Can I tighten this?

[gregbbb]

Hi

I seem to have a very small leak coming from the top of this fitting (red arrow).....

The pipes run into the bottom of my hot water tank (on the right). I know the fitting should probably be replaced but I haven't moved onto plumbing yet (still learning about electrics!) and just want to stop the leak until I get round to replacing the part (if it really needs to be replaced).

My question is, can i tighten this (green arrow) to stop the leak? Is it a moveable part? Do I tighten it where the green lines are marked? If so I guess it's clockwise looking down onto the fitting.

Cheers in advance

 

[corgiman]

tightening it wont do owt mate, the washer has gone

 

[Softus]

I'm not so sure that it has cm - couldn't this be a leaking gland on a gate valve with a lockshield cover?

bashdem - can you remove the brass cap covering the spindle, at the highest part of the valve? Underneath this there might be a gland cover that you can turn down to tighten onto the spindle.

If not, then cm is correct, and the only remedy is to replace the gate valve. If you do this then get the best valve you can find, like a Pegler one, not just some cheap cr*p.

If this is the cold feed to the cylinder then drain the cylinder and modify the pipework so that the valve is above the top of the cylinder, and put a drain off cock at the bottom instead.

If this is the primary return on an indirect cylinder then you'll need to drain the heating (at least down to that height), but find out why there's a valve there and consider removing it entirely.

 

[doitall]

I agree with softus tighten the top gland nut and the problem should go away.

 

[gregbbb]

The brass cap on top doesnt seem to budge by hand - should it?

Here's a pic of the valve from the top....

 

[Softus]

The brass cap on top doesnt seem to budge by hand - should it?

Not unless it was done up by hand and left a bit loose.

Use a spanner on the hex part of the cap.

 

[doitall]

Undo it a turn first, then alternate doing it up and undoing it.