Evil gate valve claims another victim...

Most systems I have come across don't have any means to drain the header tank to help replacing the gate valve. Was it a case of syphoning water out of the header tank or an otherwise easy job?

I did not bother draining - I have a couple of conical rubber bungs[1]

We poked one into the outlet of the cold cistern, and the other into the vent pipe from the cylinder over the cistern. That meant we only lost a few feet of pipe's worth of water.

You can either poke the end in a pipe, or the inside of the bungs are hollow, with a flange at the top, so they can be forced over the end of a pipe as well.

I should add, TS do a pair of bungs at half the price, and in an emergency, a couple or carrots[1] will do the trick!

Gate valves have been made for years, there's nothing wrong with them. People will buy cheap s***ty/unsuitable ones. And while the crooks buy them, other crooks make and sell them.

I hate these. However one I had on a washing machine did theis but was kind of not off or on completely, and it transpired that the actual spindle had snapped inside leaving the valve half and half. Rubbish manufacture. Brian

That typo opens up all sorts of possibilities! :-)

TBH, there are no valves at any reasonable price point which work reliably when operated only once every 25 years.

True, although in this case the owner is anal enough to remember to give all such valves a twiddle at least once a year to make sure they have not seized (although he likely did not crank it shut enough to actually stop the flow)

Yup, same happened on this one, only once it was closed.

Large industrial ones, perhaps. I have seen *far* too many domestic ones fail to believe that is true for them.

Do you know the bread-dough trick?

John Rumm formulated on Sunday :

I don't understand what the tear drop shaped item does, on the right - could you explain please?

They are both the same, but one is standing on end.

Thanks!

I tend to include that in the catalogue of "how to solder a dripping pipe" collection - i.e. it will stem a small low volume trickle long enough to solder, but then flush through the pipe when water pressure is re-applied. Not sure how well it would work trying to stuff it into a pipe outlet under water in a cistern?

Yup four items in the kit - two bungs, a jubilee clip and a rad key. Don't think I have ever needed the jubilee clip!

In the navy in times past, every valve in the engine room was run from open to closed every day.

Whilst the ship was underway?

Yes. There is duplication of critical equipment in warships. Or was back then.

It kept valves freed up/free of corrosion and ensured they were working correctly. Also any other (impending) defects could be spotted. It was done in a prescribed sequence.