How to turn off the water?
This can be done in a separate apartment only if there are special valves in the bathroom.
But this method is appropriate only when minor work is planned. For example, repair a faucet. If you plan to install plumbing in a toilet/bathroom or other labor-intensive work, you must shut off the water along the entire length of the riser. This design is a pipeline. The riser is intended for 1-2 apartments. If there is a valve in the bathroom, you should turn it clockwise until the end. What to do if the apartment is old and there is no valve? In this case, you will inevitably have to contact a specialist from the housing office. The plumber will not be able to turn off the water in a single apartment, only in the entire entrance.
In the event that a main pipe bursts, the entire house is shut off. This work may even affect several buildings.
The pipes in the bathroom and toilet located in new buildings usually have valves. Using them you can easily turn off the water in a separate apartment. In other cases, there is even a special sensor on the pipes that automatically detects problems and turns off the structure.
How to turn off the water in the toilet riser?
The riser is usually located in the toilet or kitchen. Its main purpose is to supply water. It can be overlapped only if there are valves on the structure. If they are not there, you need to think about installing the elements. The best choice in this case would be ball valves.
If old elements with defects are installed on the pipeline, it is better to think about replacing them, because in the event of an emergency they may fail and you will flood your neighbors. It is better to entrust their installation to a specialist. A plumber will be able to determine what diameter of the product is required specifically for your riser.
After installing the valves, you must not forget about the importance of preventative maintenance. Once every three months it is recommended to shut off the risers and then turn them on again. This is necessary so that the elements do not stagnate and cope well with all their functions. It is better to prevent their breakdown, because in an extreme situation the valves may fail, and you will not be able to do anything about it. If any problems arise, it is better to call a technician who will check the condition of the valves and carry out the necessary repair work.
In conclusion, we can say that turning off the water is easy only if a person takes care of it in advance. If the valves have not been installed, it is almost impossible to turn off the valve in one apartment. For this reason, it is better to get ahead of the occurrence of further problems and install them, because shutdown may be required not only during repair work, but also in the event of emergency situations.
In this article we will tell you how to shut off the water supply risers in an apartment. Why this is done is clear, to completely shut off the cold or hot water coming to us from the outside. There are situations when, for example, a faucet is leaking and the gasket needs to be replaced, or we bought a new mixer and want to install it to replace the old one.
How to shut off water supply risers for hot and cold water
If you don’t know in principle how to turn off the water in an apartment, be sure to read the article to the end. So, water comes to our apartment through water risers. Riser pipes are long pipes that usually run from the floor to the ceiling. If you live on the top floor, the configuration may be different. In many apartments of the “Khrushchev” and “Brezhnevka” type, risers are located in the toilet. However, in some old houses, in addition to the toilet, they can also be found in the kitchen.
The main purpose of risers is to supply hot and cold water to the apartment. If the house does not have a gas water heater, then as a rule you have 2 risers: for cold and hot water. If the house has a gas water heater, then there is only one riser - with cold water.
For safety reasons, it is very important that there are reliable valves at the entrance to the apartment with the help of which you can easily turn off the water at any time and turn it on again.
The optimal choice in this case are ball valves. On the pipes they look like this:
Their reliability has been tested by time. In apartments, ball valves of sizes 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, 1 inch are usually used. It just so happened that they are measured not in millimeters, but in inches. Hence the conversations of plumbers: “I gave you half an inch.” Or “Let’s put it at three-quarters.”
If instead of ball valves you have something unclear: something very old, difficult to turn by hand, or, even worse, leaking, my advice to you is to change it urgently! When water suddenly starts pouring out of these taps, it will be a disaster! After all, there will be nothing to stop this water! You will flood yourself and all your neighbors below. Don’t think that the emergency service will save you, they simply won’t have time. If there is a fountain, then in half an hour you will flood the whole house and have problems for the rest of your life! Therefore, in a new apartment, before you get ready to glue wallpaper, level the walls, whitewash the ceilings, check the inlet water valves and install good, proven ones.
