Leaking stopcock

tiff

We have a stopcock in our hallway that is leaking quite a bit as it was turned off and back on today. My DH is out till 10pm. I've read up a bit on the net and think I should try and tighten the gland nut. I'm just a bit scared I might make things worse.

Should I tighten it, could anything else happen if I do that?

keystone

Yes tighten it up. You'll be OK.

Cheers

ormus

make sure you know where the street tap is, just in case.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Is that where the water is coming out then?

tiff

We've lived here 12 years and never found a street tap, a builder once tried to find it and said we didnt have one.

Tried to take a photo but cant send it to flickr for some reason. Yes, water is coming from a nut but stopcock looks a little different to others I've seen so not sure what to do. Maybe I'll just wait till DH gets home, not that he knows a great deal more!

totalsolutions

well, do something.

keystone

Does it look like this:



or perhaps like this:



ore even this:



and do any of the images help you to describe where the leak is coming from?

Cheers

tiff

I think its probably the first one, although its horizontal not vertical. And its not the gland nut that is leaking, I think its one of the end ones.

So in the first pick tip the stopcock so the bottom right nut is at the top and the bottom left is at the bottom. The leak is then coming from the top nut, which isnt the gland nut is it? This is too difficult for me lol We are going out for the day tomorrow, have to be on a coach at 6.45 so very worried about this as the leak is too much to leave.

keystone

No its not the gland nut - its the compression fitting onto the pipework. Just tighten it up so that the olive inside makes the seal again. Hold the tap itself steady whilst you are doing the nut up.

Cheers

1984ReturnsForReal_2

lol.

Thought so..

Ice might of damaged it a few weeks ago if its located in a cold place.

Is it likely to have been subjected to ice & this is the first time you have seen it?

If so I doubt tightening it will do anything.

Canucklehead

tiff wrote: »

We've lived here 12 years and never found a street tap, a builder once tried to find it and said we didnt have one.

Tried to take a photo but cant send it to flickr for some reason. Yes, water is coming from a nut but stopcock looks a little different to others I've seen so not sure what to do. Maybe I'll just wait till DH gets home, not that he knows a great deal more!

Hi

Yes a photo would be good.

GSR.