'Packing' a stopcock?

greasy string

It's a very minor job, you don't even need to turn off the water to do it - ask him for a price if you want to, then do it yourself. :-)

yes; unless it's a very old one with corrosion and/or lime deposits on the stem, in which case it might be better to replace it

It is an extremely easy job that you might even consider doing yourself. However, I wouldn't bother unless it started leaking again. To install it, you undo the nut completely, remove old packing carefully with a screwdriver and install new. Various things can be used, like string (sometimes dipped in various substances) or PTFE tape. Just wrap it round the spindle a few times and retighten the nut until it stops leaking. There will be a bit of water coming out whilst you do this, unless you turn the tap off, although this isn't necessary if you don't mind getting wet.

Christian.

Just to avoid possible disasters - this is the small nut surrounding the spindle, *not* the large hexagon which enables the works to be removed from the body!

Just a little more info. I had exactly the same problem, this is what I did. Get some old cloth (preferably towels) and lay them below the stop c*ck to soak up any water that may leak. Take 2-3 feet of ptfe tape and roll it into a thread (2-3 feet long) pack this with a thin instrument round and round the spindle tamping home. Re tighten the nut and bob's your uncle.

Spoilsport I was waiting for Mondays post from somebody who had ruined their house

You can also use one or two 'o' rings on most types - if you've got a selection to hand.

Be wary, the old packing is likely to be asbestos fibres. It was still being used until about 1991. It's not likely to release airborne fibres if it is wet.

I don't think you need to remove the old stuff, just put the new gland packing on top of it.