Plumbing problem

[st01495]

Hi, I have an urgent plumbing problem. The cold tap on my bathroom started leaking so I decided it might be better to replace it as it is very old. Put new tap on but there was a leak from the old fitting under the basin. I decided to replace the fitting, so i measured it and it seemed like 13mm. I got replacement 15mm and 10mm fittings as there didn't seem to be 13mm size, but these don't fit. To make matters worse the stopcock doesn't turn all the way off now and the pipe is leaking from the joint even with the water off. The house has various victorian features and still has lengths of lead pipe in various places, including to the basin where it has the copper pipe soldered in to go to the tap. I tried to get a plumber but two decided it was too far to go for the little bit of work involved and a third can't get here until wednesday.

any ideas how to fix this or how to stop up the pipe?

ST

[Dave Liquorice]

I'm not quite following what you mean by "fitting". Pictures are very useful...

You may have imperial 1/2" pipe rather than modern metric 15mm but they are normally close enough in outside diameter that it doesn't matter for compression or sweated joints. 3/4" v 22mm is another matter though...

Stop up the pipe with a suitably size push fit stop end. Check you get one that can be released easily... You should be able to turn the water off at the street stopcock on/near the boundary of your property.

[st01495]

Sorry no digital camera. I'll see if I can get a picture from my mobile on to the computer.

There is lead pipe with some copper pipe soldered into the end of it. the copper pipe has a ridge all the way round it and something like a compression fitting/nut at the end. I assume the nut/fitting was slid on before the copper pipe was soldered in. the nut/fitting then screws into the bottom of the tap.

15mm and 10mm don't fit.

I should be able to but the stop c*ck is under a van and the neighbour isn't in.

I have a blowtorch but have never soldered. would it be easy enough to learn by taking out the copper pipe and putting 15mm pipe in?

regards

ST

[nobodyhome]

Not sure what you mean by " a ridge all the way round" .I thought at first you meant an olive which is used in compression fittings but not in tap connectors .What I'd expect to see would be one of these or similar

this than getting the lead stripped out ( not necessary really if the water isn't being drunk) you should get the leaking stop tap removed and another put in it's place ...like this one

[Ed Sirett]

OK I've a pretty fair idea what bits you have.

You have a lead pipe (probably about 22mm OD being 7lb/0.5" Pb). Into this was soldered a 1/2" tap connector (likely brass) the back nut was rendered captive with this arrangement.

The new tap(s) also have 1/2" BSP threaded section for the water connection. This about 22mm OD. The hole in the middle of the taps is about 1/2". The seal is made by the flange in the tap connector against the end of the threaded pipe under the tap, a fibre washer makes this a good joint. The OD of the old tap connector was about 13mm as you stated

- nothing can be done with this half a fitting.

All that was needed was a new fibre washer.

If you cut off (half) the tap connector from the lead pipe you are now going to need:

1) A 1/2" 7lb "Lead-lok" fitting. £5-£10 from a PM or Bigger shed. 2) A small length of 15mm Copper pipe. 3) A normal 1/2" tap connector. (Some have service valves built in in which case go for it).

You cut off all the fitting from the end of the lead and add a lead lok. you then join the tap to the lead lok with 15mm pipe and a tap connector and a new fibre washer.

A bit of liquid PTFE resin or silicone grease on the olives and washer will help loads.

[st01495]

ridge. The ridge is 1.5mm high and 1.5 thick. the ridge is bit like someone cut a ring from a coin and put it around the pipe, seems solid not soldered. The ridge stops the nut/connector from coming off the pipe and I guess acted a bit like an olive?

The problem is the pipe doesn't seem to be 15mm or 10mm, as nether stop end will fit it, which is still my big problem.

one

've managed to get the water off outside but the plumber informs me he can't get here until Thursday now. Luckily, or unluckily, there is still an outside toilet and sink in an outhouse, but it's water doesn't seem to be off, so I'm guessing there is another stopcock for that somewhere.

thanks

ST

[Dave Liquorice]

That should be standard thread onto the bottom of the tap. What is needed to stop that connection leaking is a fibre washer that slips over the end of the pipe and rests on the ridge, doing up the nut pushes it against the bottom of the tap opening. You only need to gently nip the washer into place, maybe a 1/4 turn past finger tight. When the fibre washer gets wet it expands to make the seal. Before fitting the fibre washer make sure there are no remnants of the previous one stuck to the pipe or bottom of the tap.

Working with lead pipe is a skill that needs to be learnt, I would not recommend taking a blow lamp to this just yet.

[st01495]

This sounds exactly what I had. There was no fibre washer, I suppose it may have disintegrated. And flange is the correct word, not a ridge.

Ok, that sounds like something I can attempt.Can I bend the lead pipe away from the basin to make cutting the pipe easier and fitting everything?

ST

[Dave Liquorice]

Getting a new fibre washer is *a lot* simpler and quicker...