Just wanted to say thank you....from someone who hasn't been able to unsieze my stopcock for ages, then earlier at 3am, problem with toilet constantly flushing ......only way to stop the water till morning was to shut the stopcock off.....your video has saved the night's sleep 😁 Much appreciated 👍
Thank u very much!! Im a woman and never even had tools in my hand, after watching ur video, i managed to open the valve which havent been open for at least 10years !! Ure my hero and lifesaver ❤️
Thanks Big Al, I had one, couldn't turn it, watched this and followed your advice, and got my water turned off. All problems fixed and water is back on. I thought I was going to have to pay a plumber to come out on a Sunday! Thanks mate, I think quite a few of us owe you a pint!
Thanks for your help. Generally don’t think the stopcock has been moved since the house was built in the 1960s but your tips and advice did the job. Brilliant clear logical advice
Thank you Mr Plumber. As a senior lady you have come to my aid. I have released my STOPCOCK and my leaking overflow pipe has stopped leaking. Bless you.
Another brilliant little video. Just bought an old house and I have little plumbing knowledge, so far learnt to remove a radiator and repaired the stop cock thanks to this chap. Saved me money and have some new skills. Thank you 👍🏼
Right I'm going in... In half an hour I'll either be standing knee high in water or my stopcock will be free! Thanks for explaining this so amazingly well!
I can't tell you how much trouble you just saved me...OK, I will tell you. After 15 years our old washing machine has given up the ghost. So I'm just crawling around under the sink to attempt to turn off the seized stop cock. Quick search of TH-cam and here you are. Now not only do I know how to deal with the stopcock. But your tip for solving it while leaving the seized stopcock where it is reminded me of something. I'm pretty sure the bloke that installed the washing machine already did exactly that. So I might well be messing with something thats already fixed. Either way, once I get the washing machine pulled out properly, I'll know exactly what to do. You sir are a genius, and a generous one at that. Thanks for sharing.
You had the solution. "Loosen the packing box with a spanner" (we call it a wrench). I looked at five videos and yours was the only one with the solution. Thank you very much.
Thanks for saving my life. Did some work in the home and turned the water off. Tried to turn it back on and the tap was ceased. Watched your video and now all fine apart from tap head is now broken so need a wrench to turn off and on now. Love your idea about a secondary tap above it. Very clever. Thanks again.
Excellent and simple-to-understand video. Yes, we are in Kent on the North Downs and chalk is a nuisance. The problem we have is that slowly, bit by bit, the flow of cold water from the taps has greatly reduced, in fact when running a shower, the cold water flow stops completely. I believe our stopcock is seized in the partially closed position and will try you method to free it. Being a 100yr old house it is of course in a very inaccessible position and could do with turning 90 degrees as well. Thanks once again.
I live in a flat. I'm going to listen to your advise and try and free the stopcock as its hard to isolate the valve under my sink as I can't replace the whole stop cock with new as its a different size in length and not matching the pipes. Many thanks for the video.
Many thanks....my cold kitchen tap would not turn off..panic about water costs...not considered an emergency on a Sunday...stopcock stuck fast...with your help I did it..turned off and I can just turn on for a few minutes as water is needed. Much appreciated :)
Thanks. The best way to avoid the problem is to partly close and then reopen the thing every few months, same for gatevalves. Also, I don't leave them fully open - eighth of a turn clockwise from open.
You are amazing!!! - I did exactly what you said and it worked!! Saved me fortune from calling a plumber and feeling super proud I could actually do it!!! Thank you xxx
this really worked for me--to listen the hex nut first then work the spigot gently. helped me avoid having to call a plumber in just to shut the spigot/stopcock off. thanks! (so many other videos on this topic on youtube are not helpful at all)
100% of jammed SVs are caused by risk-averse irrational phobic people who think a valve the slightest amount less than 100% open would stop their washing machine working properly, ... so they ram the valve open hard against stop and then leave that way to seize up.
Thanks for the video - I was able to free a stopcock which had been jammed for months - now I’ve been able to turn it I realised that the last time I’d had plumbing work done the water pressure hadn’t been turned back up - so I put up with Luke warm showers and slow running taps for no reason!
Thank you for the video. You are an absolutely diamond. Couldn't unjam the stopcock - stuck solid. Thought I'd have to call in a plumber but followed your instructions and hey presto! Thanks again.
I've had this issue before with my neighbours house we didn't undo that nut we managed to use wd40 and kept working it backwards and forwards . I never knew you could release that nut. I will try it in future . Thank you
Thank you for the simple and clear video. You can count another stopcock that has been freed off following your skill and experience. Thanks also to some of the other feedback comments; don’t fully open and ‘exercise’ the tap now and then (I’ll put a 6th month reminder in my iPhone!).
