I want to renew my kitchen sink top taps but the stop tap on the hot water 
supply is seized.

The stop tap is difficult to get at behind the sink base unit otherwise I 
would have just changed it.

I've tried WD40 but I think the stop tap must be seized internally with 
limescale.

Any ideas on how to free the stop tap ??

Tia.

In article ,
	"Mackem"  writes:

> I want to renew my kitchen sink top taps but the stop tap on the hot water 
> supply is seized.
> 
> The stop tap is difficult to get at behind the sink base unit otherwise I 
> would have just changed it.
> 
> I've tried WD40 but I think the stop tap must be seized internally with 
> limescale.
> 
> Any ideas on how to free the stop tap ??


Go and find the main tap in the road or garden
(with the water meter if you have one) and shut that off.
If it doesn't, get the water company to replace it.
If you are in a teraced house, the main tap may do more
than one house, and might be in someone else's garden.

Whilst it's off, you can do both the kitchen tap and the
stop tap. Often, you can unscrew the valve body and replace
it with the valve body from a new tap, avoiding disturbing
the pipework connections. If you replace the whole tap
instead, might want to use a 1/4 turn full bore lever valve
instead.

-- 
Andrew Gabriel

"Andrew Gabriel"  wrote in message 
news:43522c1b$0$38046$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk...

> In article ,
> "Mackem"  writes:
>> I want to renew my kitchen sink top taps but the stop tap on the hot 
>> water
>> supply is seized.
>>
>> The stop tap is difficult to get at behind the sink base unit otherwise I
>> would have just changed it.
>>
>> I've tried WD40 but I think the stop tap must be seized internally with
>> limescale.
>>
>> Any ideas on how to free the stop tap ??
>
> Go and find the main tap in the road or garden
> (with the water meter if you have one) and shut that off.
> If it doesn't, get the water company to replace it.
> If you are in a teraced house, the main tap may do more
> than one house, and might be in someone else's garden.
>
> Whilst it's off, you can do both the kitchen tap and the
> stop tap. Often, you can unscrew the valve body and replace
> it with the valve body from a new tap, avoiding disturbing
> the pipework connections. If you replace the whole tap
> instead, might want to use a 1/4 turn full bore lever valve
> instead.
>
> -- 
> Andrew Gabriel


I think Andrew omitted that you may need to run water off from the hot tap 
until the storage tank is empty.

Peter

> I think Andrew omitted that you may need to run water off from the hot tap
> until the storage tank is empty.


I'm confused as to which stop cock the OP is talking about. Normally H/W 
cocks prevent water entering the copper cylinder from the C/W storage tank 
and are to be found on the pipework leading to the copper cylinder from that 
tank - not behind the sink unit. So turning this off would allow him to 
change the sink tap without further ado (and without having to drain any 
tanks). However, it appears that he's saying that the main water cock is 
jammed. This would control supply to the C/W system and to the H/W storage 
tank. Turning it off probably won't stop water getting to the hot tap.

Rob Graham

In article <nqq4f.126147$RW.114365@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
	"Peter Andrews"  writes:

> 
> "Andrew Gabriel"  wrote in message 
> news:43522c1b$0$38046$5a6aecb4@news.aaisp.net.uk...
>> In article ,
>> "Mackem"  writes:
>>> I want to renew my kitchen sink top taps but the stop tap on the hot 
>>> water
>>> supply is seized.
>>>
>>> The stop tap is difficult to get at behind the sink base unit otherwise I
>>> would have just changed it.
>>>
>>> I've tried WD40 but I think the stop tap must be seized internally with
>>> limescale.
>>>
>>> Any ideas on how to free the stop tap ??
>>
>> Go and find the main tap in the road or garden
>> (with the water meter if you have one) and shut that off.
>> If it doesn't, get the water company to replace it.
>> If you are in a teraced house, the main tap may do more
>> than one house, and might be in someone else's garden.
>>
>> Whilst it's off, you can do both the kitchen tap and the
>> stop tap. Often, you can unscrew the valve body and replace
>> it with the valve body from a new tap, avoiding disturbing
>> the pipework connections. If you replace the whole tap
>> instead, might want to use a 1/4 turn full bore lever valve
>> instead.
> 
> I think Andrew omitted that you may need to run water off from the hot tap 
> until the storage tank is empty.


Actually, I completely failed to notice the word 'hot' at
all before replying, so the reply is probably not sensible.

Poster hasn't given enough deatils of hot water system in
the house to suggest how to isolate it, e.g. any tanks in
the loft?

-- 
Andrew Gabriel