Ha ha ha Fordie - I wonder how close that is to the reality...
Scawen: No, I didn't mean use the freezer spray to cut the pipes!!! Apply the freezer spray to the mechanism, thus making tha tap nice and cold. Then try to turn it. It works on rusty nuts and bolts on cars, but then they're generally not arms length down a hole.
The final option is to get a bar (metal or wood), lower it onto the tap somewhere where you can't do much damage, then give it a whack with a big hammer (of the sledge variety). This should break the rust/gunge/soil joint that is stopping it from turning.
If none of these work, I'm running out of ideas. So I'll just have to think of more comedy photoshops of your pictures...
Wow, I am excited now, because that tap can TURN!!!
Tristan - ok I get you now, you mean just like the well known heating of the seized thing, cooling it instead. I had thought you were talking about the other slightly risky "ice plug" idea that can be used instead of a tap. BUT... no need, as enough repeat applications of WD40 and just some gentle tapping a few times, has done the job.
Here's a picture of how the tap looks down the hole, and another of my tap turning tool, seeing as some of you seem to like my tools LOL - it's a simple groove in the end to grab the tap, and a hole at the other end for the handle... this would be strong enough to break off the tap completely, but i used it gently to apply a bit more torque than i could with my hand down the hole.
And it started to move! Just an eighth of a turn at first, but i've been going back to it, re-oiling, turning in and out a bit further each time, and i'm up to 1 and a half turns now... no rush, hopefully it will eventually turn enough to cut off the water supply!
lol funny stuff
If someone would post how he's fixing his kitchen or somethin, I wouldnt give a damn, but somehow anything Scawen posts, it's always interesting to read
Edit: Scawen, post a pic of Your car
Edit 2: Is that the cat of God there?
Over at mine we've got 2. One in the house, and one out in the street. This means if you need to replace some stuff on the main incoming pipe, like the inner stopcock, you can without having a swimming pool in your house.
Scawen: Isnt that wood a bit flimsy to turn a stiff tap? I would've thought that it'd have chewed it up!
No, that's quite a strong piece of wood. Maybe my cat is bigger than you think. Anyway after my experience with the kitchen stopcock i do not want to apply too much force, this one has got loose enough by tapping and oiling. Now i can turn it quite easily, don't even need the metal handle any more...
ah! ive got one downstairs somewhere and theres a small manhole style thingy for each house. its just gunk down them though, but i guess its a tap down there. *goes to turn off all the neighbours water*