I turned off my mains water to fit a new tap, when I turned it back on I can't get any hot water, the header tank is full but no water flow, when I turned the gate valve back on the dial just keeps turning in either direction, does anyone know if this is the probable reason for no water
Gate valves
- Thread starter gsbrn
- Start date
Your GV is probably furred up and stuck. These are meant to be turned on an off every now and again to keep them free, but no one does.
Do you mean you turned off the mains stopcock and the gate valve to the hot water cylinder?
It’s not normal to have a gate valve as a mains valve and in any case it won’t stop the hot water until the cold water tank is empty.
Personally I’ve found gate valves seize up and won’t turn, if it’s turning but not undoing maybe the stem is worn out / corroded.
Have you sprayed it with a lubricant?
Failing that a bit of heat on it might help.
This can happen if the spindle snaps.
A broken spindle can push shut, but not pull open.
As above snapped spindle replacement valve only cure I'd fit a decent lever valve.
I used to use gate valves because, when fully open, they do not impede the flow.
But you can now get full-bore ball valves which are neater and will withstand high temperatures. The ones with a T handle are simpler than the ones needing a big screwdriver.
Pegler are particularly good.
But you can now get full-bore ball valves which are neater and will withstand high temperatures. The ones with a T handle are simpler than the ones needing a big screwdriver.
Pegler are particularly good.
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You'll need to pump or syphon the cistern ("tank") empty before cutting into the pipework to replace the gate valve in order to have a manageable amount of water in the the pipework to contend with.
Towels and bucket to the ready!
Towels and bucket to the ready!
Stick to A level woodwork you clearly havent got a clue about a basic valve with a snapped spindle
Very common fault spindle has snappe
d in the closed position as you now have at least 25 plus gallons in the tank above it you either need to empty it or use a bung kit in the cold feed outlet to keep the water up there whilst you change it as has been said better to use a full bore lever valve in its place .
+1 for Pegler. Years ago a no name lever valve (from Toolstation) that I had fitted 2 or 3 years earlier snapped and flooded a customer's home. I went to a proper plumbers' merchant and told them that I wanted Pegler. They tried to convince me to go for the cheaper version. I showed them an image of the broken one. They sold me a Pegler.
I had previously shown friends a photo of the broken one, each of my friends pointed to the granular nature of the metal at the break and concluded that it had been cast badly.
Pegler may not be as good as they once were (by all accounts), but if you have to pay 4 times more for a reliable product, weighed up against the cost of dealing with a massive flood, the cost of the Pegler is negligible.
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