On and off

[codswallop]

I have an on-off valve in both the hot and cold water feeds to my kitchen taps.I need to turn off the hot valve but as usual when dealing with water it appears to have seized up.Can anyone please suggest a way to free it as I need to do some work on the tap? The on/ off is done by a central screw and the slot is looking the worse for wear....Thanks!!!

[The Builder]

Sounds like a Ball-O-Fix valve Cods ........................ someone has mashed the slot by the sound of it :o(
If you have a combi boiler then just turn the cold main off ............... if it's a standard gravity system (roof tank and copper cylinder) ............. then there should be a gatevalve in the airing cupboard ..........

[AlBags]

On some ball isolation valves, there is just room to get a pair of pliers on the head of the isolation screw. Try that, work a little backwards and forwards.

Any gate valve will NOT turn off water at kitchen cold tap. It should be on the rising main, so turn off main stopcock if you have to.

[alavahalf]

First of all ..'very important' ... fill your kettle as tea may be required

Sounds as though you will need to replace the valve... as well as work on the tap.

As previously mentioned, if you have a combi, turn the main stopcock off... and if you have the conventional gravity system, the gate valve will stop the hot supply..
More often than not gate valves are seized.
If that is the case ... turn the mains off and drain the hot tank down.
Replace your service valve ... and sort the tap out.
Turn the cold main back on ...

If only it was that easy ... normally the batteries in your torch will be flat... The mains stopcock is seized ... the airing cupboard is packed solid with clothes...you cant find the gate valve ... and if you do, it's seized...you then have to re-pack the cupboard with bras and big pants that have fallen out during the search.
You end up outside looking for a stop-cock in the garden which has been covered with soil for years, and the chamber contains an ants nest when you do find it..!

Happy days ... good luck..!

[The Builder]

Nice one Alava .................. so true lol
I've been there many times.............. and I'm not even a proper plumber!

[alavahalf]

I'm not a plumber either ...I just seem to spend lots of time doing repairs..!

[codswallop]

Thanks everyone.Alavahalf you haven't been to my house have you???????