External Home Stopcock

[wweesstt]

HI,

Closing the internal house Stopcock located under the sink eventually stops water flowing from the kitchen tap or washing machine hose when these are left open. However, if the tap/ hose is closed, with the stopcock still isolated and left for several minutes then there is another stream of water coming through. Stopcock is clearly passing - I have tried nipping up the packing, but no success.

I am unable to locate an outside stopcock on the boundary of the property. My house is semi detached and there is a one outside my attached neighbours driveway that actually looks quite new. There are also two covers on my other neighbours side (the non attached side). One of these is clearly marked with a 'W' for water. I have attached a picture of the other one to see if anyone knows what this is? It is full to the top with soil and no clear markings.

I know stop cocks can be shared between properties, but is it possible for a property to have no external stopcock? Reason I ask is the passing stopcock looks to be the second one installed in the property. There is an old one below it on the mai. water feed and that has had the handle removed. I'm thinking when the first one passed they couldn't find the external one to replace it and just installed a new internal one above it.
Any advice would be much appreciated. Don't want to dig out the pictured hatch if it's for another property or service.

 

[exedon2]

Ask your water supplier to confirm where your external stop tap is.
Certainly in the 3 water supplier areas I work in they will come out locate and if necessary clear or even replace external stop tap.

 

[Knappers]

It's not uncommon for old stopcocks to be left in place and new ones fitted after.
The water board will come and clean out valve access in the street, may take a couple of weeks but there's no arguments about it.
If you decide to do it yourself then I'd recommend a jetwash and wet-vac combo.

 

[Deleted member 120897]

Is there room for a freeze kit, or even replacing one above existing (although not a favourite one of mine)?

 

[snowhead]

As above the water supplier will locate it and clear it out or fit one in the unlikely event there isn't one.

Sometimes the street valve gets tarmacc'd over or lost under the pavement or can be found in the front garden if the boundary fence / wall was put up in a different place to the original plan.

 

[wweesstt]

Thanks al. Got this sorted. Northumbria water came and dug this out as advised. Technician was really helpful, turned water off and even changed out the stopcock under the sink while water was off (former plumber). Really good helpful guy. Managed to fit me in the next day