Missing Stopcock

[Lakitu]

Anyone got any ideas as to where my stopcock might be located? I've checked in all the usual places...under the sink, in the cupboard, bathroom, outside, but no joy.

Any other suggestions for it's hiding place will be grately received......

[redman41]

You could ask the Water Board to fit a Water Meter in your Flat, they would then have to find the Stop Cock to turn the water off, free Service

[Lakitu]

HA, that's a good idea! Unfortunately, it'd take them ages to get round to doing that and I've got a partially installed new kitchen waiting for me to switch off the water so I can finish.

I'm probably showing my ignorance here, but I'm in Scotland and we don't get charged for our water the same way it's done in England, so I guess that'd be even more reason for them to drag their heels fitting a meter?

[albaqwerty]

Do you have any 'boxing in' in your kitchen to hide any pipes?
Ours is behind a panel underneath a kitchen counter.

[Lakitu]

I do indeed, going right up the height of the kitchen, and I suspect carries on down through my neighbours kitchen too.

Screwdriver at the ready to take off the plasterboard and see if it's there. Thanks!

[albaqwerty]

Hope you find it.

Am in Scotland too, council house and have great fun with water problems in this house :)

[Lakitu]

Yep, this is why phoning Scottish Water is the very last thing I want to be doing. They're about as useful as Aberdeen Council (that'd be a chocolate firewall just in case you're left wondering.....)

[Vicasso]

If you are in a 'newish' block with a standard layout, I would initially assume the stopcock is in the same position in all the other apartments so check with your neighbours.

[Lakitu]

I did, but no joy x

[albaqwerty]

Do you know a friendly, local plumbing Company who might just investigate for the call out fee. Anymore than 28 quid would be a no-no.

[Lakitu]

Yeah but I really want to exhaust all possibilities first before I pay out for it LOL.

I've knocked down a wall so the adjoining cupboard is now part of the kitchen and there was a radiator on the kitchen side. I absolutely did not want to pay for a plumber to come and do it as I know it's an "easy" task, I just didn't know how to do it. I was determined though and I did indeed successfully remove the rad and cap of the pipes beneath the boards.

Sometimes it just pays to be grippy ;o)

[mjwman]

Quite often there is a service cupboard for each self contained property in the communial area. It should be there.
Also there may be individual cocks in the pavement outside where the mains comes in. If there is a meter, that is where it is read.

[Lakitu]

Self contained means there is no communal area unless you're talking about the pavement?

I have my front door at street level, as do my downstairs neighbours.

[bednobs]

mine is in the living room (!) however, when you think that our living room used to be the litchen before the house was extended in the 80's it's not so strange

[dave50]

Ours is under the floor, there is a hatch under the front door mat well.

[ummmm]

Mine is outside the front door...

I have my front door at street level, as do my downstairs neighbours.<<<How?

[mccfluff]

laki goes up the neighbours walk straight in, divvy :-)

[bednobs]

silly billy ummm - you go in the door, then go up some stairs

[ummmm]

It confused me because she said she had no communal areas....I am also tired :-)

[Lakitu]

The building is the same height as a 2 floor house, they have all the ground, I have all of the top. Our front doors are about 5 feet apart, I open my door and go upstairs to the main body of my house. It's my front door, my stairwell and visitors still have to knock.

The stairwell looks like any stairs inside a house, not concrete or anything.

I hope I've explained that OK LOL

[Lakitu]

Ah, thanks guys for replying, I was buggering about mid post LOL x