You can use a salt water proof grease on the shaft once it's fully open then screw it all the way closed this great will keep calcium from building up. Also , you should crack these valves a couple times a yr to keep them free. Exercising them it's called.
Great video, I have very old valve and spend a lots of times today to close the stop clock , nothing happen , applied a lots of oil , still didn't work, we tried and tried , nothing happen , I am going to try the way you explained and showed clearly.Many thanks
Superb video. One point the electrician should have put the water bonding clamp just after the stop cock before the branch. He or she didn't i guess as the pipework installer gave him no straight copper to put it on as is usually the case ! The bend looks shallow enough though to get a decent contact. Would look cluttered but under sink affairs is not about aesthetics
Thanks again for your video.We are selling are house and we have a surveyor coming in a couple of days.I am going to try some of the things you have suggested.Thanks again.
Good advice Al. Years ago, I did something similar for my late mother, as her stopcock was at the same level as the cupboard base, so only half of it was visible/accessible, and it was practically impossible for me to turn, let alone her. So above it, I fitted a water actuated stop valve that had a remote switch that I could put in a place where she could operate it if needed.
Thanks mate, you have given me half a clue where to start with this. My tap head broke off, this video is great at giving me a shot at fixing. thanks !
Thank you so much for posting this video, it's really helped. I turned my water off at the stopcock, when I returned, 10 days later, I couldn't turn it on again! I followed your suggestion, and tried to open it slightly, then closed it and continued ro do this until I was able to turn it on and off completely!
Knowing beforehand where the shut off outside is having access to it and any key required will help prevent a minor disaster if it all goes wrong! When they start getting difficult it easier and simpler to just replace the stop cock, very cheap and easy to do.
amazing video, great explanation, helped me out a lot. simple and easy to understand and went over a lot of "what ifs" that I would have been worried about otherwise. thanks for the video!
I have two old stop cocks which I have left in line, fully open which would not shut, and managed to put new replacements after them when the waterboard turned the water off and it works a treat and I dont see it as bad practice. I can't find the roadside stop cock. When eventually the water board turn up again to dig up the road up and turn the water off I will remove all the defunct stop taps in my house and install a brand new internal stop cock.
Really helpful video, thank you. Good to see what's inside the stopcock, I now understand WHY some methods work better than others and what to do if all else fails. Other videos I've watched haven't covered that.
I liked the idea of loosening the packing gland, I never thought of that. I look after a local community hall and I will try that on our stop cock which is stuck open. Good video, well filmed.
If it's not just stiff through a bit of lime scale and the tap is really seized, then the simplest and quickest repair is to replace the valve assembly, but if your in an old house you will probably find the thread on the stopcock is Imperial while that shiny new one is metric.
Thanks for the video, easy to follow. I live in hard water area and stop valve wouldn't move at all. I tried your first technique and it worked really well. Moved just a mm at first but then more and more after a few twists back and forward. I was worried about breaking the pipe or the joint so held it in place first.......I was still expecting something to snap but all well, thanks.
Hi iv'e watched a few of your videos now, amazingly enough I've needed the ones about 3 way diverter and this one about stop taps so thanks very much, it's good to see in these times some people are still willing to help, thanks again. 👍
I spent an hour wedged under my kitchen sink trying to free a jammed stop-cock. Went to pub in frustration, someone suggested 'just put a new one in'. Next day, £4.50 at local plumbers, a couple of turns of ptfe tape round the old olives on the pipes and I am Robert's nephew. A 10 minute job sorted by stepping back and thinking. Still OK 20 years later.
NICE video! I replace all of those type of valves with 1/4 turn steel ball valves! So far I've not had much trouble but I also try to remember to turn it closed/ open once a month
Hi Derek. My mother (who has MS) has a problem with her hot water (not the smaller heating) tank. It has been trickling water through the over flow for around a year. Ive only just been made aware of this. In the roof space there is a stop tap that links the mains to hot water tank. I tried your advice and the tap wont budge. I even took the outdoor pole that turns off outdoor stop taps into the roof space and still no luck. The irony here is that my late father was a plumber! Im going to try out your advice with the one under her sink which is also stuck. I`ll keep you posted.
Thank you. Interesting. Is itvthe same method with the Red 'Wheeled/Round' type? I want to replace my shower, itcturned but didn't feel like it turned 100%, , I turned the electric switch which was dedicated to the shower off & the little bit of water stopped coming out but when I started taking the shower off I turned the nut back up tight as too much water was vining out, I didn't can't to chance it. Thanks.
