Looking for my stop tap

[Andy777]

Hi, I’m looking for my internal stop tap but having trouble, I’ve found something that might be it (see image below) but I don’t want to risk turning it unless I’m sure - any help would be appreciated.

 

[Harvest Fields]

It could well be.

 

[Andy777]

It could well be.

Thanks,
It looks like a tap that’s been cut off to get the kitchen cupboards to fit.
But I was hoping for a more definitive answer before I try turning it.
My external stop tap is not accessible thanks to the council laying a road over it!
So I don’t want to take any chances.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Thanks,
It looks like a tap that’s been cut off to get the kitchen cupboards to fit.
But I was hoping for a more definitive answer before I try turning it.
My external stop tap is not accessible thanks to the council laying a road over it!
So I don’t want to take any chances.

Call them back to uncover it. You need an external one also.

 

[Andy777]

Call them back to uncover it. You need an external one also.

Yeah I’m aware of this, but that’s another matter, and not one that’s likely to get resolved quickly and I’m having a new kitchen fitted next week so I was really hoping that someone on here might recognise whether this is a tap or something else?

 

[rpm]

If you are going to try it then suggest, wire brush from spindle to main body (2"?), soak in WD40 every day for a week, maybe slacken of the first nut a touch (1 turn) first, use mole grips and gently turn spindle left/ right, left/ right a few times to get it moving and be gentle turning that spindle or it could snap!

 

[Andy777]

If you are going to try it then suggest, wire brush from spindle to main body (2"?), soak in WD40 every day for a week, maybe slacken of the first nut a touch (1 turn) first and be gentle turning that spindle or it could snap!

Thanks very much that’s helpful and I’ll try it that way. It is definitely a tap then?

 

[snowhead]

That most likely was the Stop tap.
The handle has probably been cut off because it's siezed and usually whoever did that would have put a new tap higher up.

As you don't have access to the street tap trying to shut off that one is not recommended.
If it shears off you have nowhere to isolated it.
I doubt it would fully shut off anyway.

Ring your water company, they'll locate the street tap, but I doubt they'll do it within a week.
It needs locating anyway.
The plumber (not a kitchen fitter) doing the work on your kitchen should have no trouble freezing the pipe and fitting a new stop tap.

The incoming lead service pipe could have done with being changed whilst the units are out.

 

[rpm]

Thanks very much that’s helpful and I’ll try it that way. It is definitely a tap then?

Looks like a valve, that is all I can say from here.

 

[Pickwickpick]

That does look like your stopcock, the pipe that joins up to it from that floor looks like a lead main, can't guarantee it is without a walk around your house, but from the photo it does look extremely likely.

However I'd be very concerned about using it knowing that the street level one is inaccessible, if it starts leaking (something that can happen when they've not been used in a long time) or breaks you'll be in some trouble. The fact they've sawn off the handle is also not going to make your life easy! If there's no way that they council will sort things out quickly enough for you, I'd make sure to have a replacement stopcock and a pipe freezing kit readily available, just in case.