Leaking, lurking stopcock. Haunting pictures included.

[steven239]

Hello all.

I have a stop cock that's leaking. Just my luck, the stopcock lurks beneath my newly plastered wall. It is one of those old stopcocks that has a removable handle and just the spindle part lurks just at the surface. It's the main stopcock just inside my front door. So I've cut out a section of wall around it and I'm not sure how I go about repairing it, or whether I have to switch the water off outside (which is difficult and involves digging up my front garden).

Take a look at the pictures as they better demonstrate the problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I particularly would like to know if B) C) can be removed from E) without me getting an early shower.

In the pics.

A) Leaking from this point
B) + C) Looks like a rather worn hexagonal head (B) with a threaded section C).
D) This is just the thread for a brass cap which covers the lot and which I have removed in these photos.
E) Threads into the female part of the pipe (says '1/2' on it).
F) Removable handle.

Cheers Steve

View media item 49461
View media item 49462

 

[boabcelt]

Shut the valve, remove packing nut (B),remove old packing, repack with ptfe/loctite55, replace packing nut. Jobs a goodun!

 

[rjm2k]

I think I'd be making it so I didn't have to dig up my front garden to get to the external stopcock before I did anything! Why is it buried in the garden?

 

[steven239]

Thanks fellas.

When I've cleared it out do I just keep winding PTFE tape and pushing it back to pack it in? How does the Loctite 55 come in? A bit at a time, or all at beginning and pack it in with PTFE?

The outside stopcock was turfed over in the garden! It took a bit of prodding and corroboration from the neighbours to find it. Then had to dig out 4ft of compacted soiled inside the clay pipe to get to the stopcock which is a standard handled stopcock, like the one in the picture but with a fixed handle. Then I struggled for an hour to turn it; tried soaking the bugger in WD, tried heating it .... no joy. So I figure the only way would be to dig some space out around it and apply more torque.

But being as I'm selling up ........ I don't want to cause more problems, if it ain't broke ....

 

[Gasop]

Thanks fellas.

When I've cleared it out do I just keep winding PTFE tape and pushing it back to pack it in? How does the Loctite 55 come in? A bit at a time, or all at beginning and pack it in with PTFE?

Don't mess about trying to dig the old stuffing out.

A piece of PTFE 2" or so long. Roll it along its length to make
a string and wind it loosely around the spindle and push it down.

Slide the packing nut back on and tighten gently.
The same goes if using Loctite 55 or similar.