Nice trick, noted. Unfortunately, the one time this was an issue for me the stopcock was about 2” above the ground, & the groundpipe was plastic! The big risk was splitting the pipe and as I was in a block of 9 flats with only One stopcock out front, splitting the ground pipe was NOT an option. Major work as up through re-enforced concrete, and we’d all have been without water for the duration! The fix required was done live, (late at night & his freeze kit had no gas lol).
Just had that issue with a basin & toilet. Never used and house has a softner..It didn't make sense..pulled the stems, washers never squose and so gritty..i wiped them off and greased the threads they hold and turn beautiful. ..👍👍
Meant to say, good sensible well explained video, trouble is those old stop cocks always do that, and if you had an emergency you would not want to have to do that, they require regular maintainance, as you are doing, and all my years in plumbing never seen a sc with a dc, just shows, well done
Don't always think you are out of the woods even if you do get the valve to shut. I had to deal with a sticky gate valve once. Got it to close after a little fuss n fiddling. Fun came when I went to open it. The gate jammed in the body, I hadn't shut it that tight either. Then, trying to free it, the shaft broke. It was barrel in, to copper out. I fitted new gate valve downstream of old one. I then had to freeze the pipe above the now broken valve, strip the gate out of it, then re-assemble it, a bit like you suggested with fitting secondary S/C. As you say, not best practice, but it was in old flats and I couldn't find anyway to isolate it. Must admit, it was a twtchy bum moment, just in case the ice plug failed while the old G/V was in pieces. There was a fair head of water to the valve. That was a fun day at the office.
Neat option to reposition stop valve further along the pipe! Regrettably, this solution might well have solved my problem: but, the old stop cock was not only jammed solid, it was leaking at the unions due faulty installation damaging the olives, which appeared to have been packed with putty. So, valve had to be removed from the system completely and a new length of pipe inserted to get job done as well as using new fittings, just to be sure. Just bad luck in my case, but all things being equal these tips will work very well and save unnecessary work.
Hi If you can please share any information on how I can looses or Open up a Jammed Brass Rose Water Sprinkler. . I suppose the Threads Inside Jammed Due to Corrosion.
If you cannot stop the gland leaking on a stop tap, do not keep tightening the gland but turn off the stop tap and the slacken the gland nut and screw it fully out, get some PTFE and twist it to make a cord, wrap a few inches the PTFE cord around the tap stem and push it down into the gap between tap body and the stem with a small screwdriver, now refit the gland nut and this will compact down the PTFE to make a new gland seal and stop water dripping past gland. You can actually buy PTFE solid cord specifically for this purpose, but twisting PTFE take to make a cord is pretty good..
That tool at 1:29 I bought in 1980s for £1 got me out of a lot of trouble & I used it today at the back of a corner cupboard could hardly see the tap needed the mains off to change Kitchen tap, Sometimes you can get a leak from the nut & need to use some tape on it, WD40 must help to free it
Using a footprint pipe wrench (as shown) is one sure way of tearing the brass spindle, which is a soft metal, plus risking snapping the spindle inside the valve body.
My plumper trying doing this has broken the turning handle. He did his work by closing the mains off in the street. But now I have no possibility to turn the water off in my property (for repairs) as this one is broken. I wonder how can I get it fixed?
Thanks, your video helped me (:, especially your suggestion of using a footprint tool to start the turn. I didn't have one, but a plumber's wrench worked.
Useful video for the novice. Soaked my seized stop cock in limelite lime scale remover after I removed it. Freed it off a treat after only a 30 min soak.
Thanks. I'm just moving from my Apartment to a house, I'm replacing the taps as they are expensive & replacing them with every day cheaper ones, the problem I have is the stop clock won't move, I was going to try the Monkey wrench tomorrow but I didn't know you could turn the nut underneath it, so thanks, I'm just concerned if it doesn't work I can't turn the water off anywhere else so I won't be able to put another stop cock in, any advice? I was trying Spray oil, didn't know that won't work.Thanks.
Unfortunately my seized example is hung/suspended in such a way that any excessive force would probably result in damage elsewhere in the line. The whole lot moves about as soon as you put a hand to it. No matter how hard I try I cannot work anything loose! Inevitably had to call a plumber in the end for fear of causing a flood. It's sometimes better to leave it to a pro in my experience.
How do you insert the new stop tap when the pipes either side are fixed and cannot be pushed apart? I have managed it with Yorkshire fittings by filing off the internal central ring but that is not an option with a more substantial stop cock.
Cut the pipe further back about a foot or so if you have the room, by inserting a small piece of pipe you will be able to insert fully into the stopcock, bend the copper out and into the coupling above.
Hi, I don’t know if you can help me out but I have a toilet seat problem. It is held on underneath with metal butterfly washers. Because of arthritic fingers I am unable to tighten them. Is there such a tool I can purchase to aid this job? Thank you in advance sir.
