Victorian Terrace House And Water Supply

[Veggie Dave]

I've just been round to a house to price up a couple of simple jobs. While I was there I was asked to also fit a stop valve for the main water supply into the house as it doesn't have one. No problem, says I, until it came to actually finding where the water came into the property.

I can't find it anywhere.

It would appear it comes in somewhere under the centre of the kitchen floor, but without ripping it up there seems to be no way to be sure.

At the moment the only way to turn off the water supply to the house is via the water supplier's stop valve in the road as there isn't even one of those within the boundary of the house, either.

Has anyone worked on an old Victorian house and, if so, can you remember how the original water supply was installed?

 

[dontknowitall]

From what I've learned, water came in from the well (if house is in the sticks) to the kitchen, above to bathroom then up to loft. First step is to study outside, mortar on the brickwork, old fixings, etc, etc. Eliminate possibilties (e.g. new window without alteration of brickwork means there was no pipe going through originally). Has an extension been built (might have come in there then re-routed for extension)?

I (with another experienced plumber) once spent 8 man hours locating the incoming water (then took about 5 minutes to fit a stop valve) - first we saw of it was on 2nd floor in a hidden cupboard. Another trick I learned was to turn on kitchen tap then put your ear to the walls and listen for water running through the pipes.

 

[Veggie Dave]

I think I may have to dig out my Time Team costume and start investigating.

 

[Guest123]

I do a lot of work on a pre Victorian property that has ancient plumbing and valves that haven't been turned for years. To save any problems, I find it much easier to freeze the pipework where I'm working and fit new isolating valves. Saves a lot of headaches in filling up ancient systems and fixing old gate valves.

 

[Veggie Dave]

Well, I finally got back for another visit. Sadly I can't take the kitchen floor up, which is where I'm convinced the supply comes in, but I've confirmed that the direct route between the main valve in the road and the kitchen is not the route the pipework takes after taking up the floorboards in the hall.

The only parts I can see under the kitchen floor is under the sink unit and under a corner cabinet - the pipework supplying the sink cold tap comes from the centre of the kitchen as does the CWSC feed and the feed for the outside tap. There's no main supply running along the path on the outside of the house that I can see nor is there any water pipework in the outside wall other than waste.

At the moment the only solution I can think of is to fit isolation valves to everything downstairs (the previous plumber also gave up looking and just fitted an isolation valve to the upstairs supply). Unfortunately taking up the kitchen floor is not an option.

Anyone got any other ideas?

 

[Guest123]

Freeze the pipework and fit full bore isolating valves on everything. Don't forget to buy a packet of 3/4 imperial rings as much of the pipework will not be 22mm metric.

 

[Veggie Dave]

Don't forget to buy a packet of 3/4 imperial rings as much of the pipework will not be 22mm metric.

Good point! :yesnod: