Old cottage (1880)

[cardigan]

Rising main stopcock

My son has a small cottage built circa 1880. Searching for the rising main and stopcock I found an iron ¾ inch pipe coming out of the ground with a standard brass stopcock on it. Like all these things it isn’t in the easiest of places and it isn’t new but I turned it as tight as I could by hand to close it (didn’t want to use a tool and break it) but it had absolutely no effect on the water flow or pressure. I would have thought that these taps were constructed as a simple mechanical device with internal parts that must move into and out of place to open and close the valve if the tap can be turned? Do these taps sometime become defective? Is it possible that this is not the rising main in which case what is it?

The pipe and tap I am looking at is iron pipe with brass tap, when this place was built in 1880 would the pipe work not have been lead, did they use iron then?

Btw, I found the supply on the road outside and saw that it was a relatively modern fitting with a plastic lever that was easily turned to close off and open up the water supply.

Thanks

Mike

 

[cardigan]

Toilet

This cottage is tiny and like I said built in 1880 probably for some surf or peasant worker. It has a toilet and bathroom. Would I be correct in suspecting that when it was built it would not have had an internal toilet, if so how did it get the drainage inside the house did someone at some stage dig up the internal floors? How were these things done in times past?

Thanks

Mike

 

[PlumbBobBob]

probably didn't even have water when built, just a well i expect.

 

[Dannypipe]

Yes, its common for old stop cocks to fail and not shut the water off.

Switch the water off in the street, and replace the stopcock. Normally a simple job for a tradesmen.

 

[capitanpugwash]

Best thing to do is to turn the tap fully off before cutting the old pipe just downstream. If the tap has closed properly, then all is well and you have saved on a plumber's call out. If it was not functioning correctly, then you will be able to tell because you'll be dripping wet and have ruined your son's house. Good luck

 

[stevetheplumber]

best method on iron if your lucky is to just change the valve body if you unlucky youve got to screw it of and hope it doesnt snap in the floor lots of heat and big stilsons

 

[fuzzy]

what is the condition of the steel like?

 

[cardigan]

Hi

Thanks for the helpful replies.

First off – do I take it that the collective response believes that the ¾ inch iron pipe coming up from the ground is the rising main?

Surprised as I am that the stopcock could fail to close, you say it can and does and I accept that. So, we need a new stopcock on the end of that iron pipe.

What is the condition of the iron pipe? I don’t know how to answer that, it looks solid enough but I have zero experience with iron. I don’t know how the stopcock fits onto the iron - is it a female iron taking a male brass stopcock; does the whole stopcock need to turn to unscrew out of the female iron – I don’t know; what is the norm?

From my standpoint (what I know and what I can do) I could simply put on another stopcock after the existing one – is that a silly idea – stupid thing to do?

Thanks again for the help and thanks for your wealth of your experience.

Mike

 

[dontknowitall]

I expect I'm not the only one keeping an eye on this thread - should be adding to my knowledge in due course!!

 

[GQuigley67]

any pictures ?

 

[GQuigley67]

and also are you sure that this is not an old pipe tht isnt being used anymore ? just been left in there ?

 

[cardigan]

 

[cardigan]

Hi,


See above pics (sorry about poor quality).

The pic on the left shows the iron pipe rising vertically. The pic on the right is an aerial view of the stopcock fitted to the iron pipe which is to the left of the stopcock. Leaving the stopcock to the right is 15mm copper pipe (painted whitish) going into a compression T joint and then leaving to the right and including a drainage valve (why?). The clean copper pipes in this pic are rising out of the ground and going I don’t know where.

Of course at some point I am going to have to dismantle the units from the wall to have a good look at what’s going on and to get at these pipes. Apart from trying to work out what’s going on I am trying to get an understanding of the degree of difficulty involved in removing and replacing that stopcock?

Thanks again

 

[WHPES]

You could always leave it in situ and add an extra stopcock after it. Save a lot of hassle and risk fracturing the pipe.

 

[cardigan]

You could always leave it in situ and add an extra stopcock after it. Save a lot of hassle and risk fracturing the pipe.

Thanks - yes that seems to be the safest option.

 

[tackleburger]

If you can put a new stop tap on before any appliances and you are comfortable doing that the do it. The otherway is to use a 3/4 female iron to 22mm compression and stick a shiney new one in it's place and convert any remaining pipework later.

 

[GQuigley67]

to be honest you'd be better off replacing the iron cant imagine the water being very nice