help to turn off water supply to my flat

[Lesley Lewis]

Hello,

I am wanting to turn off the water supply to my toilet as there is a leak.
The water stop tap that is usually found beside the toilet seems to have been tiled over.

So I will need to turn off water supply to my flat.
When I went to locate the stop tap under the kitchen sink, I have found two taps, one is a normal looking tap, the other is red. I am from Australia, and there we would only have the one tap.

My question:
what are the two taps for, and which one do I turn off to stop the water supply into my flat?

thanks for your assistance,
Lesley

 

[Kimou]

Try the normal looking tap and see if the water stop in the wc. If not try the other.

 

[kay-jay]

i suspect the red one is a means of isolating the supply to the hot tap of the kitchen sink. the normal looking tap should sort out the supply to the w/c

 

[Lesley Lewis]

Try the normal looking tap and see if the water stop in the wc. If not try the other.

Thanks...that makes sense...however, I would like to know in the UK, what a red tap 'means'/ Perhaps it means the hot water tap...or maybe to the water heater. I am hoping someone can tell me that they know what the red means...as I don't feel comfortable experimenting

I appreciate you taking time to reply,
thanks,
Lesley

 

[Lesley Lewis]

Thanks very much...the red tap is something I've never seen before...and I don't feel comfortable experimenting in case it is say connected to the water heater (?). I will follow your advice and turn the normal looking tap to the right/clockwise, which I think is the correct direction to stop the flow.
Thanks for taking time to reply...
best wishes,
Lesley

 

[AWheating]

POST A PICTURE

its most likely a gate valve, they normall come with a circular red tap head. They are normally used to isolate items like hot water storage cylinders and other items that require a valve that is unrestrictive to the water flow rate when fully open.

 

[kay-jay]

if you look where the pipe goes from the red tap you will probably see that it goes up to the hot tap in which case it is simply to isolate the hot tap over the sink

 

[Lesley Lewis]

Thanks for the info...so, if I just turn off the normal looking tap (turning to the right), and leave the red tap as it is...am I doing the right thing?
Is there any chance that the water heater etc linked to the red tap can be damaged or at risk of "blowing up" if I turn off the other tap?
best wishes,
Lesley

 

[kay-jay]

just check to see if the pipe from the red tap goes up to the hot tap if so it is safe to turn off. but you only need to turn the cold off to stop the supply to the toilet which will be the other tap

 

[Lesley Lewis]

Hi again,
This is my first ever time on an online forum, so I am still working out how to reply to each person who is kind enough to assist me by sharing their knowledge...I really appreciate your help. thanks so much

 

[AWheating]

if you are unsure turn off the power to any heater. You will probably find that a gate valve has been used on the hot tap because they are less restrictive on flow, many flats that have gravity systems have very poor flow rates on the hot water? and normal isolators would make it worse.

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

If you are happy with there reponse click the tahnks button at the lower left

The red tap might be to isolate an outside tap in the winter to prevent it freezing

 

[diamondgas]

Hi Leslie ... Easiest way to acknowledge is click the "Thanks" icon bottom left under the person you whish to thank

 

[Kimou]

Plumbers in the UK are rather like puppies. You could strokes under our chins or tickle our tummies to say thanks:willy_nilly: