I have had a dripping tap for several years, yesterday there was a note on the door saying no water between 07.00 - 12.00.
I thought great I can replace the tap, so at 8.20 this morning I removed the old one & started cleaning the joint. About 1 minute later air started comming out of the pipes which I thought was a little strange, 30 seconds after that water starts gushing out, oh shit I thought & grab the new tap. I open them so I am able to attach them without too much water pressure. Amazingly they fitted & only 1/2 gallon of water was on the bathroom floor!

I had been told that it was possible to change taps 'hot', I just did not have the guts to do it! Dead easy with a bath, as the water will caught!

Can't you isolate the water in your flat?

You should be able to do. And then you can replace the tap properly!

I know I shouldn't laugh but imagining you with the water spraying out the tap hole and you trying to stop it, with the waterfall all around you....

I know I shouldn't.....

Ha ha ah ah!

Swiss taps usually have a short connection of pipe of flexible metal tube and can be shut off individually at the wall. Older once have a screw on the tap that will shut it off too...

I have been looking for the last 10 years, I can stop water for the whole building but never found the stop tap. If water was metered it would be easy !

I thought it was funny as well! never worked so fast in my life!

The pipe just comes out of the wall, I have changed bathrooms in the UK & France & never had an issue. I really can't see any way to stop the water, I have checked every cupboard on every floor in the 'common parts'

Even in our fairly recently built place, two of the taps do not have an isolation valve and one of those has a washer that's going so it's not unheard off.

Unfortunately checking for missing isolation valves wasn't on my extensive check list of stupid things the builders did, or did not do.

That sounds like the old....'Oo the job will take 5 hours to complete' but really takes a lot less...the classic over estimate and therefore when the job gets done early everyone is impressed...Just unfortunate that you were glad for the apparent work window....

just a bit of info for anyone wanting to change taps here.. be aware that taps bought in germany etc may not fit as some swiss taps have a different pipe spacing.

Add some bubbles, some bubbly and get some friends over for a foam party

They said 'Swiss norm 120mm & 1/2 inch' I think the bath ones are 150mm & 3/4 inch

One option is to get dry ice and pack it round the pipe you are working on. It freezer the flow. You change the tap, remove the ice and hey presto...

I was thinking about that however the pipe only comes out of the wall by about 1/2 inch, so it's probably not going to work.

For every apartment block there is a company or an individual handyman (hauswart) who knows where both hot and cold water may be turned off. Just ask them or him. Most new buildings have them in the main bathroom of each flat and one for the whole house in the cellar area.

I can turn off water for the whole building, just not sure people would be very happy. It's an old building & there are not individual stop taps.

I vaguely remember someone telling me that our water couldn't be turned off for this flat alone. However I think there is a sneaky little screw on the underside of the back of the tap, just before it goes into the wall, which switches off the water supply just that single tap. Run your finger over the underside of the bolt and see if you can find anything.