Plumbing problem

[dcbwhaley]

Being a concientious sort of chap I decided to test the stop valves in my bathroom (no good finding that they are stuck open after the pipe burst)

They worked fine. So fine, in fact that the valve in the feed from the cold tank won't open again. The handle just rotates indefinately and doesn't open the flow. I've bought a new one, I knoe how to fit it. The problem is 40 gallons of water in the tank.

Whats the best way to proceed? Obviously the safest way is to empty the tank. But baling it out a bucketfull a time and carrying the bucket down the ladder doesn't appeal. A syphon might work but I'm not sure I can suck that hard to start it. Is there some device to block the outflow? Would a simple cork work? Or should I use freezer? How long does the water stay frozen?

Dave

[visionset]

Turn off handy valve for isolating cistern filling from mains or failing that turn off mains. Open tap wait till empty Do plumbing Turn on mains Close tap

[Grunff]

Just block the outlet - use whatever you have handy, a cork, a rubber glove stuffed with a rag, whatever. The water pressure will hold it securely in the pipe end.

You can buy rubber bung sets for this purpose from plumbers merchants, but it's hardly worth it for a one-off use.

You will still get a small amount of water (the pipe contents), but it won't be much.

[dcbwhaley]

Turn off handy valve for isolating cistern filling from mains or failing that turn off mains. Open tap wait till empty Do plumbing Turn on mains Close tap

Problem is that opening tap doesn't drain tank because valve on outlet of tank is stuck shut.

[visionset]

Oops I read it as 'a' feed ie tap isolator rather than 'the' feed. Sorry.

[The Medway Handyman]

I've been meaning to get some of those, what are they called exactly?

[Matty F]

To start a syphon going:

1. Connect garden hose to an outside tap and put hose into tank to reach the bottom
2. Turn on tap until all air is expelled from hose
3. Remove hose from tap and the syphon will start.

But it's easier to put a cork into the outlet pipe from the tank, if you can reach that.

[Grunff]

Dunno, rubber bung set?

I have a set, and they've come in handy a few times. 6 tapered black rubber plugs, 2x 15mm, 2x 22mm and 2x 28mm.

[dcbwhaley]

Obvious - once somebody tells you. I have accidentally emptied the horse trough instead of topping it up because of this effect. Any how I have got a syphon going by the old suck it see method. Got a gobfull of filthy water and am currently washing the taste away with beer while the syphon runs.

[Andy Hall]

That's OK, then. Presumably you haven't had any lime plastering done in the loft recently?

[Harry Bloomfield]

dcbwhaley has brought this to us :

A tightly fitting cork should work - with only a couple of foot head of water, there will not be much pressure to hold back.

[dcbwhaley]

Thanks everybody. Job done. I can have a shower now.

[Bookworm]

With respect you did not read the posting properly. He cannot open the outlet valve from the header tank. It is probably a gate valve and the square on the spindle has probably rouned or possibly the square on the handwheel has rounded.

He should try taking the handwheel off, try opening the valve with a pair of grips on the spindle if possible and then doing whate you said.

[dcbwhaley]

Actually, on examination of the replaced gate valve, the inside was very corroded and there was no longer a connection between the shaft and the gate.

[Andy Hall]

Yes they are s**te, aren't they.

The reasonable replacement is a full bore lever ball valve. These are quite inexpensive and very effective.

[Guy King]

The message from "dcbwhaley" contains these words:

But not about spelling!

A syphon wouldn't be hard to start - you've only got to suck the water up the height from the surface of the water to the highest point of the hose - possibly only a foot.

But simplest would be to bung a cork in the outlet inside the tank.

[gort]

Another thought. Laboratory suppliers will have rubber bungs of all different sizes and some with holes in. And yes they are called 'rubber bungs '. Ah takes me back to my lab days!!

Dave

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Wonder what their life is though? They're pretty new on the market compared to gate valves. The OP's corroded one might be 50 years old. ;-)

[Andy Hall]

I replaced all of the gate valves in the house about 6 years ago. At that point, they were 15 years old. I was always careful never to fully open them (closed them about a quarter turn) because fully open they seem to lock solid after a while. Even so, unless moved about once a year they would tend to seize. They were Conex ones which I believe are/were a reasonable brand.

I haven't taken one of the lever valves apart, but it looks as though there is some kind of PTFE? insert which seems to do a good job of preventing seizing at least. I recently needed to close one to do some work and it moved easily after 6 years.

[<me9]

I've had handles shear off ball valves (but they weren't the full bore ones

-- are they more robust, as well as being full bore?)