Mains water supply valve question

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I don't even know if I've got the right name, but it's the valve/tap/c*ck/whatever in the front garden between the 'big' mains water pipe under the road, and the house.

I spent a while prodding and digging out the cover from the front grass, and then lifted the lid to see if it was visible. It isn't, because the thing has filled up with soil. I suppose it would be a good idea to dig it out, or something, but is there a standard depth for these things? I'm just trying to work out how much time to set aside for the job. My plan is to try to wash it out with a hose, since I can't think of anything that will actually fit down there.

And if I do, is it likely to just fill up again?

[Adrian]

If it's the main one from the street to you, then ring the water company. Their problem.

[Andy Burns]

Got an old wet'n'dry hoover that's been relegated to DIY duties?

[ARW]

Just out of arms reach!

Fit another cover below the top cover after removing the soil.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , ARW writes

Bit of semi-rigid foam like they use to protect the meter from frost.

[Nightjar]

+1

However, don't be surprised if they dig up the pavement and replace the entire chamber, which is how they corrected the problem with mine.

As for depth - I have known them to be anything from just below the cover to about half a meter down. The tap operating tool I have is about a meter long, so presumably they are not normally expected to be any further down than that.

[Nightjar]

...

On mine, the soil had washed in from the bottom.

[Roger Mills]

How old is the house? If the stop c*ck has been there a long time, it may have a clay pipe going down to it - and that may have broken, allowing the pipe to fill with soil. If so, water will make it worse. Try to get the soil out dry if you can, loosening it with a small trowel, and then removing it by hand. When lying on the ground with your arm down the hole, you should just about be able to reach the tap with your hand.

[alan_m]

Mine was the depth of the tap operating tool. I cleared my soil filled chamber with a hose and a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. A jet of water to turn the soil into mud and the vacuum cleaner to suck up the mud.

However, once cleared the tap was seized. My local water provider replaced it for free with a meter and stop c*ck combination, all in plastic.

You may not get a replacement these days without signing up for a water meter. For my household a meter reduced the bills.

[Nick]

I had a similar problem recently. Stopcock covered in silt and certainly beyond arms reach. Butchered an old tablespoon and attached a length of dowel by a couple of jubilee clips. After much ferreting, managed to unearth the wretched thing. More than a metre down and sodden. Fortunately it turned freely. I haven't had occasion to use it for at least 10 years or more. Hopefully the next time it's required I'll be pushing up daisies. Whether the soil/silt comes from above or below, it will fill up again. Nick.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Lots of good suggestions - thanks, all. It's surprising to discover that it sounds like a fairly common problem. I had visions of someone from the water company turning up, having to switch it off quickly for some reason, and finding a problem they'd never encountered before.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I got a water meter a few years ago, after an annoying increase in charges of about ten percent. Immediately the meter was fitted, with no information about how much water we use, the bill went down from about £60 per month to £40 per month, at which level it has remained ever since. I can only assume that we were being deliberately penalised for not having a meter.

[charles]

no - you were being charged "water rates", based on the rateable value of your house. We ddin't get a meter until after our two girls had left home. I suspect if we'd had it earlier our charges would have increased.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I realise that, but I was surprised that the rateable charge of £60 was so out of step with the immediate metered charge of £40 at a time when they had no idea how much we used. I'd guess that the £40 was an estimate, itself based on the rateable value, but why should their rateable value charge be so much higher than what I assume is their metered estimate based on the same thing?

I expect I'm just a bit miffed that had I done this years ago, I might have saved a few thousand pounds :-)

We've a five-year old boy who likes three baths a day (with dinosaurs and toy ships, of course). I shudder to imagine what having two girls will do to you bill. My sister has two girls, and says that the bathroom never gets a chance to dry out.

[Robert]

We are on a rateable value billing system, even with just 2 inhabitants and low usage it works out significantly cheaper than if we were on a meter.

[CB]

Are you in a small single bedroom apartment? The most often quoted "rule of thumb" is that if you have less occupants than bedrooms you will probably be better off on a meter.

Is your water currently metered (but charged at a flat rate), if not how are you estimating your current usage?

[Robert]

Water consumption estimated using UU tool at 230 litres per day, which I understand is below average for 2 people, this if metered would give annual cost of £380. Present rates based bill is £330 per year. House is 3/4 bedroom. Costs are totals for Water + Waste.

[bert]

Do you now have a key to operate the new stop c*ck in case of a leak and if so where did you get it?

[bert]

And if you were on a meter you would be paying for the leak if it was after the meter.

[CB]

Hmm that's interesting. I live alone and over the past year have averaged 80 litres a day (including limited watering of the garden on a driper for about 4-6 weeks) which in this area costs me £160 year (total water & waste).

The last year before I went for a meter (2004) I was paying £440 per year (including the hosepipe supplement which I think was about £80). That is in a 3 bed house.