**SOS*** hot tap won't switch off
**SOS*** hot tap won't switch off
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TPAC

Original Poster:

3,358 posts

221 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
Can anyone help? Turned on tap to run a bath. Only trickle from hot tap. Thought it was just taking its time to come through. Turned tap more. Flowed normally. Turned off. Won't. When it turns to the off position its still running out. Relatively slowly, but enough that bath abandoned and plug out now.
Fatal tap malfunction? New taps? Emergwency plumber?

LotusACBC

2,591 posts

314 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
live in a house? go do the basement and find the pipe that leads to the bathroom, there ought to be a handle to cut off the flow of water midway through.

SS HSV

9,646 posts

288 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
Dam. Find a local Ducth boy and ask him to stick his finger in the whole.

HTH


You need a new washer BTW


TPAC

Original Poster:

3,358 posts

221 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
LotusACBC said:
live in a house? go do the basement and find the pipe that leads to the bathroom, there ought to be a handle to cut off the flow of water midway through.
No basement. House. Upstairs. Immersion heater in one of bedrooms. ??

TPAC

Original Poster:

3,358 posts

221 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
SS HSV said:
Dam. Find a local Ducth boy and ask him to stick his finger in the whole.

HTH


You need a new washer BTW
You feel sure thats all? Not the lifespan of taps? 18 months old. About £110

gti tim

1,633 posts

231 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
Remove bath panel - is there an isolator underneath in the pipe? if so you will need a flat screwdriver most likely to turn it off. Then up to Focus/ HOmebase for a new washer. Job done

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

285 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
You're going to drown...

HTH...

gtr-gaz

5,283 posts

276 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
Try the airing cupboard, where the hot water cylinder is.

Should be a valve to turn the feed at the bottom, off.

LotusACBC

2,591 posts

314 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
TPAC said:
LotusACBC said:
live in a house? go do the basement and find the pipe that leads to the bathroom, there ought to be a handle to cut off the flow of water midway through.
No basement. House. Upstairs. Immersion heater in one of bedrooms. ??
I dont know of any other way other than to cut it off mid pipe, Ive always seen water pipes with a cut off handle. Other than that, I would say call a plumber, or take the handle off and use a wrench to turn it the rest of the way off. it seems like the handle isnt grabbing to turn the rest of the way.

TPAC

Original Poster:

3,358 posts

221 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
mybrainhurts said:
You're going to drown...

HTH...
I'm scared you're right. Bath panel - isolator???

I'm a woman, for goodness sake !!!

Red Firecracker

5,346 posts

257 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
LotusACBC said:
live in a house? go do the basement and find the pipe that leads to the bathroom, there ought to be a handle to cut off the flow of water midway through.
Unfortunately I think the OP may be on the older side of the pond, in which case the plumbing is rather different. smile

Sounds like the tap washer has gone or the threads have furred up.

LotusACBC

2,591 posts

314 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
Red Firecracker said:
LotusACBC said:
live in a house? go do the basement and find the pipe that leads to the bathroom, there ought to be a handle to cut off the flow of water midway through.
Unfortunately I think the OP may be on the older side of the pond, in which case the plumbing is rather different. smile

Sounds like the tap washer has gone or the threads have furred up.
I see. wink

I would agree with the tap washer. Take the handle off? turn it the rest of the way with a wrench?

eliot

11,995 posts

284 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
Given that it turned on slowly, perhaps the "knob" is plastic and has stripped on the splines. Remove knob and turn off with pliers.

gti tim

1,633 posts

231 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
bath panel - the front of the bath - fancy plastic or wood. Remove this and look for a metal piece on the pipe for the hot tap. Should have a flat screwdriver slot in it. Turn this and it should stop the water!

GKP

15,099 posts

271 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all


thumbup

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

285 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
TPAC said:
I'm a woman, for goodness sake !!!
Well...I didn't know that

Bugger me with a soggy leek....

TPAC

Original Poster:

3,358 posts

221 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
gti tim said:
bath panel - the front of the bath - fancy plastic or wood. Remove this and look for a metal piece on the pipe for the hot tap. Should have a flat screwdriver slot in it. Turn this and it should stop the water!
panel off. No connection there that has screwdriver slot

RedexR

1,861 posts

244 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
gti tim said:
bath panel - the front of the bath - fancy plastic or wood. Remove this and look for a metal piece on the pipe for the hot tap. Should have a flat screwdriver slot in it. Turn this and it should stop the water!
If you don,t have a scredriver slot (eg older systems)look for the taps in the airing cupboard , one will control flow to the hot water system , it may take a few minutes to stem the flow , also turn your boiler off if you do this to be on the safe side , if you don,t want the kerfuffle on a Sat night let the tap run and fix it tomorrow.

Don,t worry its only the washer in the middle of the tap barrel 3/4 inch bath size , you can even just take it off the stem and turn it around as a temporary fix.

There may be two taps , one will be from the header tank in the loft as well , if you don,t have a valve/tap then you have to stop the flow in the header tank (ballvalve) in the loft up there , this will be filling if the bathroom tap is flowing , I know this is stressful by now...

Edited by RedexR on Saturday 4th October 18:37

Ferg

15,242 posts

287 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
If there is a cylinder in the airing cupboard, find the pipe that goes into the bottom at the lowest point. Follow it up towards where it goes through the ceiling and there should be a valve on it, probably with a red wheel on it. Turn it clockwise to isolate the hot, then go looking for a valve nearer the bath tap so that you can turn the hot water back on for all the other outlets.



If you don't have a cylinder, turn off the main stopcock (probably under the sink in the kitchen).

Edited by Ferg on Saturday 4th October 18:33

TPAC

Original Poster:

3,358 posts

221 months

Saturday 4th October 2008
quotequote all
Ferg said:
If there is a cylinder in the airing cupboard, find the pipe that goes into the bottom at the lowest point. Follow it up towards where it goes through the ceiling and there should be a valve on it, probably with a red wheel on it. Turn it clockwise to isolate the hot, then go looking for a valve nearer the bath tap so that you can turn the hot water back on for all the other outlets.



If you don't have a cylinder, turn off the main stopcock (probably under the sink in the kitchen).

Edited by Ferg on Saturday 4th October 18:33
Three of those. One large. Two smaller?