanks 😎
Thanks for this sprayed WD40 and left overnight. Then a heated with hairdryer and it did the trick.
Brilliant news.😎
Thanks watched your video and fixed my outside tap 😊
Great news.😎
Great news.😎
Thank you - that worked with WD-40, no heat needed.
Happy days. Heat is a last resort really. Glad to help.😎
Cheers mate. Much appreciated.
This worked a treat! Thanks for advising me not to do it!
No worries. And please don't send me lots of money! 😆
WD-40 Multi-use product or WD-40 Specialist Penetrant spray? Are they gentle with rubber seals?
Check the label. The stopcock does have a rubber seal but the Wd40 would struggle to reach in that far.
I have water hammer, really loud rumbling when hot water was turned off, had to leave it on to stop it.
I found the stopcock tap, rotated it anticlockwise and left all taps running for a minute or two.
Now the water hammer is gone, all taps turned off n no rumbling... Is it ok to leave the stopcock how I left it or should I rotate the SC tap to how it was?
I'm clueless when it comes to plumbing etc
Best bet is open the Stopcock up fully then just turn it back 90 degrees, this stops it seizing up over time.
The area where he put the WD40 is nowhere near where the thread is seized. Wally 😨
Exactly, that's the packing nut where he put it, not at the actual thread.
And WD40 will decay any rubber seal in both the packing and seal area.
So use what instead of wd40?
The packing gland is almost invariably where it’s seized. I say that with 40 years experience as a professional Plumber. Using a spanner or a pair of grips to slacken the gland nut back a turn or two is more likely (and quicker) than spraying WD 40 on it. It’s nearly always a build up of crap and verdigris on the shaft that causes the problem. The hammer should not be used unless you feel lucky.
Instead of the naked flame of the candle to be more safer how about a hair dryer instead with the WD40?
Yes , you should never use a naked flame really! Hope you got it loose
does this work with plastic stop taps
No I don’t think so, that’s a different system. Any taps not used can seize up. Try some heat on it but not too hot!
HI LURGS I HAVE A SEIZED STOPCOCK BUT MINE IS ON A LEAD PIPE I DO NOT WANT TO FORCE IT AND SPLIT THE PIPE SO WHAT WOULD YOU DO
Just be very careful. You can try tightening it first before you untighten it. Make sure you don't put any strain on the pipework. If it really is stuck fast you'll need a plumber to probably replace the stopcock. Good luck.
@@LurgsHowToGuides THANKS FOR THAT I WILL GIVE IT A TRY
I have a blue plastic tap with a red button on it, in a cupboard near my kitchen sink.
Is it a stopcock and what's the red button for?
That sounds odd. Blue tap indicates it's a cold feed. No idea what the red button is, track the pipework to see if it goes to a tap or washing machine. It could be your main water inlet.
Lurgs hi and thanks for the reply
Here is a link to show you th-cam.com/video/rhhGv1m9Al8/w-d-xo.html
@@HereIsWhatISaw Could it be a surestop device?
worked for me, thanks
Great news 😎
Hi guys what about a stop tap that’s been painted by someone and is stuck open fully
You could try removing the paint then trying to free the stopcock. Else if you can't manage that then you would need a plumber to isolate the mains water out in the street and get them to put in a brand new stopcock in it's place. Ideally you need to be able to isolate your water in an emergency so you need to get that sorted sooner rather than later. Good luck.
Cup of Tea and WD40 life doesn't get better than that. Nice job.
transitvandoors And the smell of Swarfega
Good video , only problem naked flame and WD40I know it's common sense but , just saying.
david post Yep be careful.
After watching the video about
loosening a stopcock, I don't
think l'll be watching anymore
"Information" he videos.
J. Calveley.
John Calveley hence the title 'don't do this'. But it did work!
@@LurgsHowToGuides You were more than
lucky, if that stop tap was really
seized up, you'd have been there till next Christmas. The
"hammer" i see , got a no, no from someone.. Well l'm an
eighty five year old plumber
and you can use a hammer, but
not the way you did. Make sure
that the stop tap is securely, and I mean securely ,secured
at the back, and can't move,
then give the tap, a couple
of taps with the hamner on
the top, dead centre.
J. Calveley..
John Calveley Cheers John. Great tips. Have a great weekend.
@@LurgsHowToGuides Should you have a leak
upstairs, turn you taps on down-stairs and turn off your
central heating, this is important, no water a can get to your header tank. It will save
your carpets,and water won't be
flooding down the walls .You
can rewasher your taps, and
toilet cistern with out worrying
about a stop tap that won't shut off. Test a spirit level . Place the level on a table, and
look where the bubble stops.
Turn it around, place in exactly
the same place. If the bubble is
not in the same place, the level
Is not true. Just bits and pieces
of info.
J. Calveley..
.
John Calveley Great stuff. You should be posting these tips on your channel.
This worked we used the pliers and heat and it just released.
Great news. When it's fully open turn it back closed by 90 degrees, this prevents it seizing up long term if you don't touch it.
@@LurgsHowToGuides Oky I'll remember that 👍 Thanks
Surely you don't want a penetrant entering your cold water supply? Unless you fancy drinking water with a side of wd40
Doubt it would reach that far, there’s probably other things in the water we should be worried about.
Great video. Looks interesting. Btw I press the red button.
NathanLikesDrums Thanks. I'll check out your stuff later on.
DONT…..hit this with a hammer especially if your scared of water lol…..
Super information 👍
Glad u got it sorted. 😎
He’s on drugs…. The limescale is way deeper
Got to be a contortionist to reach mine 😩
Oh dear, hopefully you can get some kind of grip on it. But be careful not to stress the pipework. Good luck.
Whats plan B when all this has been tried and all that happened was the top broke. Not even Stilsons would budge it......
Plan B is probably to call a plumber so they can isolate mains water and install a brand new stopcock.
I find plus gas is better
I have a jammed up stop cock under my kitchen sink so i will try the WD4O and candle trick, many thanks.
Nice one
Hope you got it sorted.
playing your playlist, 1/474. Hope it helps your watch time, you are almost t0 1000
playte many thanks but I don't need the watch time, I smash that out the park. Just need the subs, getting close! Thanks
Sorry to piss on your bonfire but I cringed when you said a hammer was involved. Been around pipework for 42 years and wouldn’t do most of what you suggest. If that pipework isn’t full entered into the fitting by whoever installed it and you go tapping it.....flood. As a previous person said, loosen the packing gland first .
Cheers man. As you can tell I'm not a plumber! I literally only tapped it very gently though. Yes I saw that other comment about the packing gland. Thanks for the info.
Which ones the packing gland? Do you turn the packing gland anti clockwise?
@@TheTrueKailash It's the small nut round the stem of the tap, closest to the handle. Loosen it half a turn anticlockwise. It will drip water so tighten it up again afterwards.
Have not touched mine for 25 years better leave it alone I am thinking
It's worth freeing it though, maybe call a plumber if you can't turn it. You need to be able to isolate mains water in case of an emergency leak.