Plastic Valves - Demountable

[TheScullster]

Hi all

I am stripping out the downstairs bog and there are plastic isolation valves on the hot and cold water to the hand basin. They have markings on which look like JS but the font is naff. They have long bodies and are marked 65 degrees c max. Where the pipe enters the valve end there is a moving collar, indeed the pipe can rotate within the valve without leaking. I will replace these during the re-furb but wondered whether it should be possible to remove the downstream pipe. I have tried pushing the collar towards the valve to release the pipe (as with hydraulic/air fittings) - the collar appears to move, but the pipe remains fixed. Anyone used these and know if they are demountable (they don't appear re-usable, not that I would anyway).

TIA

Phil

[Grunff]

I bet it says JG.

You push the collar all the way, so that it's flat against the valve body, then pull the pipe. They are demountable and reusable, but new ones are always a good idea.

[Tournifreak]

of plastic which is about as hard as chewing gum (used). So when you try to turn the valve with a screwdriver the little groove just disappears. Avoid. (And I generally like Speedfit - wait till Dr Drivel comes along!)

Jon.

[TheScullster]

"Tournifreak" wrote

Thanks fellas

Yes, JG, that's the boy! Have tried pushing the collar to the valve to withdraw the pipe with no luck. Don't want to be too brutal in case the live side of the valve takes over! To be fair, neither of them leak, though I don't know how long they've been in place. Screw slots are showing serious signs of wear. I'll wait till I've got replacements and turned off water before investigating further.

Phil

[Aidan]

The fluted nut type thing on the valve below the collar unscrews by about 1 or 1 1/2 turns. You can then push down the collar to release the pipe as per air fittings. It's a locking feature to prevent the pipe being accidentally released.

You can also get half-moon shaped clips which fit into the gap between the valve and collar, to stop the collar being accidentally pushed down. If those have been fitted, pop them out of the gap first.

Clear? No, probably not.

[John Stumbles]

If there's any misalignment in the pipes it can be a pig to demount the fitting. Also on fittings that have been in place for some years corrosion can build up on the copper pipe within the fitting so that although the fitting rotates it doesn't want to pull off. The solution, as ever, is to use a bigger hammer :-)