Hi I have phoned umpteenth time to plumbers who say you can't free a seized stopcock as it will not be the same if it's freed, that's shocking from so many plumbers in my area. I have a burst pipe in garden, and the insurance will not pass said repair until I fix seized stopcock in kitchen? There is a stop valve in street? What's a seized stopcock got to do with a burst pipe in garden under my monobloc path?
@@dereton33 Thank you for responding, yes your right no plumber will entertain it 😕 and the plumbing company for insurance will not fix burst pipe in garden because of internal stopcock, even though there is a working stop valve in street, many plumbers I spoke to on phone said, they would not bother if internal stopcock was seized anyway as they would use the stop valve in street to isolate water coming into property and to replace broken pipe in garden. Back to square one, insurance company are going to employ another company to look at issues in garden. Cheers 👍
@@dereton33 By the way to change my toilet waste pipe and syphon as its rumbling some times how to I turn all water off as the stop cock next to the toilet that I fixed turns of tap water but water keep filling up the cistern
tried all that - still seized up, mole grips hold the round valve body better than any spanner i can find, from now on i will fully open/close all valves once per year to prevent (hopefully) also i always put coppaslip or grease on threads to make next repair easier & clean up valve seating
Just wanted to say thank you....from someone who hasn't been able to unsieze my stopcock for ages, then earlier at 3am, problem with toilet constantly flushing ......only way to stop the water till morning was to shut the stopcock off.....your video has saved the night's sleep 😁 Much appreciated 👍
You're very welcome!
Great video, managed to free two stopcocks by following your advice. Slow and gentle did the trick. Thanks for taking the time to do this channel.
Thank u very much!! Im a woman and never even had tools in my hand, after watching ur video, i managed to open the valve which havent been open for at least 10years !! Ure my hero and lifesaver ❤️
Great job! Well done Kris.
Thanks Big Al, I had one, couldn't turn it, watched this and followed your advice, and got my water turned off. All problems fixed and water is back on. I thought I was going to have to pay a plumber to come out on a Sunday! Thanks mate, I think quite a few of us owe you a pint!
No problem.
10 years later and this still works a treat. Thank you!
No problem Marty.
Thanks for your help.
Generally don’t think the stopcock has been moved since the house was built in the 1960s but your tips and advice did the job. Brilliant clear logical advice
Glad it helped
Thank you Mr Plumber. As a senior lady you have come to my aid. I have released my STOPCOCK and my leaking overflow pipe has stopped leaking. Bless you.
Glad to help
Another brilliant little video. Just bought an old house and I have little plumbing knowledge, so far learnt to remove a radiator and repaired the stop cock thanks to this chap. Saved me money and have some new skills.
Thank you 👍🏼
No problem kev.
Right I'm going in... In half an hour I'll either be standing knee high in water or my stopcock will be free! Thanks for explaining this so amazingly well!
Good luck with it.
With your tuition I managed to free my stopcock - it's now working like new. Many thanks :)
No problem Paul.
I can't tell you how much trouble you just saved me...OK, I will tell you.
After 15 years our old washing machine has given up the ghost. So I'm just crawling around under the sink to attempt to turn off the seized stop cock. Quick search of TH-cam and here you are.
Now not only do I know how to deal with the stopcock. But your tip for solving it while leaving the seized stopcock where it is reminded me of something. I'm pretty sure the bloke that installed the washing machine already did exactly that. So I might well be messing with something thats already fixed.
Either way, once I get the washing machine pulled out properly, I'll know exactly what to do. You sir are a genius, and a generous one at that. Thanks for sharing.
No problem David.
Good practical advise from a guy who clearly has seen, and resolved, lots of problems. Clear and easy to follow with no drama. Many thanks.
No problem
You had the solution. "Loosen the packing box with a spanner" (we call it a wrench). I looked at five videos and yours was the only one with the solution. Thank you very much.
No problem.
Also called a Crescent wrench
Can't believe how many solutions you came up with for this problem!
Ha ha thanks but after 55 years encountering them, I come up with just about every fault.
Thanks for saving my life. Did some work in the home and turned the water off. Tried to turn it back on and the tap was ceased. Watched your video and now all fine apart from tap head is now broken so need a wrench to turn off and on now. Love your idea about a secondary tap above it. Very clever. Thanks again.
You're welcome!
Excellent and simple-to-understand video. Yes, we are in Kent on the North Downs and chalk is a nuisance. The problem we have is that slowly, bit by bit, the flow of cold water from the taps has greatly reduced, in fact when running a shower, the cold water flow stops completely. I believe our stopcock is seized in the partially closed position and will try you method to free it. Being a 100yr old house it is of course in a very inaccessible position and could do with turning 90 degrees as well. Thanks once again.
