accessing main water valve under metal cover

magicbastarder

I need to turn the water off (ball valve in attic needs replacement) and what i had thought was the main valve to the house, under the kitchen sink, seems only to be for the sink.

anyone know how to open these? i have the correct allen key and T-bar tool, but the allen bolts both rotate a couple of degrees and then come to a stop - it's not that they're tight, they just stop. might the T-bar tool also operate a mechanism to unlock the bolts?

10-10-20

Blast it with a pressure-washer if desired, to loosen the crud, then slacken off the allen bolts (quarter turn anti-clockwise) and the lever off the cover.

magicbastarder

that's the thing - both bolts are 'freely' turning for a couple of degrees of turn, and then both just stop - it doesn't feel like they're seized. i might try persuading them later.

Supercell

Our mains water off tap is in the attic, i thought we didnt have one until I had the boiler replaced last winter and asked them to put one in and they showed me I already had it!

The Continental Op

Don't see how anyone would expect threads on those bolts not to rust with water pooling around them. So I'd suspect they are actually quarter turn catches.

whizbang

A damn good loosening with a hammer probably required too

magicbastarder

well, i found the main shutoff valve inside the house i think - and it's impossible to get to. they fitted the kitchen that's there over it and it's essentially inaccessible. no luck with the outside valve either, no change - the bolts are still 'mobile' but won't turn.

magicbastarder

i think this is the main shutoff valve - and i simply can't get my hand to it:

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122523777#Comment_122523777

Did you try levering off the cover? They always need some level of persuasive force and that's what the key-shaped section in the center is for - latching in a bar to lift it.

In regards to the tap, you could open up that hole more with a jig-saw.

The Continental Op

For a tidy job to get that valve a couple or more holes with a large hole saw would do the job.

As for the cover I'd take a small SDS drill in chisel mode and a large hammer bit and give it a going all over.

By hammer bit I mean something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ISTOVO-SDS-Plus-Durable-Converter-Grounding/dp/B0CCKS4LRJ/

or an old worn out drill bit around 15mm or bigger with the end ground flat. Obviously don't go mad and smash the cast iron.

Then lever in the levering points top middle and bottom middle.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122524043#Comment_122524043

cheers (and to the Continental Op too) - i know i could probably access to the one under the sink - but i still want to be able to access the meter first. i suspect the valve under the sink has not been operated since at least 2005, which is when i think the kitchen was fitted - i don't want to be in a situation where i do get access to that valve and it fails when i try to operate it, and not having the fallback of isolating at the meter.

IW were not helpful - 'you should ring a plumber'.

10-10-20

IW were not helpful - 'you should ring a plumber'.

We're far too polite here to suggest that. 🤣

Mr321

The threads are probably done on the bolts and possibly the cover but get a pair of long nose vise grips and lock them onto the Allen key bolts one jaw and the inside and one on the outside of the head and turning the bolts for opening while pulling the head upwards at the same time if you get me? Spray some wd40 down the bolts first.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122524536#Comment_122524536

as a friend of mine would say - GAMI!

magicbastarder

sorted - a lad from the council called out and needed WD40, a lot of welly, and a six foot bar to get the leverage to get the bolts out.

i didn't want to go that hot and hard on them - what was confusing me was the little bit of play there was in them made me think there was something else going on.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122527102#Comment_122527102

Ok, nice to hear it's sorted. So were they quarter-turn bolts or what, can you tell? Did it just pull straight-up once the bolts were rotated?

magicbastarder

just normal bolts - seems the frame the cover sits on is not itself threaded for them, but holds two captive nuts, which had a tiny bit of play in them - hence the play which was confusing me.

he said he never puts the bolts back in, they're too much hassle and the cover is heavy enough on its own not to need them.

magicbastarder

FWIW the irish water callcentre was of no use - but when i sent them a photo on twitter, whoever is handling their twitter feed logged the call straight away.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122527239#Comment_122527239

Well now we know.