ballcock float-operated valve in my header tank

[AL_n]

The header tank atop my immersion heater has a brass float-operated valve. It started leaking last year, allowing water to leak out of the overflow pipe. I took the valve apart and found that the seal is formed by a small rubber disc, about 8mm diameter. It had become a bit worn on the side that mates with the moving piston. So I simply reversed the rubber disc so that the nice, flat pristine side was on the side that touched the moving piston. All was well, or so I thought.... Now it is leaking again!

Should I now replace the whole valve, or can a new rubber disc be obtained from somewhere?

These brass valves have been around since time immemorial, and they aren't exactly cheap. Is there anything available nowadays that is cheaper and more reliable? Can anyone provide a link to a valve you can recommend?

TIA...

Al

[AL_n]

"AL_n" wrote in news:Xns9F50D244CF270zzzzzz@130.133.4.11:

PS... My valve happens to have the 3/4" threads, making it one of the more expensive ones (as compared to 1/2" ones which can be got for as little as £5 or so....

[Andrew Gabriel]

I would have thought a plumbers merchant would have the rubber, although possibly only an older independant one. If you said where you are, someone might point you to a suitable one. Also look at the valve seat (which the rubber presses against), as a leak can result in the water cutting a channel in it.

I think that nowadays this type is used mainly for central heating header tanks, i.e. low usage. The mechanism used in stored water header tanks and toilet cisterns is the fast shut-off type, which uses the water pressure to shut off rather than the force on the float to shut off.

Any idea why your tank has a large one? Is it a low pressure feed from another tank not much higher up?

[Cash]

Any plumbers merchants will supply you you with the correct sized ball valve washer and cone (change both) - or you could even try your a decent, local builders merchant.

Cash

[AL_n]

[e-mail] (Andrew Gabriel) wrote in news:j3gs8c$cuv$ [e-mail]:

No, there is no other tank higher up. I assumed it was just luck of the draw, whether the header tank happened to have a 1/2" hole or a 3/4" or a

1" hole for the valve.

Thanks...

Al

[AL_n]

"Cash" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Thanks, I will see about finding those replacement parts.

Al

[cynic]

Not exactly cheap? For the time spent buggering about stripping, cleaning off the scale and corrsion, changing the rubber, greasing the slides and reassembling, they are ridiculously cheap, five to ten pounds for the whole valve.

[AL_n]

harry wrote in news:3aac2421-7fbe-4a06-83b4- [e-mail]:

Al

[Jonathan]

Go to a farm supplier, they sell them very cheaply.

jonathan

[AL_n]

I'm still trying to solve this issue. The valve I have is the brass type (BS 1212/1) Brand: "Wirquin".

[e-mail] (Andrew Gabriel) wrote in news:j3gs8c$cuv$1 @dont-email.me:

I would like to ditch the old brass one and fit something else, so I guess I'll probably follow the above suggestion and fit a fast shut-off type.

Can some recommend one, in particular, or advise of any types that should be avoided? I want something that is as maintenance-free as possible, because it's a real pain to access, being in an awkward corner of the loft.

The hole in my header thank is about 1" diameter,and the threaded portion of the valve is about 7/8" diameter, and then reduces down to the usual thread diameter as found on compression fittings for a 15mm pipe.

Are plastic valves (diaphragm type) suitable?

Thanks...

Al

[AL_n]

"AL_n" wrote in news:Xns9F52A3C75BC18zzzzzz@130.133.4.11:

PS.... Just to clarify, the header tank is on an electric immersion heater; it's not a central heating header tank.

[Bob Eager]

The small plastic Torbeck valves should probably be avoided. They are good, but if the filter fails (which seems to happen after a while), the slightest bit of grit will make them fail open (or closed!).

To be honest, the basic brass one you have is probably the safest.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I've not had that problem, but I did have a plastic float arm snap for no explainable reason sometime during the night, resulting in continuous full flow filling, a failure mode which I had previously considered unlikely. Fortunately, the overflow just about coped, and thats something I always test since then by drowning the float.

Yes. Failure is likely to result in a small overflow, at least initially.