+Paul Narramore good luck with it.
Bluebell hill vicinity?
The shower is most likely a seized pump.
I live in a flat. I'm going to listen to your advise and try and free the stopcock as its hard to isolate the valve under my sink as I can't replace the whole stop cock with new as its a different size in length and not matching the pipes. Many thanks for the video.
Good luck joe.
Thanks mate! Got mine unjammed thanks to your video. Needed a wet rag to help grip onto it while laying on the floor, but otherwise all sorted.
No problem 👍
Thanks so much for posting this guide - managed to budge my seized stopcock in 2 minutes after applying these techniques!
Great well done.
Many thanks....my cold kitchen tap would not turn off..panic about water costs...not considered an emergency on a Sunday...stopcock stuck fast...with your help I did it..turned off and I can just turn on for a few minutes as water is needed. Much appreciated :)
No problem Denise.
Thanks. The best way to avoid the problem is to partly close and then reopen the thing every few months, same for gatevalves. Also, I don't leave them fully open - eighth of a turn clockwise from open.
Easier said than done, unless you write it on your calendar every quarter. Last suggestion is good.
You are amazing!!! - I did exactly what you said and it worked!! Saved me fortune from calling a plumber and feeling super proud I could actually do it!!! Thank you xxx
No problem.
thank you, you are a legend, just saved me 50 on a plumber. well done.
this really worked for me--to listen the hex nut first then work the spigot gently. helped me avoid having to call a plumber in just to shut the spigot/stopcock off. thanks! (so many other videos on this topic on youtube are not helpful at all)
No problem.
One way that often prevents a tap getting jammed open is to turn it as far as it will go then a quarter turn back the other way.
+Nigel2AB . Yes that is right, I have been that for years.
100% of jammed SVs are caused by risk-averse irrational phobic people who think a valve the slightest amount less than 100% open would stop their washing machine working properly, ... so they ram the valve open hard against stop and then leave that way to seize up.
Thanks for the video - I was able to free a stopcock which had been jammed for months - now I’ve been able to turn it I realised that the last time I’d had plumbing work done the water pressure hadn’t been turned back up - so I put up with Luke warm showers and slow running taps for no reason!
O well it happens.
Thank you for the video. You are an absolutely diamond. Couldn't unjam the stopcock - stuck solid. Thought I'd have to call in a plumber but followed your instructions and hey presto! Thanks again.
No problem. Great team by the way.
I've had this issue before with my neighbours house we didn't undo that nut we managed to use wd40 and kept working it backwards and forwards . I never knew you could release that nut. I will try it in future . Thank you
Thank you for the simple and clear video. You can count another stopcock that has been freed off following your skill and experience. Thanks also to some of the other feedback comments; don’t fully open and ‘exercise’ the tap now and then (I’ll put a 6th month reminder in my iPhone!).
No problem .
You can use a salt water proof grease on the shaft once it's fully open then screw it all the way closed this great will keep calcium from building up. Also , you should crack these valves a couple times a yr to keep them free. Exercising them it's called.
Great video, I have very old valve and spend a lots of times today to close the stop clock , nothing happen , applied a lots of oil , still didn't work, we tried and tried , nothing happen , I am going to try the way you explained and showed clearly.Many thanks
No problem good luck with it.
Superb video. One point the electrician should have put the water bonding clamp just after the stop cock before the branch. He or she didn't i guess as the pipework installer gave him no straight copper to put it on as is usually the case ! The bend looks shallow enough though to get a decent contact. Would look cluttered but under sink affairs is not about aesthetics
Thanks for the info.
Hi great video I learning lots what about same problem but with lots of paint on it would you recommend the same method thanks
Yes, absolutely
The ring end of a spanner works a treat as well, plenty of leverage
That is right it does.
Thanks again for your video.We are selling are house and we have a surveyor coming in a couple of days.I am going to try some of the things you have suggested.Thanks again.
Best of luck!
Not for the first time, you saved me. Thanks again for sharing your expertise - much appreciated!
No problem.
Good advice Al.
Years ago, I did something similar for my late mother, as her stopcock was at the same level as the cupboard base, so only half of it was visible/accessible, and it was practically impossible for me to turn, let alone her.
So above it, I fitted a water actuated stop valve that had a remote switch that I could put in a place where she could operate it if needed.
Cgggfghh
Thanks mate, you have given me half a clue where to start with this. My tap head broke off, this video is great at giving me a shot at fixing. thanks !
Perfect! My tap in the garage was totally seized. And there was no way to turn off the mains to repair it. This did the trick!
