Old style key needed

[Wortonmiller]

Hello all

Can anybody please help me find (purchase rent or borrow) an old style main stopcock key that is 1 1/4 inch square drive? I got yorkshire water (i'm in Holmfirth) to turn it on a few weeks ago, Its a quarter turn (clockwise) "on" then another quarter turn in the same direction to turn "off" again. (the guy that came told me if I turn it the other way sooner or later i'll have a fountain) off but now I need to do some work re-routing the incoming main so will need to turn it off and on a couple of times in the next week or two.

Thanks
Chris

 

[kirkgas]

try speedy or HSS or your local hire place first, or order from Grahams plumbers merchants

 

[WHPES]

Get a length of steel scaffold tube and beat one end sufficiently flat so that it goes over the valve top. Drill a hole through the other end so it will take a tommy bar.

Bit rough but does the job. The proper tool will cost £££s

 

[Wortonmiller]

Thanks I'll go and ask.
Chris

Scaffold sounds like a great solution, I have a few odd bits somewhere.. thanks Chris

 

[Centralheatking]

Why dont you just use the correct size socket from a mechanics socket set put the extension bars on it and off you go

centralheatking

 

[ecowarm]

why dont you just use the correct size socket from a mechanics socket set put the extension bars on it and off you go

centralheatking

1 1/4" square drive???????

 

[REDSAW]

yeh, got a inch drive never heard of 1&1/4'' ?..

this sounds like a boundary box for the street supply to me, normally dropping to 3/4'' valve at house?..

 

[ecowarm]

I have seen a 1 1/4" square drive to a house but it was on a 4" supply to a manor house but also fed half the estate houses as well.

 

[Wortonmiller]

Thanks all

The valve only controls my house, and I've not found any others (yet), I went away at the weekend so will work on the solution this week,

I guess the socket would need to be a 12 point at 1 1/4 or perhaps 32mm. Not sure I go up that high and def not got extension bars that long, but it is an option.

will report back
Chris

 

[ecowarm]

Phone the water board and see if they can come out to turn off the water as you are not sure if it will turn anybody else off.

Eco

 

[turnpin]

doe`s seem like a larger supply valve similar to a fire hydrant where they put a standpipe up in the street as in the drought of 1976 I can also remember the "water board man" who's title was "turn key" who used to turn up on his push bike to shut off the supply to the whole street with his bar and key when the mains had burst🙂regards turnpin

 

[ecowarm]

Friday 13th of August 1976 set off on me push bike from Grimsby to Wales for 10 days, red hot and it never rained, even in wales.

 

[tamz]

Buy one of these
https://www.sitebox.ltd.uk/product/HYDA6/hydrant-key/

Or hire one from most hire shops.

 

[Wortonmiller]

Hi All

I have bought one of these

Water Hydrant Stand Pipe Key on eBay (end time 12-Aug-10 14:22:47 BST)

Hydrant key with 35mm square drive ( 1 1/4 is 32 mm) so should be good.

All my immediate neighbours have their own valves but it could be that my valve was originally a standpipe hydrant that was converted after 1976 to supply this house which was built (on land that was a field) in 1978. The water guy that came just called it "old style"

Thanks for all your help
Chris

ps In 1976 I was working for a juke box company delivering / installing 45 rpm records (remember them?) and 50 of them warped and melted in the back of my hillman avenger estate!

 

[REDSAW]

1976!
hottest longest summer ever, spent all summer fishing in the trent. it had shrunk to a third its width and you could walk across it. the fish would take anything you chucked at them, even silver foil of our sarnies.

i did a job like yours last monday. the house supply valve had been tarmaced near the fence, got severn trent out to trace the pipes and the valve. its there job and free..