Entrust the installation of ball valves to a master plumber. But first, read my article so that a professional can really come to you. What diameter to install a faucet is a very individual topic; the master himself will advise you. But you must ensure that the apartment has good water pressure, both hot and cold. Also tell the technician to use only high-quality parts!
I’ll tell you a secret that a real professional will evaluate your requirements, although he will warn you that it will be more expensive. The fact is that it is much easier for the master himself to work with high-quality material, since the reliability of his work increases significantly. Both you and him will be much calmer that you took this topic seriously.
And now, a few parting words. When you have installed ball valves and turned on the water, do not forget to turn off the risers once every 3 months, and then turn them on, i.e. simply close each of the valves:
and then open again:
This is important so that the taps do not stagnate in one position! You need to periodically monitor how they open and close. If you feel that something is wrong, call a specialist. Ball valves on risers are no joke, just like electricity!
So, today we learned how to shut off the water supply risers in an apartment for cold and hot water and what you need to pay attention to when choosing and replacing taps. I wonder how often you changed the ball valves in your apartment?
How to shut off the water supply
At one time or another, you may need to completely turn off all faucets, all fixtures and equipment, and all pipes.
[adsense]
When you are performing a complex renovation or installing new equipment and need to cut into a main line in your home, you must turn off the water supply and sewer before starting work.
If you leave your home empty and unheated for the winter, you should also protect it to keep the pipe system from freezing. Before turning off the water supply, be sure to leave some for drinking and eating.
To completely remove water from the system, you need the following:
1) Turn off the water supply to the house by turning off the main valve.
2) Disconnect gas and electricity from the boiler and water heating systems.
3) If you have central heating, open the outlet valve located on the boiler or on the pipes. Usually a hose is needed. Next, open all radiator (battery) valves. Then remove water from the system. (If you have an indirect water system, there is no need to turn off the central heating if you are repairing pipes or anything else, as the heating system works in isolation).
4) Moving from floor to floor, starting from the top, open all warm and hot water taps, including radiator taps, shower, bathtub and outdoor taps, and flush the toilet tank.
5) Open the water outlet valves on the heater and other equipment, if you have them.
6) Finally, open the main water supply outlet valves to remove any remaining water from the pipes.
At this point, your water supply system will be similarly prepared for repairs. If you're closing up your home for the winter, there's one more thing you might want to do. Walk through the house and check that all water has drained from the system.
To protect against the cold, simply add a glycerin tablet to the water remaining in the siphons; You can also add salt. Any of the above measures will protect the water from freezing and possible rupture of siphons. In this case, the siphons will serve as a barrier against air pollution. When spring comes or when the repairs are completed, you need to refill the system.
First, close the drain valves on the main pipes. Close all faucets in the house, including the boiler, water heater and other equipment. If you have a cold water heater, open the valve on the radiator and let air in.
Then open the main valve and slowly allow fresh water into the system. The batteries must be purged with air before turning on the boiler. Check that all valves are properly closed, which is especially important when the system has been shut down for a long period of time. Then turn on the gas and electricity to turn on the boiler and heater.
When you turn on the taps, they will start to splash due to air trapped in the pipes, but soon everything will return to normal.
Lessons on bathroom and toilet renovation
Lesson 7. How to shut off water supply risers in an apartment
Is it possible to replace the shut-off valve without shutting off the water?
Do not practice on upper floors!
Don't do this with hot water and heating!
One of the site's readers under the nickname, stefano
asked a similar question:
Tell me what to do. The house has a riser and water drains from polypropylene pipes. The crane on one of the branches fell down. Is there any way to replace it without shutting off the water in the entire house? And what is better to put? We turn off the water every day before leaving for work.
The first thing to do is to secure the pipes on which the meters hang. Meters should not hang on pipes. To replace the faucets you will have to turn off the riser. You can, of course, install a backup one if this one also overlaps, but this is only as a last resort.
In your case, it is better to turn off the riser. If this is possible, then after disconnecting you will have to re-solder something here, namely: if you look at the photo, then after the meters you have two 90-degree bends installed, which take the pipe closer to the wall. With the same two outlets, take the faucet and meters to the wall immediately after the riser. Next, the meters need to be mounted on clamps so that they do not hang on the pipes.
For example, use these clamps:
They fit very well into the girth of the counters. After installation they are almost invisible.
As for shut-off valves, install reinforced valves from Valtek, or for example Bugatti.
There is material about shut-off valves here.
If it is impossible to turn off the water at all and there is no device for freezing pipes
Then you need to be ready for water.
Methods for laying water pipes
For plumbing in a private home, experienced plumbers recommend using polypropylene pipes.
There are two ways to carry out plumbing: hidden and external wiring. Hidden is used during the construction phase until finishing work begins. To implement this, it is necessary to place water supply pipes in the walls of the house. In stone houses, recesses are made in the wall in which they are placed; in wooden houses they are hidden under facing panels: plasterboard or plywood.
External wiring is carried out at the stage of completion of finishing work. The water supply system runs along the walls of the house, parallel to them. The use of this method is more practical in case of a breakdown in the water supply system - to repair the water supply system, you do not need to remove the interior decoration of the house. But the first method of water supply distribution is more aesthetic - as a result of its use, the pipes do not spoil the appearance of the repair.
Never do this with hot water or heating! It is very dangerous!
If you decide to change or install duplicate taps without interrupting the water supply, then there should not be a room on the floor below that can be flooded. Even if you are on the ground floor, this does not guarantee that there are no rooms below. The basement may contain warehouses or commercial premises.
If you are planning to do something like this in a basement or in a private house, then go ahead.
Find a large container or prepare a pile of water-absorbing material. For example, there are a lot of expensive and high-quality towels. If possible, place a large container in front of the faucet.
Look for an assistant who doesn't mind being doused with cold water. Hand him a large rag or the same expensive towel and let him catch all the water coming from the tap into this towel, like a bull motodor.
You need to prepare the faucet you are replacing in advance, seal its threads and open it. Then unscrew the non-working faucet or what is after the faucet if you are installing a duplicate one. Now you can screw in the new one.
As an example, I am attaching several images taken “in greenhouse conditions.” All the threads in the photo are not sealed because this is a simple example.
Here we have a threaded pipe or an old faucet that doesn’t shut off, and water flows from it.
We take a new faucet and open it completely. We seal the thread and pass water through it.
Tighten it about 2 turns, after which the tap can be turned off and tightened the remaining 1 or 2 turns.
You can also screw a flexible liner or hose onto a new faucet and lower the other end of the hose into a bucket or bathtub. Most of the water will go through the hose. But something will still spill on the floor.
Anyone who undertakes this must understand the full responsibility of the actions, must be confident in what he is doing and must be physically strong.
The pressure can be quite high and you need to be prepared for this. It is better to find out what kind of pressure you are dealing with first.
Is it possible to shut off hot water secretly?
It is unlikely that anyone will argue with the fact that such a practice actually takes place. After all, the main thing in the house remains the housekeeper. And if close and mutually beneficial contact is established with him, almost anything is possible.
However, an apartment owner who bypasses the management company must be aware of what could happen if the deception is discovered:
- requirement to return the riser to its original configuration;
- carry out the work immediately (strict deadlines are set);
- pay a fine for unauthorized changes to communal communications (formally, the owner changes only his own part of the communications - those that are in his apartment; but this may well affect the overall functioning of the system for everyone).
Ultimately, the apartment owner receives a subpoena from the management company if he refuses to comply with the requirements within the specified time frame.
Installation of riser taps: whose responsibility?
In practice it turns out differently. In the best case, after contacting, they may offer to buy a faucet. This is the best case scenario. Most often, the management company asks to pay for turning off the riser, and the plumber asks for the work. This is a money scam. It is illegal.
We pay the management company monthly for maintenance. Consequently, they are obliged to replace the valve on the riser at their own expense. Purchase a valve and carry out the work.
If the tap on the riser is leaking, and the plumbers and their bosses shrug their shoulders and look at your wallet, act.
1. Write two copies of the application. Request yours to be stamped with receipt and date. In the application, describe the essence of the problem in detail (samples should be offered).
2. If there is no response, write a complaint to higher authorities (GZHI, district administration).
Don’t forget to notify the head of the management company in advance about point 2. You may not have to complain anywhere.
This is a direct way to get what you want. The most thorny and nervous. There are also roundabout paths. For example,
1. Turn off the faucet in the bathroom or kitchen and call the emergency line. Say that you can’t turn off the water because... the valve on the riser does not work. Within half an hour or an hour the problem will be resolved.
2. Call a private organization that will do all the work without noise and dust for an additional fee.
3. Replace the faucet on the riser yourself.
Necessary materials
For plumbing in a private home, experienced plumbers recommend using polypropylene pipes. This material allows you to install complete sealing in the water supply system, as they are welded together. This is especially true for hidden placement, since the likelihood of leakage of polypropylene pipes is insignificant, that is, placing water supply in the walls is absolutely safe for your repairs. To install the water supply, no specialized tools are required - all the work can be done with a wrench.
Replacing a riser tap with water shutoff
Which faucet should I put on the riser? You can purchase an old-style valve, or you can install a ball valve.
1. In conventional stem valves, an elastic band is screwed at the bottom. The rod presses it, due to which the water is blocked.
2. A ball valve on a riser looks more attractive than a rod valve.
The water is blocked by a ball-sphere. But if the water contains a lot of salts, the faucet quickly clogs and stops working. To prevent this from happening, you need to periodically tighten and unscrew the valve.
Rules for choosing a ball valve:
- the diameter of the tap must correspond to the diameter of the riser on which it will be installed;
- the direction of the arrow on the ball valve marking must coincide with the movement of the medium;
- the model must have a suitable thread.
Types of threads on valve flanges:
- external on both sides;
- internal on both sides;
- on the one hand - external or American, on the other - internal.
Work order:
1. Shut off the water supply to the riser, drain the water from the pipeline system (in agreement with the management company).
2. Wrap fum tape or flax with a sealant around the threads of the faucet. You need to wind it in the direction of screwing the tap onto the pipe.
3. Screw the product onto the pipe. If the twisting goes without effort, you need to add more fum tape. You shouldn’t lean too hard, because... the product will burst. The tap must be tightened with some effort.
How to change a tap on a riser without shutting off?
This should never be practiced
- in a multi-storey building (you can flood the lower floor or basement);
- on the heating riser;
- on hot water.
Work order:
1. Prepare buckets, a bunch of rags and invite an assistant.
2. Purchase a new faucet, seal its threads and open it.
3. Unscrew the non-working tap.
4. Run water through the new tap.
5. Tighten it approximately two turns. Now you can turn off the new tap and tighten it completely.
To minimize water flow, you can put a hose on the new faucet and lower one end into a large basin. It is recommended that only people who are confident in their abilities and physical strength take on such work. The water pressure can be serious. We need to prepare for this.
Source: ruscos.ru
Who should turn off the water - yourself or a plumber
It is possible to shut off the water supply to only one apartment if the bathroom has the appropriate fittings. This shutdown technique is suitable for minor repairs, such as replacing a faucet. Such taps can be located in the bathroom or kitchen, in residential buildings built in recent years. In addition, some homes have sensors on the pipes with an automatic mechanism that is triggered when a problem occurs.
But if the apartment building is old, then there may be no taps in the bathroom. Then you need to call a plumber from the management company. In this case, the water will be shut off not in one apartment, but in the entire entrance.
If there is a break in the main water supply, the supply may be cut off in the entire house or in several buildings at once.
Installation of a water supply system
Before starting work on installing a water supply system in a private house, a pipe wiring diagram is drawn up. A well-designed water distribution plan will ensure high-quality operation of the water supply system. Even if you plan to install the pipeline yourself, it is best to have the diagram drawn up by a professional who can competently take into account the layout of the house. Also, the water supply and sewerage scheme must be approved by the relevant state enterprises.
The laying of pipes carrying cold water starts from the point at which water enters the house. They are laid from the input to the water heating boiler. Then they are led to water collection points, as indicated by the water supply diagram, to water collection points, which are located mainly in the bathroom and kitchen.
How to turn off the water in an apartment building
Water enters the living space through a pipeline that comes out of the floor and cuts into the ceiling. The exception is housing located on the upper floors. The water supply does not reach the ceiling. The resource is cut off in the bathroom or toilet, although in some older houses the water supply and fittings are installed in the kitchen.
How to turn off the water in a toilet riser
Cold and hot water enters the house through the water supply system, so there are 2 risers. But if the water is heated by a gas water heater, then there will be only one water pipe. So that residents can turn off cold or hot water without problems at any time, it is recommended to use ball valves on risers.
In houses, fittings are installed at 1 inch, ¾ inch, ½ inch. If the valves are older models, with difficult-to-turn mechanisms, then it is necessary to replace them, this will help to avoid serious problems when the valves fail.
In most houses, there are valves on each riser, turning which allows you to shut off the cold or hot water supply. In order to find the tap, you should examine all the pipelines protruding from the floor.
You can determine the hot water on the riser by its heating. After turning the knob to the right or left, the water is shut off and stops flowing to the mixer. Periodically, apartment owners should check the condition of the equipment, since over time its elements wear out and the valves may fail. This is especially noticeable in homes where the water quality is poor and rust accumulates much faster.
If the hot water is shut off due to the fault of the management company, then the consumer can contact the head of the organization with a request to recalculate for the lost water supply services.
How to turn off the water in one apartment
In a situation where you only need to turn off the water at your place, you should shut off the riser with hot or cold water. Most often, valves are located in the bathroom or toilet. For indoor use, experts advise installing only high-quality, expensive taps made in Germany or Italy. If you don’t have a lot of money, then it’s better to buy a cheaper bathtub or toilet, and don’t skimp on taps, since installing low-quality fittings can lead to dire consequences.
When you turn off the water at home using a valve, only one apartment will be de-energized; at this time, your neighbors must remain with water.
How to block risers in the basement
In order to find the right pipeline, you can ask your neighbor to knock on the pipe a little. Based on the sound reaching the basement, you can determine your branch.
After discovering your pipes, there may be a problem with shutting off the water if the equipment is outdated. In this case, you will need to shut off the water supply to the entire house. This operation will allow you to check and repair your valves. There is no point in delaying the work so that the neighbors do not complain to the Criminal Code.
Cast iron valves are installed in basements. The water will be shut off if they are turned in the direction of the clock. If after turning the water continues to flow, then you should use a gas wrench to tighten the engines. If these efforts do not lead to success, and water does not stop flowing into the apartments, then it is recommended to turn on the tap and turn it off.
If no methods of shutting off the water work, then you need to contact the management company, where plumbers will come, shut off the water and fix the problems that have arisen.
Composition of the cold and hot water supply system
A cold water supply system may include the following components:
- Pipelines of the internal water supply network.
- Water consumption meter.
- Pipeline accessories.
- Filters.
- Pressure booster units (if required).
For the hot water supply system, a water heating device is additionally used. If hot water is supplied centrally, then heating devices are not used.
How to turn off the water?
This can be done in a separate apartment only if there are special valves in the bathroom. But this method is appropriate only when minor work is planned. For example, repair a faucet. If you plan to install plumbing in a toilet/bathroom or other labor-intensive work, you must shut off the water along the entire length of the riser. This design is a pipeline. The riser is intended for 1-2 apartments.
If there is a valve in the bathroom, you should turn it clockwise until the end. What to do if the apartment is old and there is no valve? In this case, you will inevitably have to contact a specialist from the housing office. The plumber will not be able to turn off the water in a single apartment, only in the entire entrance.
In the event that a main pipe bursts, the entire house is shut off. This work may even affect several buildings.
The pipes in the bathroom and toilet located in new buildings usually have valves. Using them you can easily turn off the water in a separate apartment. In other cases, there is even a special sensor on the pipes that automatically detects problems and turns off the structure.