No problem Bob.
Thanks for this excellent video.
Is this safe to do or can it end up in emergency if it's really badly stuck?
Every plumbing job has it`s risk but usually the worse you can do is to snap the handle off.
perfect blend of info and speed
Just stumbled upon this video. Really good advice from someone who's obviously got a lot of experience. Thanks. Subscribed.
Cheers
Brilliant advice here. How simple but how genius is the idea of putting the new stop cock in a better spot and leaving the old one on. Superb!
Thank you so much for posting this video, it's really helped. I turned my water off at the stopcock, when I returned, 10 days later, I couldn't turn it on again! I followed your suggestion, and tried to open it slightly, then closed it and continued ro do this until I was able to turn it on and off completely!
You're welcome!
Knowing beforehand where the shut off outside is having access to it and any key required will help prevent a minor disaster if it all goes wrong! When they start getting difficult it easier and simpler to just replace the stop cock, very cheap and easy to do.
Thanks for the good advice Andrew.
Thank-you Al !! Mine was REALLY stiff and took a lot of turning back and forth! Very stubborn. But it budged eventually :-) brilliant videos you do
Thanks Hollie.
amazing video, great explanation, helped me out a lot. simple and easy to understand and went over a lot of "what ifs" that I would have been worried about otherwise. thanks for the video!
No problem.
It's 2022 and I used this today to help me turn off my stopcock! Thank you soo much!!
Plumbing never gets very dated.
I have two old stop cocks which I have left in line, fully open which would not shut, and managed to put new replacements after them when the waterboard turned the water off and it works a treat and I dont see it as bad practice. I can't find the roadside stop cock. When eventually the water board turn up again to dig up the road up and turn the water off I will remove all the defunct stop taps in my house and install a brand new internal stop cock.
Thanks Dave.
Really helpful video, thank you. Good to see what's inside the stopcock, I now understand WHY some methods work better than others and what to do if all else fails. Other videos I've watched haven't covered that.
No problem Zoe.
Thank you mate. From a disabled 30 y/o. Taking comments to 667. Good health to you.
Thanks.
I liked the idea of loosening the packing gland, I never thought of that. I look after a local community hall and I will try that on our stop cock which is stuck open. Good video, well filmed.
Thank you.
If it's not just stiff through a bit of lime scale and the tap is really seized, then the simplest and quickest repair is to replace the valve assembly, but if your in an old house you will probably find the thread on the stopcock is Imperial while that shiny new one is metric.
Thanks for the info.
Great video, my tap moves a little left and right but won't move any further any good tips?
Try and gently move it a bit more at a time.
Great advice. Just freed up my seized tap in about 2 mins.
No problem Simon.
Just tried your fix for the stopcock under the kitchen sink and it worked!, many many thanks!!!
This video is a life saver, thank you so much! Stopcock is turning again! 1 down, 1 to go.
Glad it helped!
Thanks for the video, easy to follow. I live in hard water area and stop valve wouldn't move at all. I tried your first technique and it worked really well. Moved just a mm at first but then more and more after a few twists back and forward. I was worried about breaking the pipe or the joint so held it in place first.......I was still expecting something to snap but all well, thanks.
No problem.
love your videos plain talking and simple instructions if followed correctly
Thanks Pete.
Hi iv'e watched a few of your videos now, amazingly enough I've needed the ones about 3 way diverter and this one about stop taps so thanks very much, it's good to see in these times some people are still willing to help, thanks again. 👍
Glad I could help
I spent an hour wedged under my kitchen sink trying to free a jammed stop-cock. Went to pub in frustration, someone suggested 'just put a new one in'. Next day, £4.50 at local plumbers, a couple of turns of ptfe tape round the old olives on the pipes and I am Robert's nephew. A 10 minute job sorted by stepping back and thinking. Still OK 20 years later.
NICE video! I replace all of those type of valves with 1/4 turn steel ball valves! So far I've not had much trouble but I also try to remember to turn it closed/ open once a month
Then you are an idiot, 1/4 turn valves are not full bore they are service valves not stop taps
leslie straw They are if you use full bore type. You really need to check facts before commenting and making yourself look like an idiot.
Hi Derek. My mother (who has MS) has a problem with her hot water (not the smaller heating) tank. It has been trickling water through the over flow for around a year. Ive only just been made aware of this. In the roof space there is a stop tap that links the mains to hot water tank. I tried your advice and the tap wont budge. I even took the outdoor pole that turns off outdoor stop taps into the roof space and still no luck. The irony here is that my late father was a plumber!
Im going to try out your advice with the one under her sink which is also stuck. I`ll keep you posted.
Good luck.
Thank you. Interesting.
