Water Supply to 1970s House

[Invicta]

We have just moved into this 3 deroom semi and have started to replac

the kitchen units. When I came to knock down a partition wall (betwee kitchen and dining room) I found half of it was built with plywoo instead of plasterboard. I then found two felixible plastic pipe (supplying hot and cold water to the dishwasher and sink) comming dow through the ceiling from under the floor boards in the back bedroom The main StopCock for the house is under a small metal inspection plat in the public path in front of the house. The only one I can find insid the house is located after a small rectangular header tank and befor the large round water tank in the loft. This tank has a ball c*ck in i . I can't find where water comes into the house or a stopcock before th header tank. Has anyone any suggestions as to

1) Where the water supply should come into the house. 2) Wether there should be a StopCock before the header tank 3) Best method for plumbing hot and cold water into our kitchen. I've worked on previous houses and the feed has been either in th kitchen or under the stairs with an easily accessible StopCock so I' baffled with the current system. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Kind regards, Bernard

-- Invicta

[Lobster]

Well typically it's in or near the kitchen because the kitchen sink has to be fed direct from the mains, not from stored water (and from the description of your loft, you do have stored water). You can confirm this arrangement by turning off the stopcock in the road and checking that the cold tap in the kitchen is turned off immediately.

If there was no stopcock in the road, then absolutely 100%, because you'd have no way of turning off the mains in a flood. I'd still consider it highly desirable to have one before the header tank - ie at the point where the main enters the house - and if it was my house I'd be fitting a stopcock tomorrow!

Whaddya mean, 'best': in what way?? Nothing inherently wrong with what you've got providing you have mains water in the kitchen.

AFAICS so far the only real problem is that you can't find where the water enters ther house - hard for anyone else to help with that. Have you checked the nearest point of the house to the stopcock outside? Can you detect the sound of water in pipework around the house when the kitchen tap's running? Are there other houses around yours built at the same time, where you could ask where their stopcock is? (Of course if you can find the entry point in your house you might well find a stopcock there!)

David

[Invicta]

I think I've found it. Boxed in behind two kitchen units to the right of where the sin currently is. It appears to be 22mm copper pipe - I can't tell exactly as th "inspection" holes I've drilled and sawn are too far away from thi pipe for me to get an accuarte measurement - until I dismantle th cupboards that is. Its blanked off with a fitting that has a square nu head and the gas pipe is behind our cooker so I guess this is a goo bet?

The barm-pots who previously had a go at the plumbing have at leas indicated where I can find the hot water feed (currently under th floor in our bedroom).

Thanks for the tip re asking our neighbours where their stopcock is Yes I will get one fitted under the sink (I suspect I'll be puttin back what previous people had removed but at least it will give us a option in a logical place should we need it in an emergency).

Still can't locate the feed into the house, based on tonight experience it's probably up the chimney!..

Once again thank you for your advice - if you need any help with Exce (the spreadsheet) give me a shout.

Regards, Bernard

-- Invicta

[Phil L]

Is there any 'boxing in' in any of the downstairs rooms? - maybe taking water upstairs? - if there is a small box running up a wall somewhere, the stoptap is probably in this, close to the bottom, sometimes behind a removable or hinged section but sometimes boxed right over by an inconsiderate joiner, possibly called Frank.

[Invicta]

Phil, Yes it would seem logical - but nope. Just a large black plastic soi pipe. Thanks for the suggestion though. Bernar

-- Invicta