Not a stopcock but wall switch instead

[Tennentslager]

Visiting a clients new build today and wondered what this was...

Turned the tap on and tried it out...wunderbar the water stops immediately. Neat.

[Guest Alphonsox]

I fitted one to my mothers place to cut the water to the outside taps - A lot easier than crawling under the worktops to try and find a stopcock. Seemed to work very well.

[ProDave]

I give them 9 out of 10 for trying. They have made it a similar size to a switch.  To get 10 out of 10 it would need to be the same size, fit into a standard 1G electrical box, and be no thicker than a typical switch.

[PeterW]

It is an air switch - uses water pressure to close the valve and is very neat. Fitted one in an attic space and ran the pipe down the wall, and also have one fitted for my mother. 

[ToughButterCup]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

It is an air switch - [...]

 

Will it work on my air guitar? If so, Debbie'll buy one.

[Ferdinand]

Excellent things imo, @Crofter. British invention, and - as marked - it is called a Surestop.

 

They are on my list of always beneficial but easily forgotten things that get put into all rental conversions.

There are versions which quality as a WRAS stoptap, but I tend to fit them in the order Stopcock -> Anti-scale device -> Surestop for protecton reasons. There is a debate as to whether they should be put in cupboards or on the wall near the sink. I like them out of cupboards so they are always there winking "use me if you go out" at tenants.

 

We talked about these a bit on a thread last year ?. This was my full comment:

 

Quote

The story here is that I had a T leave the water on at the stop tap when they went away in winter in about 2010, and the result was a leak which caused T to be out of the property fro about 8 weeks, 2 weeks of my time coordinating the repairs, and an 8k insurance claim.

 

Fitting the Surestop is just a way to make sure it is easy for the T to switch off the water, and easy enough that I can put something in the rental agreement for nights away that can be enforcible later.

 

As you say  @PeterStarck - that requires it to be reliable.

 

The oldest one I have in nearly 5 years old, but that T is still there so I can't take it out to examine.

 

My current arrangements for new rentals tend to be:

 

1 - Magnaclean on heating circuit when new rads or a new boiler are installed.

2 - LIFF Limefighter 2 (magnetic not electrolytic which is the Limebeater) and Surestop fitted with switch above worktop or inside cupboard.

3 - Term in the rental agreement that the Surestop be used when away overnight. I encourage them to use it when out for a day, and tell them the story of the Great Leak. I think that requiring Ts to croink around with a stop tap every time they are away overnight would make such a clause unenforcible due to being unreasonable.

 

I know that people have opinions about water softeners. My experience at home in the same geographical area is that a Limefghter 2 made a significant difference when we fitted one. And since they only cost £20-£30 compared to £800-1000 for a boiler it seems a no-brainer.

 

I will need to check which order the things are in in the system. Logically the Surestop has to be on the mains side if it is to be a stop tap replacement. Perhaps some thought needed there and to accept that it is a secondary stop tap (and perhaps go for the remote switch but non-WRAS version which would save a few £££).

 

F

Edited November 7, 2018 by Ferdinand

[Gone West]

I fitted one in the bungalow when I was letting it. It worked for a couple of years then packed up. There was no way of knowing if there was a fault without switching it off and on.

[Ferdinand]

30 minutes ago, PeterStarck said:

I fitted one in the bungalow when I was letting it. It worked for a couple of years then packed up. There was no way of knowing if there was a fault without switching it off and on.

 

Indeed. Another reason for having the switch near the sink, so you can easily test it by turning the tap on from time to time, and operate the switch to see the water stop.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Ferdinand

[Alexphd1]

Sorry, i fail to see the point of these on a new build. Bad planning and plumbing if you need these on a new build!