Is itvthe same method with the Red 'Wheeled/Round' type? I want to replace my shower, itcturned but didn't feel like it turned 100%, , I turned the electric switch which was dedicated to the shower off & the little bit of water stopped coming out but when I started taking the shower off I turned the nut back up tight as too much water was vining out, I didn't can't to chance it.
Thanks.
Yes, exactly
Red 'Wheeled/Round' type= GATE VALVE
Thank you for a brilliant video, I saved a £75 call out charge just by following your instructions,I'm well pleased.
Glad it helped Bob.
Nice trick, noted. Unfortunately, the one time this was an issue for me the stopcock was about 2” above the ground, & the groundpipe was plastic! The big risk was splitting the pipe and as I was in a block of 9 flats with only One stopcock out front, splitting the ground pipe was NOT an option. Major work as up through re-enforced concrete, and we’d all have been without water for the duration!
The fix required was done live, (late at night & his freeze kit had no gas lol).
Thanks for sharing!
Just had that issue with a basin & toilet. Never used and house has a softner..It didn't make sense..pulled the stems, washers never squose and so gritty..i wiped them off and greased the threads they hold and turn beautiful. ..👍👍
Great job.
Meant to say, good sensible well explained video, trouble is those old stop cocks always do that, and if you had an emergency you would not want to have to do that, they require regular maintainance, as you are doing, and all my years in plumbing never seen a sc with a dc, just shows, well done
Thanks Paul.
Whats a "dc"?
Really helpful video. Thanks for taking the time. Now off to tackle my old stopcock........
Go for it!
Don't always think you are out of the woods even if you do get the valve to shut.
I had to deal with a sticky gate valve once. Got it to close after a little fuss n fiddling. Fun came when I went to open it. The gate jammed in the body, I hadn't shut it that tight either. Then, trying to free it, the shaft broke.
It was barrel in, to copper out.
I fitted new gate valve downstream of old one. I then had to freeze the pipe above the now broken valve, strip the gate out of it, then re-assemble it, a bit like you suggested with fitting secondary S/C. As you say, not best practice, but it was in old flats and I couldn't find anyway to isolate it.
Must admit, it was a twtchy bum moment, just in case the ice plug failed while the old G/V was in pieces. There was a fair head of water to the valve.
That was a fun day at the office.
All the fun of being a plumber.
Just bung the tank feed. Easy. or drain tank
Just had that problem, done exactly what you said and hey presto it’s working again. Great video, thanks for the advice it worked a treat 👍👍
No problem.
Thank you so much! My day was nearly over before it had begun.
You're so welcome!
Neat option to reposition stop valve further along the pipe! Regrettably, this solution might well have solved my problem: but, the old stop cock was not only jammed solid, it was leaking at the unions due faulty installation damaging the olives, which appeared to have been packed with putty. So, valve had to be removed from the system completely and a new length of pipe inserted to get job done as well as using new fittings, just to be sure. Just bad luck in my case, but all things being equal these tips will work very well and save unnecessary work.
Cheers Ron.
Very informative video. Hopefully I can get my tab unjammed before the guy from Southern water arrives!
Awesome video, very helpful in my time of need! 🙏🙏🙏
No problem.
Good Video - although the 1st thing i would have done was put that porcelain milk jug in a safe place!
you give me the confidence to turn the internal stopcock off myself and await the plumber on MondAY thank you
No problem.
Hi
If you can please share any information on how I can looses or Open up a Jammed Brass Rose Water Sprinkler. .
I suppose the Threads Inside Jammed Due to Corrosion.
Spray plenty of WD 40 on it first.
If you cannot stop the gland leaking on a stop tap, do not keep tightening the gland but turn off the stop tap and the slacken the gland nut and screw it fully out, get some PTFE and twist it to make a cord, wrap a few inches the PTFE cord around the tap stem and push it down into the gap between tap body and the stem with a small screwdriver, now refit the gland nut and this will compact down the PTFE to make a new gland seal and stop water dripping past gland. You can actually buy PTFE solid cord specifically for this purpose, but twisting PTFE take to make a cord is pretty good..
Thanks.
You are the best out there very clear and precise instructions. Love you and Mrs . God bless you .
Thank you! You too!
That tool at 1:29 I bought in 1980s for £1 got me out of a lot of
trouble & I used it today at the back of a corner cupboard could
hardly see the tap needed the mains off to change Kitchen tap,
Sometimes you can get a leak from the nut & need to use some tape on it, WD40 must help to free it
Using a footprint pipe wrench (as shown) is one sure way of tearing the brass spindle, which is a soft metal, plus risking snapping the spindle inside the valve body.
Everything in life involves risk Jim. But i guess, not as we know it.
Great vid. I think that once the old one is unseized it might be a good idea to fit a new one inline as shown anyway. Just saying.
Thanks Malcolm
My plumper trying doing this has broken the turning handle. He did his work by closing the mains off in the street. But now I have no possibility to turn the water off in my property (for repairs) as this one is broken. I wonder how can I get it fixed?
You will also have to turn the water off outside.
Thanks for this helpful and brilliant video. You explain things so simply anyone can understand. Dave Barber
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks, your video helped me (:, especially your suggestion of using a footprint tool to start the turn. I didn't have one, but a plumber's wrench worked.
Pleased you sorted it ok.
Can you replace packing on these without shutting water supply?
Yes.
Useful video for the novice. Soaked my seized stop cock in limelite lime scale remover after I removed it. Freed it off a treat after only a 30 min soak.
Useful tip Bob thanks.
this is great, I have exactly the same stopcock. I was looking for guide like this everywhere, thank you
No problem.
Is there a reason why ¼ turn full bore lever valves aren't used? They seem much better application for the job
Yes because they have no non return valve fitted.
nice video! i'll have to try this tomorrow when i go back to my doer upper
Thanks. I'm just moving from my Apartment to a house, I'm replacing the taps as they are expensive & replacing them with every day cheaper ones, the problem I have is the stop clock won't move, I was going to try the Monkey wrench tomorrow but I didn't know you could turn the nut underneath it, so thanks, I'm just concerned if it doesn't work I can't turn the water off anywhere else so I won't be able to put another stop cock in, any advice? I was trying Spray oil, didn't know that won't work.Thanks.
You could always use a freezer kit as a last resort.
Unfortunately my seized example is hung/suspended in such a way that any excessive force would probably result in damage elsewhere in the line. The whole lot moves about as soon as you put a hand to it. No matter how hard I try I cannot work anything loose! Inevitably had to call a plumber in the end for fear of causing a flood. It's sometimes better to leave it to a pro in my experience.
Did the plumber loosen it or renew the tap.?
dereton33 He hasn’t been yet! I’m on his list...
How do you insert the new stop tap when the pipes either side are fixed and cannot be pushed apart? I have managed it with Yorkshire fittings by filing off the internal central ring but that is not an option with a more substantial stop cock.
Cut the pipe further back about a foot or so if you have the room, by inserting a small piece of pipe you will be able to insert fully into the stopcock, bend the copper out and into the coupling above.
Just one other thing if you dont have that adjustable spanner and the tap is seized, I use a medium ring spanner for greater leverage!!!
Thanks for the tip.
Hi, I don’t know if you can help me out but I have a toilet seat problem. It is held on underneath with metal butterfly washers. Because of arthritic fingers I am unable to tighten them. Is there such a tool I can purchase to aid this job? Thank you in advance sir.
No sadly, the best bet is still a pair of pliers.
@@dereton33 many thanks my friend. I appreciate your reply. Take care and stay safe and well.
Thank you so so much, mine was so tight.
I can now change my taps,and sort a radiator.
No problem.
Hi I have phoned umpteenth time to plumbers who say you can't free a seized stopcock as it will not be the same if it's freed, that's shocking from so many plumbers in my area. I have a burst pipe in garden, and the insurance will not pass said repair until I fix seized stopcock in kitchen? There is a stop valve in street? What's a seized stopcock got to do with a burst pipe in garden under my monobloc path?
Once they are freed, they can sometimes not work properly, but of course, you do not know until you try. Most plumbers will avoid this sort of job.
@@dereton33 Thank you for responding, yes your right no plumber will entertain it 😕 and the plumbing company for insurance will not fix burst pipe in garden because of internal stopcock, even though there is a working stop valve in street, many plumbers I spoke to on phone said, they would not bother if internal stopcock was seized anyway as they would use the stop valve in street to isolate water coming into property and to replace broken pipe in garden. Back to square one, insurance company are going to employ another company to look at issues in garden. Cheers 👍
How do you losed that packing box nut when it is refusing to turn is their a special spenner wrench ?
A small adjustable wrench, or if it is a round one, small stillsons.
@@dereton33 I have used adjustable spanner and the ajustable long pliar type one and nothing grips it and someone else tried
@@dereton33 Much appreciated I fixed my leak !
@@dereton33 By the way to change my toilet waste pipe and syphon as its rumbling some times how to I turn all water off as the stop cock next to the toilet that I fixed turns of tap water but water keep filling up the cistern
tried all that - still seized up, mole grips hold the round valve body better than any spanner i can find, from now on i will fully open/close all
valves once per year to prevent (hopefully) also i always put coppaslip or grease on threads to make next repair easier & clean up
valve seating
A tough lesson to learn Fred.