We have just moved in to a 1934 Semi- and I am getting round a few simple DIY tasks, including a couple of plumbing-part renewals such as modern pipe/u-bend/fittings to kitchen sink, rinse sink etc as preventative maintenance! Nothing complex or specialist, that's for you expert guys!
But in the process I have found that the house has no interior stop tap, which I was expecting to find in the under-sink cupboard, but nope. And I searched all-through, under stuff, behind stuff, removed cupboard trim panels looking for pipe-run clues, more too, but nothing!
So I want to find out whether it is a normal job, or a special/complicated job, or a not-now-possible job, to ask a plumber to engineer a stop tap in to the house presumably at the point where the supply first emerges?
Any problem?
My concerns are of course for a need to be able to quickly shut off the supply in the event of a burst/leak/failure/etc emergency, which at the moment I could only do by calling someone out to shut it off out on the pavement .
And I have to add I've now discovered that that's the access point for a shared supply to both our house and to our neighbour ... so if I shut it off because of an emergency or even just something routine like fixing a leak, they lose supply too! Manageable with co-operation of course, but not ideal.
But back to the point, and If I call a plumber asking to come and install a stop tap, will I be asking him to do something that's entirely reasonable or is it a "Sorry, too late!" request/job?
If it adds anything, I've checked with a number of neighbours (all 1934 builds) and only our two share a supply. All of the houses are virtually the same floorplans though with alterations over the years for some, and usually their stop taps are in a downstairs toilet but in our house that space was long-ago given over to expanding the kitchen. Seems rather remiss of the builder doing that work not to have relocated the stop tap from there to another location and just removed the facility altogether, but there you are!
We're also wanting to have a water meter installed, however to throw more petrol on the flames we apparently can't have that done if there isn't a stop tap internally ... so that's a second reason to try and get that done: emergency and smaller bills!
If someone more knowledgeable therefore could comment/advise on achievability from a practical viewpoint I'd be grateful, thanks, and hopefully then be able approach a couple of decent plumbers to see about making a start.
But in the process I have found that the house has no interior stop tap, which I was expecting to find in the under-sink cupboard, but nope. And I searched all-through, under stuff, behind stuff, removed cupboard trim panels looking for pipe-run clues, more too, but nothing!
So I want to find out whether it is a normal job, or a special/complicated job, or a not-now-possible job, to ask a plumber to engineer a stop tap in to the house presumably at the point where the supply first emerges?
Any problem?
My concerns are of course for a need to be able to quickly shut off the supply in the event of a burst/leak/failure/etc emergency, which at the moment I could only do by calling someone out to shut it off out on the pavement .
And I have to add I've now discovered that that's the access point for a shared supply to both our house and to our neighbour ... so if I shut it off because of an emergency or even just something routine like fixing a leak, they lose supply too! Manageable with co-operation of course, but not ideal.
But back to the point, and If I call a plumber asking to come and install a stop tap, will I be asking him to do something that's entirely reasonable or is it a "Sorry, too late!" request/job?
If it adds anything, I've checked with a number of neighbours (all 1934 builds) and only our two share a supply. All of the houses are virtually the same floorplans though with alterations over the years for some, and usually their stop taps are in a downstairs toilet but in our house that space was long-ago given over to expanding the kitchen. Seems rather remiss of the builder doing that work not to have relocated the stop tap from there to another location and just removed the facility altogether, but there you are!
We're also wanting to have a water meter installed, however to throw more petrol on the flames we apparently can't have that done if there isn't a stop tap internally ... so that's a second reason to try and get that done: emergency and smaller bills!
If someone more knowledgeable therefore could comment/advise on achievability from a practical viewpoint I'd be grateful, thanks, and hopefully then be able approach a couple of decent plumbers to see about making a start.