Is it possible to fix a basin tap without turning the water off?

[Neil23]

Due to reasons I can't go in to - it is currently impossible to have the water turned off. The basin taps have basically stopped working on a downstairs bathroom basin - cold and hot - the taps don't turn smoothly - they have, over time, gone to a trickle and then a drip and then nothing (from the cold tap). I am not sure how the innards of the cartridges work (assuming that is what it is).

Is there any way to get the water flowing again without turning the water off?

Would vinegar remove any build up of limescale IF that is what is likely? If so, would it work - to put a container of vinegar over the tap spout and have the vinegar level in there higher than the tap - would the vinegar go up and dissolve the limescale?
Any other suggestions are much appreciated.

ps as mentioned above - atm it is impossible to turn the water off - this is an older house with an extension and I cannot see any stop valves in the pipe under the basin or leading up to it. I think the only way to do it would be to switch off the water suplly and drain the hot and cold tanks.

But... IF there is any way to get these taps working without having to turn the water off?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Nope need new taps

 

[Chuck]

ps as mentioned above - atm it is impossible to turn the water off - this is an older house with an extension and I cannot see any stop valves in the pipe under the basin or leading up to it. I think the only way to do it would be to switch off the water supply and drain the hot and cold tanks.

Get a qualified plumber to do the work. They'll probably just drain the tanks but if appropriate they'll be able to put bungs in the tank outlets and/or freeze the pipes below the basin. Also discuss getting them to fit some isolators at the same time so that future maintenance is more straightforward.

[For jobs where there's a risk of something going wrong you want a properly qualified and insured tradesman. Your homeowner's insurance is unlikely to cover you if a DIY attempt goes wrong and there is a lot of water damage.]

 

[Normski99]

No problem! Buy a pack of dry ice, carefully pack the dry ice round the pipe. It will freeze in a few minutes, Carry out the repair. Take away the dry ice and warm the supply pipe a bit. Done!!
However. Buying a bit of dry ice was no problem back in he 1960s, in the 21st century, while the principle is the same, I'm sure the methodology has been updated a bit. If you Google "freezing water pipe with dry ice uk" You will find loads of information.

 

[Gasinspect]

Due to reasons I can't go in to - it is currently impossible to have the water turned off. The basin taps have basically stopped working on a downstairs bathroom basin - cold and hot - the taps don't turn smoothly - they have, over time, gone to a trickle and then a drip and then nothing (from the cold tap). I am not sure how the innards of the cartridges work (assuming that is what it is).

Is there any way to get the water flowing again without turning the water off?

Would vinegar remove any build up of limescale IF that is what is likely? If so, would it work - to put a container of vinegar over the tap spout and have the vinegar level in there higher than the tap - would the vinegar go up and dissolve the limescale?
Any other suggestions are much appreciated.

ps as mentioned above - atm it is impossible to turn the water off - this is an older house with an extension and I cannot see any stop valves in the pipe under the basin or leading up to it. I think the only way to do it would be to switch off the water suplly and drain the hot and cold tanks.

But... IF there is any way to get these taps working without having to turn the water off?

check they are tank fed, then put a bung in the tank outlets and open a couple of taps elsewhere to drain what is in the pipes. i had an electric pipe freezer which made jobs like this easy. and put isolating valves in while you have the chance.

 

[Gasinspect]

check they are tank fed, then put a bung in the tank outlets and open a couple of taps elsewhere to drain what is in the pipes. i had an electric pipe freezer which made jobs like this easy. and put isolating valves in while you have the chance.