New ball valve fitted to cold water tank - question.

Stupot101_2

Hi, the ball valve on my cold water tank in the roofspace failed, so I replaced it tonight.

It seems to be connected up OK. However the water level is quite high. It's about 3mm below the overflow. It does stop there though. I've read on other forums to bend the arm downwards, but this seems like a bad idea - I know I'll break it!

The old valve seems to have a longer arm.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

I have uploaded photos of it to Wikimedia but MSE won't let me post links.

keystone

Stupot101 wrote: »

Hi, the ball valve on my cold water tank in the roofspace failed, so I replaced it tonight.

It seems to be connected up OK. However the water level is quite high. It's about 3mm below the overflow. It does stop there though. I've read on other forums to bend the arm downwards, but this seems like a bad idea - I know I'll break it!

The old valve seems to have a longer arm.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

I have uploaded photos of it to Wikimedia but MSE won't let me post links.

Yes you can bend the arm downwards but the fact that you are contemplating it suggests you have fitted one of these:



which is for a toilet cistern when actually you should have fitted one of these:



which is for the tank in your roofspace. Note the different shaped arm by design.

Sorry if I'm being picky..

Cheers

stupot101

Hi, thanks for your reply. Ah right, yeah I see what you mean. I thought I should replace like with like though. The old one had a straight arm.

That's a "type 2" valve isn't it? Is leaving the type 1 on OK until I can get and fit a type 2?

stupot101

Images are here:

xxxx://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stubacca

keystone

Yes it'll be OK. You can't hurt it if you bend the arm. Just be gentle with it though.

Cheers

stupot101

OK, I'll maybe have a go at bending it.

One more question - you'll see in one of the photos that there is some pipe insulation running from somewhere under the insulation, up above the tank, and the end of it dips into the water. There doesn't seem to be a pipe in there. Just insulation.

What the heck is it for?!

T_T_2

stupot101 wrote: »

Hi, thanks for your reply. Ah right, yeah I see what you mean. I thought I should replace like with like though. The old one had a straight arm.

That's a "type 2" valve isn't it? Is leaving the type 1 on OK until I can get and fit a type 2?

It's a Part 2 rather than a Type two and it's not about replacing like for like, it's about keeping up with recommended and indeed required practice. You shouldn't be fitting a Part 1 Ballvalve these days.

keystone

Funny I was about to ask what that was but now you've said its insulation I can see that it is. Lord only knows. Oh - the previous occupant hasn't lagged the vent pipe has he (totally pointless) and its fallen down? I can't see it serves any useful purpose. Ditch it.

Cheers

stupot101

My bad, there is a pipe in there. So it's the vent pipe? It is only about 2-3mm above the water level when full. Is this safe?

keystone

stupot101 wrote: »

My bad, there is a pipe in there. So it's the vent pipe? It is only about 2-3mm above the water level when full. Is this safe?

It ain't safe if the end of the pipe finds itself below water level thats for sure. But drop the water level then it will probably be fine. I'd be tempted to lop a bit off so that even if the water level does actually rise to the point that it overflows there is no danger of the open end of the vent ever being submerged.

Purely as a matter of interest how high above the water level in the tank is the underside of the topmost part of the vent?

Cheers

Canucklehead

Hi.

This is what we are supposed to be aiming for......

Correct installation of a cold water cistern

All pipework should be insulated including the open vent and the warning pipe (overflow)

Vent pipe should terminate 150mm + 40mm per metre of system height, above the water line.

GSR.