Leaking stopcock

Jem8472

Hello all, I need to repair a leaky toilet valve.

I went to turn off the water under the sink and after turning the stopcock only a little way felt some water on my fingers, now there seems to be a bit of a leak coming from around the stopcock where it joins the bit that you turn.

Any suggestions to what I can do to sort this or is it a plumber job as I am not that comfortable with plumbing jobs.

DevCoder

You can *carefully* tighten up the gland nut. this is the nut at the end of the spindle.

If that doesnt work (and it does in most cases) then you can repack the gland (the diy wayis to take the spindle out and wrap ptfe tape around the thread and reinsert.

Option 1 costs a spanner (adjustable if you dont have an exact fit)
Option 2 is a spanner and some ptfe tape (about 90p from any diy shed)

DevCoder

Video of where the gland nut is and repacking is at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=unOzP1GZwqI

keystone

As above but it may be that its only dripping a tad whilst the valve is closed and will stop once you open it again. In which case catch the drips whilst do your repair. Whilst you are at it with the water off you mght like to consider fitting one of these:



downstream of your existing stopcock so that you never have to touch it again.

Cheers

Tucker

Out of interest, would say a john guest pushfit stopcock have any affect on the flow rate and how would it compare to a lever ball valve?

Jem8472

Thanks guys, I did not manage to turn the stopcock off at its so stiff. I think I will have to get a new one installed. If I do is it possible to have a design like the one above or is there some rules about it having to be a traditional stopcock?

Its also stopped leaking down which is good.

I hope the plumber that did our boiler will come and out do it for us. Is it a big job to get the stopcock changed?
Its not much use having a stopcock that is nearly impossible to turn off.

27col

Stop cocks like the one in the video will benefit greatly from being operated at least once a year. They will all seize up or at least require a wrench of some sort to operate them, unless they are exercised occasionally.

keystone

Tucker wrote: »

Out of interest, would say a john guest pushfit stopcock have any affect on the flow rate and how would it compare to a lever ball valve?

If they are both full bore (which they should be for this application) then none whatsoever.

Cheers

keystone

Jem8472 wrote: »

If I do is it possible to have a design like the one above or is there some rules about it having to be a traditional stopcock?

No a ful bore lever valve meets Water Regs for use as a stopcock.

Its also stopped leaking down which is good.

:T

Is it a big job to get the stopcock changed? Its not much use having a stopcock that is nearly impossible to turn off.

Water off at the existing stopcock (still catching any drips), drain pipework, cut pipe and fit new valve as indicated downstream of existing. Open up old stopcock and never touch it again using the new valve as your stopcock in future. The replacement alternative means isolating the supply at the company stopcock in the street first. Either method is fine.

Cheers

27col

keystone wrote: »

No a ful bore lever valve meets Water Regs for use as a stopcock.

:T

Water off at the existing stopcock (still catching any drips), drain pipework, cut pipe and fit new valve as indicated downstream of existing. Open up old stopcock and never touch it again using the new valve as your stopcock in future. The replacement alternative means isolating the supply at the company stopcock in the street first. Either method is fine.

Cheers

Been there, done that.

Tucker

keystone wrote: »

If they are both full bore (which they should be for this application) then none whatsoever.

Cheers

Thanks. I am not sure the speedfit one is full bore.

At least, I cannot see it stated anywhere and looking through it, it doesn't look likely to me??

http://www.screwfix.com/p/jg-speedfit-15stvp-stop-cocks-15mm/11400