Outside Water Isolation Valve

mcmoonboots

My internal stop cock under my sink needs replacing due to corrosion and a slight leak. However the outside isolation valve cannot be located to shut off the supply. Myself and my plumber searched outside to no avail. All my neighbours in the street have small manholes with meters + OSV installed. I contacted Irish Water, who sent technicians round to locate the valve with metal detectors, and they marked the pavement outside a neighbours house where it could be. They then dug a hole, but found it was just a piece of metal, filled the hole in and departed. Next day I got a phone call from Irish Water to say they could not help me, as I live on a private estate and gave me no advice on what I should do. Seems a bit strange that they cannot help, as they were quite able to install new boundry boxes with OSV's + meters at all other properties on the estate! I have complained to Irish Water about how they have handled my case, but don't expect anything to change with their attitude. The management company who manage the estate (cut the grass etc) have said as I live in a house it is my responsibility (there are apartments on the same estate). Hope someone can give me some direction on what to do next

winklepicker2025

what type of pipe is coming up too the stop cock ?
is there room too get both hands onto whatever the pipe may be ?

mcmoonboots

Looks like a black plastic pipe. Not much room down there for 2 hands

elperello

You could try turning off the neighbours valves on each side of your house.

One at a time and see if it cuts off the flow to your house.

mcmoonboots

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124038109#Comment_124038109

Tried that!

winklepicker2025

a load of old towels around the stop cock and do it live.

Put a bit of uni white on the treads of the new stop cock too avoid cross treading it.

Messy but can be done.

Every 6months turn the new stop cock on and off too avoid it seizing again

mcmoonboots

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124039918#Comment_124039918

Not sure that towels would cope with the water pressure coming out that pipe. Still doesn't solve the problem of having no way of isolating the supply

elperello

Perhaps due to an error by the builder the supply into your house didn't enter from the front.

It is indeed strange that IW could find the valves for all the other houses.

Perhaps you could firstly try to escalate the issue with IW and if that doesn't work contact the CRU.

what we do | CRU.ie https://share.google/Rr9SDzIjWVp2YbKNu

chooseusername

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058429228/outside-water-isolation-valve

https://www.leaksireland.ie/pipe-tracing

I've seen a water company in UK use something like this, strange Irish water didn't use it.