Leaking Stopcock

[whitestripe]

Our stopcock is leaking! It did the same a couple of years ago and the plumber wrapped some tape (looked like string) around the joint and it did the trick!
What do I need to buy to get the job done?
Any advice welcomed, thanks.

 

[joe-90]

If you can turn off the water in the street just replace the whole tap. It'll be nothing but trouble otherwise.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Watch from 3.35:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unOzP1GZwqI

Andy

 

[Nige F]

Loctite 55 - pah - a bit of white string and some vaseline : Well pack my gland

 

[tincup]

Hi

You could buy a new stopcock but just use the head gear to replace the one installed.

 

[Homesafe]

If its a very old SC then it will have imperial fittings and the thread doesnt fit the newer types, you will have to cut the pipework and/or the olives and change everything.
sometimes it can be a little awkward thats all.

 

[Charnwood]

The stopcock, whether imperial or metric, could well be interchangeable at the compression joints. Measure the one in situ and see what's available locally. If it is 15mm or 1/2" compression the comp. nuts will be 1/2" BSP.

Is there any branding on the stopcock?

 

[Nige F]

The stopcock, whether imperial or metric, could well be interchangeable at the compression joints. Measure the one in situ and see what's available locally. If it is 15mm or 1/2" compression the comp. nuts will be 1/2" BSP.

?

Unless it`s a imperial Prestx one - with fine threads

 

[Homesafe]

Thats the one Nige. Is there a replacement for them ones?

 

[Nige F]

Not the whole thing but the head gear ( spindle etc. ) are BS 1010 which is the standard thread for old taps - so if you can find a 1010 tap - even an old basin/ sink one , or stopcock . That`ll do it

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Mine started to leak in my cellar, as I had to turn it off to change a kitchen tap, then there after it developed a leak and I had to use a bucket to collect the drips which would almost fill half a bucket in 24hrs!

I managed to temporarily stop these drips by wrapping the whole reel of PTFE tape around the stem and the body, it did the job, except now you could not turn it off if you had to as it got really sealed tight. But in worst case scenario, you would cut it off with a knife if you had to shut your supply down.

There is a service stop cock in the street but it is far too deep and I didn't have the right key for turning it off, a plumber would charge for coming over to shut it down!

But i noticed that every so often Thames water engineers with reflective yellow jackets would shut the hole street around 2am to keep their mains service valves from freezing! so they regularly stop the water and open again a few minutes later!

So what i did was bought a new stop cock, and had my spanners ready the next time I notice the water had been shut, so one night around 2am, that happened, and I rushed straight into my cellar, undid the old stop cock and quickly replaced it with a new one, everything went smoothly and a few minutes later the supply was back, and no more leak.

Obviously you need a bit of luck to do this, as there is no way you would know if they were there, so it is a chance thing. I remember i had gone to the toilet and tried using the water and it was dead, so I knew the water supply had been turned down that night!

 

[Homesafe]

Turning off the mains?? Never heard of that before.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

Turning off the mains?? Never heard of that before.

turning off the mains in this context means shutting off the water supply.
Did you find that difficult to grasp? what does it matter in general terms.

I know what it means to turn mains off, it is commonly used in electrical trade, needless to say the term can also be used to refer to anything, gas, electric, water etc.

 

[Homesafe]

It was a genuine question, why would he mains/water supply be shut off unless you meant/live up north .

 

[Mikefromlondon]

It was a genuine question, why would he mains/water supply be shut off unless you meant/live up north .

Oh right, my apologies if i took it as a sarcastic question.

I am assuming it is part of the Thames Water's regular maintenence procedures, about every 3 months they are seen along the high street turning off valves, feeding side streets, I guess the water mains is running beneath the High street and then branches off into each street with a mains valve to turn any one street off.

The stoppage is usually only about 5 minutes on average, usually two blokes are seen in yellow reflective jackets with the thamse water badge.
they are on foot, with no other tools other than a long bar with that i presume is the key to turn the handle on the valve/gate valve or whatever.

they Nearly always carry this out around 1am to 2am into the early hours of the morning. I guess so that they don't have to notify the residents that the water supply may get disrupted for a short time.