Emergency pipe shutoff tool.

[Ian Stirling]

I can imagine a tool like a pair of mole-grips, with a bigger lever, that squashes a pipe flat, and shuts off the flow that way. Do these exist?

[Newshound]

For copper or lead, what's wrong with a Mole wrench?

[Set Square]

Do you want the action to be reversible?

I believe you can get clamps for plastic pipes to stop the flow temporarily. If you did it to a metal pipe, it would stay flat!

If it's copper pipe, you can just put a push-fit end stop on the end - which can subsequently be removed.

[Jimmy]

Hopefully someone can verify this. I had always thought it might damage or weaken the (plastic) pipe. I need to get rid of a radiator in my house. It certainly would be easier to just clamp the plastic (Acorn) pipes on each side of it, and cap them off rather than drain the whole system to do it.

J

[mrcheerful]

get a two head freezer

[BigWallop]

Folding the pipe a couple of inches back from the end until you can get proper stop ends would also do this for you. It might not stop the flow totally, but it's enough to be able to set stops without the full pressure fighting on them.

[Jimmy]

But much more expensive, yes?

J

[mike ring]

[e-mail] (Jimmy) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

If you have an unvented F&E tank you can bung up the outlet and vent pipes and do the job with very little heatant loss (they tell me) 8-)

mike

[Jimmy]

Wow, that's so obvious when you think about it! Thank you for sharing the tip. Funny that this has never occurrd to me before - but that may be because I subconsciously feared that it would split the pipe or weaken it. I have to conclude you don't think so.

Yet another reason why flexible plastic pipe is a good choice for general household plumbing!

J

[Ian Stirling]

Not strong enough (for copper). I tried this with a pair of mole grips, and it will squash a 8mm pipe flattish. However, it will not squash it flat enough to stop it dripping. As to 22mm, no hope.

[Peter Stockdale]

..

A clamp is commonly used to shut off water in polywatsit mains pipes to effect burst repairs with no ill- after effects. You could give it a try but a suppose it depends on the type of poly.

Pete

[Paul Barker]

Yes it works very well. If you don't have a set of cone shaped rubbe bungs, of those things with a lever on you get to put in a wine bottl usually fit. I used one only the other day when a gate valve neede changing.

In a sealed system you don't even need the bungs, just drain until th system hangs, close the drain. Shut off the rad to be removed, cut an cap one pipe, then the other, take away the rad, repressurise th system. Don't be scared of it, it's science and it works

-- Paul Barker

[mike ring]

Paul Barker wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Don't be scared of it, it's science and it works.

I believe, I believe!

(but until you've actually done it...... ;-)

mike

[IMM]

Yep. That is what the water companis use to cut the water on underground plastic pipes.