Strange Taps

[The Medway Handyman]

Just for info/interest really.

Had a call from a guy who's hot tap was dripping badly after having the boiler changed to a combi. Reasonable given the now mains pressure (which was exceptionally high).

Details given over the phone where that the taps turned on/off in a quarter turn and had lever handles as used by people with arthritis.

I assumed they were ceramic cartridges, but not the case. Standard looking head gear & normal washers. Further dissection revealed they worked on an extremely coarse thread, allowing the quarter turn on/off.

Replaced the washer & whacked a reseating tool over the seat just to be sure.

Couldn't believe my eyes when I turned the hot water back on, the tap turned off normally, then started to open all by itself! Spooky! You could actually watch it moving!

The water pressure was high enough to overcome the coarse thread and slightly open the tap.

Sorted it by putting in a service valve & part closing it to reduce the pressure.

Just for info.

[mike]

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in news:lMDMh.142753$ [e-mail]:

Wouldn't this fix cut down the flow when the tap is open, not the pressure when it's closed?

Not questioning your observation, but mebbe the effect will come back if your punter doesn't turn it off as hard as you do.

mike

[nightjar]

A service valve will reduce the rate of flow, but will not prevent the static water pressure building up to the same level. You need to install a pressure reducing valve to do that.

Colin Bignell

[Mark]

And no doubt you charged the poor sucker extra for this brainwave.

-

[Andy Hall]

Did you think that he was a charitable concern? Handing out oranges and nosegays, that type of thing?

[John Stumbles]

Yup. I'd be waiting for a callback there. When/if it comes is there any chance you could stick ceramic disk glands in there? They're not all mix&match - the screw thread into the tap body is the same but the splined bit and overall geometry can vary - but sometimes you can find something that fits even if you have to transplant the glands and handles from one set of taps into the body of another.

[Mark]

And you would happily pay to have a service valve fitted in the belief it would reduce your water pressure?

For the paying public suckers of this world shelf stacking at tesco would indeed be a wise career move.

[Andy Hall]

Personally I would fit it myself anyway, but leaving that aside, it will reduce the dynamic pressure.

Ah I see. Buying Lottery tickets?

[Mark]

And you think it will also reduce the hydrostatic pressure and so stop the tap leaking? Or has the customer now got a dripping tap with piss poor flow and an unnecessary larger hole in his wallet.

[Andy Hall]

I didn't say that it did.

I wasn't there so how can I say? Equally, neither were you.

In terms of the tranaction, if the problem is fixed, then it's reasonable to charge the customer, regardless of how it was achieved.

If it wasn't, then there will be a return visit, which will no doubt be at a fair or zero rate.

Why do you find it necessary to imply that the customer was being ripped off or being suckered when the intent was clearly genuine?

[The Medway Handyman]

a) I was there and I can accurately report that;

b) The tap doesn't drip anymore.

c) The flow is perfectly adequate. Had Mark read my post he would have spotted that I mentioned the pressure was exceptional, so high in fact that it forced the tap to open.

d) The entire bill for driving to the customer, fitting new washers, reseating both taps & fitting the valve was £45 (inc the valve).

Indeed it would be.

Clearly Mark has some kind of problem and feels the need to launch a personal attack against me. Possibly he is a closet handyman.

[nightjar]

The point being made, however badly, is that a service valve is not a cure for high static pressure. Only a proper pressure reducing valve will sort that out.

Colin Bignell

[Andy Hall]

.. or a closet magician? ;-)

[The Medway Handyman]

It did, but the pressure was excessive to start with & perfectly acceptable after. Still higher that before the combi was installed.

I didn't turn the tap off excessivly, although it would be easy to do because they had levers. Watched it for a good 15 mins & it hadn't moved or dripped.

[The Medway Handyman]

Nevertheless it appears to have solved the problem. This was Thursday AM & I told the customer to call me if there were any problems - and I haven't heard.

[The Medway Handyman]

Nah! Magicians charge much more than handymen - even more than plumbers would you believe!

[Andy Hall]

Have you not thought of turning up at handyman jobs with oofle dust and wearing a fez?

Perhaps you could command a higher price........

[The Medway Handyman]

Ah. The old Woofle Dust!

I have a problem with that. Magician reaches into pocket for pinch of Woofle Dust, sprinkles it over 'object'. Object disappears.

Why doesn't the magicians pocket vanish?

[Andy Hall]

'cos he hasn't yet said "Izzy whizzy, let's get busy?"

[Owain]

Well, duh! They're *magic* pockets, innit! The pocket doesn't vanish but the apostrophe does.

No, seriously, it's the same reason glue doesn't stick to the inside of glue-tubes.

Alakhazammy stairheid rammy!

Owain