Stop Taps

[Thomas]

Hello

Just discovered that the stop-tap in the integral garage is leaking from its collar - downstream cardboard boxes were sodden. The tap is about 30 years old and is used fairly regularly to adjust the internal water pressure in response to changes in mains pressure. I managed to stop the leak by tightening the spindle nut a little, I've done this once before a few years back.

I was wondering whether I need to change the tap or its washers - or whether I can continue to tighten the tap every few years for the foreseeable? If I do need to change the tap, then the problem I have is turning off the external stop-tap which is located a metre or so below a metal cover in the drive and which to my knowledge has not seen any action since the house was built 30 years ago. I seem to remember that the Utility Company is obliged to isolate your property on request - or did I dream this? If not, is there a special tool and technique for turning off these "subterranean" stop taps?

Thanks Thomas

[F Murtz]

Closing a tap slightly does not decrease pressure per se it reduces flow,the pressure is dependent on the amount of flow past the restriction. if you close the main tap and restrict the aperture the pressure will remain the same on both sides of the main tap until you open another tap

I managed to stop the leak by

you can usually repack the spindle gland if there is no more adjustment unless the shaft is damaged

[Thomas]

Closing down the stop-tap does however prevent the water-hammer we sometimes get when we have very high mains pressure.

Yes, but I'm guessing that that will require the water to be turned off at the external stop-tap :-)

Just a thought. Will those pipe-freezers work on an alkathene pipe at mains pressure?

Thanks Thomas

[Roger Mills]

Like he sez. Part closing the tap doesn't reduce the static pressure - just restricts the flow. If you want to control the pressure, install a proper pressure regulating valve.

If you need to turn of your external stopcock, you'll need something like this:

was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get them cheaper than this].

[F Murtz]

No just turn the tap you are working on off, that should prevent water from escaping while you shove more packing in.(some greasy string etc) This will only work on old taps with glands, nowadays they use o'rings.

[Robin]

[This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get them cheaper

Worth looking at your external stopcock before you buy as, if you have an external water meter, you might find (i) it has a tap you can turn by hand or (ii) it has a hexagonal head. I have the latter and gather from learned folk here I should have been left with a plastic "key" when it was fitted. I weren't. But I find a socket on a long bar works for me.

[JTM]

[This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get

My diy one which has seen regular use for 20+ years is a piece of scrap wood with a /\ notch cut out of the bottom. Much cheaper.

John

[Roger Mills]

> [This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get them cheaper

But he did say that the external stopcock hadn't seen any action for 30 years. It's very unlikely that an external meter with hex tap was installed 30 years ago!

[Robin]

>> [This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get them cheaper

fair cop guv'nor ;(

[newshound]

No problem as long as you freeze a sufficient length. I'd guess six inches or so should do it, maybe less since you will generate radial compression from the ice expansion (plus the alkathene contraction).

[Tim Lamb]

In message , newshound writes

Why not just clamp them as plumbers do? They obviously use proper tools but a G cramp closing a couple of *C* shaped jaws will do the job.

[GMM]

Certainly they used to be obliged to turn you off on request. Some years ago, we had a leaking stopgap under the front drive. I dug out to get to it and arranged for the water board to come and isolate as I couldn't see where their shut off was.

When they didn't show (twice), I called up and complained a lot, getting through eventually to the top man. Exasperated with this, (and possibly driven by my claims to be incurring massive bills for a non- existent plumber), he promised to come over and turn it off himself.

It turned out that there was no valve on their side, so this blokey, who had turned up in his Jag wearing a suit, demonstrated his commitment by climbing into the hole (and 1m of water) and fixed the tap himself. The place was at the bottom of a hill, so it didn't 'arf gush when he took the top off the tap(!) Wish I'd had a video camera.

Fair play to him though - a pretty can-do manager (though probably not much of a man manager).

Oddly enough, within a few weeks, they came round and fitted taps all along the road...

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

turned up in his Jag wearing

and fixed the tap

took the top off the tap(!)

a man manager).

Hope you offered him use of your shower and a change of clothes. Well, perhaps not the shower, if it was turned off.

[GMM]

turned up in his Jag wearing

water) and fixed the tap

he took the top off the tap(!)

of a man manager).

If I remember correctly, he seemed rather keen to get away and dripped off to his Jag pretty sharpish!

[Weatherlawyer]

out to get to it and arranged

through eventually to the top

curring massive bills for a non-

had turned up in his Jag wearing

water) and fixed the tap

when he took the top off the tap(!)

ch of a man manager).

ng the road...

:~) I wonder why.

[The Other Mike]

Not sure if they have any obligation to isolate a property on request but if their stop tap is seized, which you only discover when your own internal stop tap is also seized, then they will very quickly replace their stop tap - which these days will be with a tap of mainly plastic construction with a large plastic knob easily operated by hand.