Is there a spanner - Fernox TF1 Omega

[Harry Bloomfield]

Fernox TF1 Omega This one -

At the bottom is removable cap, which also serves as the spanner to open the valve just above it. It fits on the rectangular bit which can be seen protruding slightly from the drain valve, in the above photo.

Problem - the 'spanner' is rather too easy to drop, once the valve has been opened. That leaves me scrambling about to find the dropped cap/spanner, whilst the water floods out, so I'm looking for a more easily gripped spanner to fit the rectangular tap. Is there a ready made item, to avoid me having to make one please?

Yes, I know I could swap out the valve for one fitted with a knob, but I am trying to avoid the need to drain down to fit one.

[Tricky Dicky]

Should be easy enough to make one from a strip of steel, drill a couple of holes same or slightly wider then width of the rectangle. With a needle file remove the metal between the holes to produce a slot to fit the rectangular protrusion. Put a slight bend in the handle of your tool so you are not banging your knuckles on the filter body.

Richard

[John Rumm]

Has yours not got butterfly valves fitted either side of the TF1? If so you isolate those before opening the bottom tap, and then the entire (limited) content of the TF1 drains along with any trapped sludge etc.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Mine did not include that optional extra valves, hence my concern about opening the valve and accidently dropping the cap/ key. It is a above the boiler, above kitchen units and I have to stand on the worktop to clean it out. If I drop it, it could roll almost anywhere in the kitchen area and be flooding until I found it.

[John Rumm]

ok lack of valves makes it a bit more interesting ;-)

You could stick a washing machine hose on the bottom of the valve before opening it. That way at least the flow can be directed somewhere non damaging.

[Dave Liquorice]

Put a bit of fine string through the hole in one of the lugs and tie it off. Tie other end of string to pipe work above the filter.

Steal a handle from a washing machine valve. A random red (hot) one doesn't quite go onto the valve on my TF1. Are blue (cold) ones a bit larger? I can't find a blue one (if I have one at all)?

Steal handle from a lever ball valve. Random one of those I have kicking about fits nicely.

[Harry Bloomfield]

John Rumm expressed precisely :

Or, I wonder if I might be able to add a second valve below that one?

I have emailed Fernox, to ask them, but I think the answer will be no, so I'm also considering trying to make a spanner from that two part epoxy putty. Its not a tight valve to turn, just made awkward by the cap/ spanner.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Liquorice expressed precisely :

It already has a plastic retainer, keeping it attached to the valve, but it just makes it more awkward to try to use.

I have some stashed in the garage, I will take a look - good idea thanks!

[Dave Liquorice]

Mine doesn't have any forma retention when used as a handle. The "legs" just act as rotation stops. It's only a 1/4 turn valve so a bit of string isn't that much of an issue. I agree it is a bit fiddly and it does fall off quite easyly. String would stop it becoming a werdigo when it drops off.

Or the handle from a washing machine valve. That has the advantage that it can be fixed to the valve with a machine screw into the threaded hole in the end of the valve shaft. An ex-lever ball valve handle doesn't fall off so easy as the supplied handle.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Liquorice explained on 31/12/2018 :

I dug out a few from the garage and either the filter valve spindle is smaller, or the washing machine valve in my case is bigger - either way, they don't fit.

No urgency to solve it, I flushed what little dirt was in the filter out yesterday - which is what set me thinking to find a solution to the horrible drain tap issue before next filter clean.

There is no concentric hole down the spindle centre to fix an handle, but I was thinking a blob of Araldite might be all that is needed.