Not long moved into a bungalow built in the 70s – when we came to measure up I asked the seller where the stopcock was, he didn’t know, bit odd I thought.

Original gas boiler, gravity fed system, with a cold water tank in the loft and a hot water tank in a cupboard below it downstairs. The kitchen doesn’t appear to be in the original position – the house was extended in the 1980s and I guess things were rearranged, again the seller wasn’t sure.

Individual stopcocks beneath WC cisterns, but no stopcocks beneath sinks (above the floorboards at any rate).

I’ve found a stopcock behind the hot water tank that shuts off the kitchen cold water tap, and another one in the loft that stops the supply to the cold water tank. No stopcock on exit from the tank, so I guess I need to empty that to stop cold water flow to the non-kitchen taps.

The hot water’s got me a bit stumped though. I think there’s a stopcock on the cold pipe feeding the hot tank but I’m not certain that’s what it does.

I want to replace some taps, so want to shut off both hot and cold water. I can’t find a stopcock exiting the hot water tank, so I guess what I need to do is switch off the boiler and hot tank immersion heater, shut off the cold supply, empty the cold tank, then empty the hot tank. Does that sound right/normal/sensible?

I’m a bit hesitant about emptying the hot tank (not sure why…) and it seems strange to me that there aren’t stopcocks that allow me to shut the supply off without draining either tank, but I can’t find any. Can’t get under the floorboards near the boiler without undoing a big laminate jigsaw puzzle, so keen to avoid that if I can.

After years of living in weird old houses, I thought a more modern place would be dead simple!

Buy one of these and turn it off in the street.

http://www.diy.com/departments/bq-steel-combination-stop-cock-key/190546_BQ.prd

Buy one of these and turn it off in the street.

This wont stop the hot water or non mains supply. You have an indirect system witch means only the kitchen tap( drinking water) comes directly from the main. The rest of the house will be supplied from the cold water storage tank which you can bung rather than drain.
The gate valve in the airing cupboard is the way to stop the hot water but is fed from the same cold tank so no need for this if you are to drain the tank. If you do use the HW valve it does not stop it instantly you need to open the hot taps and let the water drain from the pipes remember to leave them open when turning the supply on to prevent air locks

Buy one of these and turn it off in the street.

Shortest, most practical reply I’ve ever seen on STW!

Buy one of these and turn it off in the street.

Shortest, most practical reply I’ve ever seen on STW!

Unfortunately incorrect though.

Unfortunately incorrect though.

Only in so much that it presupposes that the OP would be competent enough to open the taps to check that the water was indeed off before fitting new ones……but you knew that right?

Also check with the neighbours either side to make sure that the toby in the street doesn’t serve their house as well.
It shouldn’t but sometimes they do.

I know I can turn off in the street if need be – it’s what to do about the HW tank that I’m concerned about. That would surely have to be drained in any case?

Guess what I really want to know is whether draining the HW tank is a good idea, and if it isn’t, what alternatives do I have? I don’t think there is a gate valve exiting the HW tank.

Hi mate
Don’t need to go any where near the street valve. No need to drain cylinder either as it works on gravity from the cold tank.
I’ll make it simple for you.

I’ve found a stopcock behind the hot water tank that shuts off the kitchen cold water tap, and another one in the loft that stops the supply to the cold water tank.

1) Close these
2) open all taps and drain the tank (will take ages)
3) change taps
4) open valves and fill tank, leave taps open until there is a flow to avoid air locks
5) close taps and let tank fill.
Job done

Turn the cold supply off to the HW tank and the hot water can’t flow out. Worked for me…

P.S
the gate valve is on the supply into the cylinder not out.

Great success – located the gate valves and figured out what goes where. No need to drain either tank. Mystery solved.

Cheers mikedabear!