In this Video I show you how to safely cap off or blank off your washing machine or dishwasher valve which is no longer in use; to prevent accidental flooding
Thanks for this, I was not sure they sold cap for these valves, but now I know and will lock off my valve. I was very nervious about the valve being open
brilliant! My tap valve broke & wouldnt stop the water so had to turn off the entire water and get one of these caps instead from my local screwfix! Life saver with the exact code!
thanks for a great video - I'm trying to install a cap but it still leaks no matter what? any ideas? the cap i have doesn't need me to push anything in like you do on your video
Hi there, The best thing to do would be to replace the valve and olive, make sure that the power supply is turned off to your appliance, and that the main water supply is turned off before carrying out any work. Alternatively if the issue is that you are missing the washer that sits in the cap, then you would need to get one, they should be provided with the cap.
Hi, my washing machine service valve is broken and won’t turn off -(it’s an upright one) is there a similar item I can put on the end of the hose that connects to the washing machine? I think if I put a kink in the pipe and put some sort of cap on the end of that it will create less flooding and be easier to attach the new washing machine to the hose? Thanks!
Hi Marco, What I would advise is that you find where your mains stopcock is and turn it off and then carry out your work, you can then replace your washing machine valve for a new one. All the best Mustafa
Hi there, When you disconnect the washing machine it will only be the water that is left in the pipe that will leak. However, if you want to get something to stop any water coming out the pipes what you could do is purchase a washing machine valve 3/4 inch and attach it to your blue inlet hose. Then turn the lever to the off position which will stop any water coming out of the inlet hose. With regards to the drain hose, you would need to disconnect that, disconnect the spigot and fit a blanking plug to the spigot. Finally add a jubilee clip around the drain hose and this will stop the water coming out. If you have a look at my video on fitting a blanking plug to a washing machine/dishwasher trap it should help. All the best Mustafa
Question: my had my dishwasher unhooked so I can have a new one installed. I noticed when I drained my kitchen sink water would leak. If I cap it until my new dishwasher is installed will I be able to still use my sink?
Hi there, Judging from what you are experiencing, I'm assuming you mean the spigot that is attached to the trap underneath your kitchen sink. If you have a blanking cap I would suggest fitting that to the spigot temporarily (but remember to remove before installing the new dishwasher) Alternatively, if you haven't got a blanking cap you could just put a bucket underneath the trap whilst awaiting the new dishwasher. All the best
Im asking a slightly different question but can the blue lever be replaced? Mines disappeared and didnt know where to isolate the water from so turned it off from the mains when my washing machine was changed. Can i simply just push a replacement lever back on?
Hi there, The answer is no, once you push the lever back on you will need a Phillips machine screw, I normally buy a new valve which is the easiest option and just swap over the lever and screw. All the best Mustafa
Hi there, Yes the valves are all standard size, however if you are buying one to replace the lever and screw, the non branded ones generally are the same, but some of the branded ones have a slight difference in the handle shape.
Hi Nancee, There are two ways to do this one is to use solvent weld with a access plug, or you can use a compression fitting, both will be 40mm or 1 1/2". To pin point this you can send me some photos or a video and I can talk you through it. All the best Mustafa
Hi there, As long as you have a rubber washer on the blanking nut, then you shouldn't have a problem. However if the valve doesn't close fully or the thread has been cross threaded then you would need to replace the valve.
Hi there, If you have got a rubber washer this will never leak, however if the actual valve is leaking from the nut itself you can tighten it slightly.
Hi there. How come when you put the cap on there wasn't a build up of pressure? If the water has no where to go when the valve is open surely this would result in a leak or burst pipe somewhere else? I'm a new homeowner so perhaps this is a dilly question 😅
Hi there, This is a fail safe method, if for example the valve was to turn on and you have capped of the valve this simply acts as a end of a pipe run. So there's no chance of a burst pipe or a leak. All the best
Hi there, The answer to that is no, the screw is to attach the handle to the valve, I would try a little bit of WD40 and let it seep in for 1 hour before you can try it again, normally the screw gets clogged. If that doesn't work you can undo the screw and pull the handle off, you can use water pump pliers or pliers to turn the head of the valve A QUARTER TURN ONLY, DON'T FORCE IT and that will work. As a back up make sure you know where your STOP COCKS ARE.
Hi there, Yes you can do that unscrew the lever, however in my experience what happens is that if you need the valve working again you can never find the screw and lever. Also people then use pliers to turn it on and off, then if there was a emergency to turn the water off, there is no lever and you would need to find the pliers which isn't as quick.
Hi Jerry, I bought mine from screwfix and it came with the rubber washer, I would recommend buying it from there or if you get stuck try toolstation, otherwise you will find it difficult to find a rubber washer to match.
Hi Kate, With regards to the brass cap you just need to support the valve and undo the cap, making sure the handle is in the off position, then you can attach your inlet hose from your washing machine. Hope this helps feel free to contact me if you require any further information.
The video isn't too long the step by step guide is clear and concise. The video has audio which is essential for educational purposes. What I would recommend is that you watch a different video. I have a 100 percent positive feedback, I'm surprised about your comment.
