Miracle hot water supply or perhaps not

[Andy Minter]

I need to cut the hot pipe supplying a washbasin. It's an older type system. Tank in roof with hot water cylinder etc. So in the usual way, I turned the off the stop c*ck between the cold water tank and the cylinder. This has always worked before and it works now - for every tap in the house except the one I'm working on. All the other taps in the house are dry but this one continues, even after a long delay, to run, at a very much reduced rate but still at about two pints per minute (still hot). My first thought was that it's the lowest tap in the system and so perhaps some water is getting past the stop c*ck, enough to slowly feed that lowest tap. But in that case turning off the offending tap should result in another tap beginning to run. This doesn't happen. The other taps remain resolutely dry. Any suggestions as to cause or what to do? I could of course just go ahead and cut the pipe anyway and put up with the water. Naturally the basin is in the most awkward corner of the bathroom and at a guess it will take ten minutes to cut through the pipe and as I do it I shall have hot water pouring over my hands. Thick gloves perhaps?

[MrCheerful]

Turn off the supply to the loft tank and run the hot out. Trying to work on live water pipes is a no-no, unless outside in the summer. Alternatives are to plug the outlet from the cold tank. Or freeze the pipe.

MrCheerful

MrCheerful

[PoP]

Turn off the main cold supply to the house, then open all taps (hot and cold) to run off the tank contents. The reason you are turning on the cold taps is that you need to clear the cold tank as well as the hot, as the hot is fed from the cold tank.

As for cutting thru the pipe - get a pipe slice. These wrap around the pipe and you just turn it round the pipe to cut thru:

[Ed Sirett]

Also get yourself a rotary pipe slicer (screwfix part no. 12468).

[Andy Minter]

Thanks. I rather feared that might be the only solution

The pipe in question is too close to the wall (abt 5 mm)

[N. Thornton]

If you didnt know to turn the house water supply off, are you sure you know how to do this? Some things are better asked before than after.

Regards, NT

[PoP]

Hmm, that is a bit close.

Typically though you can pull pipes away from the wall enough to get the pipe slice in.

However if that doesn't do it you need to buy another tool when you acquire the pipe slice - a shiny new SDS drill will take care of the wall to pipe distance..... ;)

PoP

[Christian McArdle]

Don't laugh. I've actually used that technique!

Christian.

[PoP]

Have SDS drill, all problems solved ;)

PoP