Stop cock replacement

[YorkshireMidge]

Have a main stop cock that won't turn fully off. It's a traditional gate type - and I want to replace it with a quarter-turn Pegler lever valve. I can't think of any reason why I shouldn't - but I just wanted to check there were no regs that stipulated what type of valve it had to be at the point of entry to a property.

Thanks.

 

[durhamplumber]

not sure if there is a law against it but in 20 years of plumbing have never seen a quarter turn stop tap.

 

[45yearsagasman]

Gate valves are not stop cocks. What is this supplying?

 

[durhamplumber]

if it looks like this its not your stop tap

 

[YorkshireMidge]

Sorry, to clarify, it IS a conventional stop cock. Because of the fact it wouldn't shut off fully, I just assumed it had a gate valve type mechanism. Just found a diagram which shows my assumption was wrong - and they are a simple plunger arrangement. So it must be that the seal or the sealing face is damaged - as there is a steady flow, not just a drip. If I put any more force on it than I have, it's very likely to sheer off.

 

[YorkshireMidge]

not sure if there is a law against it but in 20 years of plumbing have never seen a quarter turn stop tap.

It's very difficult to get to, and the reason I was trying to turn it off in the first place was to put the quarter-turn valve in after it in a slightly more accessible place. If I replace the stop tap with a quarter-turn, it will actually be OK where it is.

 

[JohnD]

Have you got a water meter, or an outside stopcock that some idiot has paved over?

 

[YorkshireMidge]

Have you got a water meter, or an outside stopcock that some idiot has paved over?

Close - we have an outside stop cock that some idiot has tarmacked over! Yorkshire Water were here this morning with metal detector etc. and we think we may have found it but it's been passed back for a bit of digging and that probably won't be done for another week. We do have a meter but it is immediately after the dodgy stop cock within the property, and is part of the reason it's such a pain to get to the latter. Its a flat and both live in a void with a 1ft sq access panel and loads of other pipes. I've opened the access up to fit a larger panel but it's still far from ideal. So I can't really do anything until the outside stop cock is located anyway.

 

[Agile]

Quarter turn valves are really far better that a normal stop cock but rarely used even though on a full bore valve the flow resistance is lower.

I don't see any reason not to use them. But sometimes old habits die hard!

 

[Newboy]

Water Regs. G2.8 "Stopvalves for use above ground should be screwdown valves complying with BS1010"

But accompanying recommendations (R2.8) states "Other types of stopvalves may be used ........ providing they conform to an appropriate British or European Standard"

At the back of my mind I think I recall the need for a loose jumper to provide some basic backflow prevention

 

[YorkshireMidge]

Quarter turn valves are really far better that a normal stop cock but rarely used even though on a full bore valve the flow resistance is lower.

I don't see any reason not to use them. But sometimes old habits die hard!

I agree - I have one after the conventional stop cock in my own house, and the Peglar ones are really solid quality. Always use them in preference to gate valves.

Water Regs. G2.8 "Stopvalves for use above ground should be screwdown valves complying with BS1010"

But accompanying recommendations (R2.8) states "Other types of stopvalves may be used ........ providing they conform to an appropriate British or European Standard"

At the back of my mind I think I recall the need for a loose jumper to provide some basic backflow prevention

Just thinking that some meter tails have a backflow valve in them anyway and that's the next thing along, but thanks for the clarification on the regs. Pegler valves are WRAS and covered by some british standards too, but mainly for gas use it seems.

 

[Agile]

I expect that by far the largest sales money volume of Pegler will be water valves.

But the loose jumper theory may not hold water as some stopcocks don't have loose jumpers anyway.

I have done the Thames Water water regulations course and don't remember any significant discussion on types of stopcock. Mostly was their hobbyhorse of backflow prevention!

 

[Agile]

I agree - I have one after the conventional stop cock in my own house, and the Peglar ones are really solid quality. Always use them in preference to gate valves.

Gate valves should not be used as stop valves.

Stop valves traditionally have been the rubber washer screw down type.

 

[YorkshireMidge]

Gate valves should not be used as stop valves.

Stop valves traditionally have been the rubber washer screw down type.

Sorry if I confused matters - I was just making a general point on the quality of the item and that I always use lever valves where a gate valve would normally be used.

 

[YorkshireMidge]

Have you got a water meter, or an outside stopcock that some idiot has paved over?

Well, finally got the OUTSIDE stop tap saga sorted courtesy of Yorkshire Water. Looks like the prefabricated concrete front of the chamber has been smashed by a digger in the past (the exposed steel rods look like they would have been steel reinforcement), and whoever did it, just filled the chamber up with rubble afterwards, and it was then covered in tarmac. Thankfully, the original chamber lid was also buried just a few inches away and it was that which YW were able to pickup with a metal detector. So at least I can get the inside stop cock done now, once I work out which of the six is mine.