Plumbing Query - Flexi Filling Loop

richdeniro

Hi All,

Today was sat at home and heard a pop from the kitchen, went in there and had water gushing everywhere from a burst on the flexible hose thing that connects the water supply to the boiler via the filling loop.

Managed to turn off the water at the mains after a couple of minutes as Thames have just fitted a water meter so for some reason I now have two stopcocks, one above the meter and one below (should they have installed it this way?). The damage wasn't too bad but a fair bit leaked down to the flat below.

I bought a new flexi and fitted it myself, turned the water back on and everything seems ok but am now really paranoid that it might happen again and it would be a disaster if I hadn't been at home, I've never seen so much water from a 2 minute leak and if it happened when I'd been out no one might have gotten to it for hours.

Have been googling and came across something called a 'Flood Stop Isolating Valve' and wondered if anyone knew if something like this would stop any future leak if the flexi hose failed again? Also would it be something I could install myself or should I pay to have a plumber install it and how much would that cost?

Cheers,

Rich.

flashg67

Yours may be different, but at each end of my fill in loop, there is a tap/valve to control the flow when filling the boiler - so it's already able to be isolated - I just leave them both off unless/until I need to use it.

richdeniro

flashg67 wrote: »

Yours may be different, but at each end of my fill in loop, there is a tap/valve to control the flow when filling the boiler - so it's already able to be isolated - I just leave them both off unless/until I need to use it.

Yep there's one on the end that feeds from the water supply and it was the first thing I turned when the leak happened but it didn't stop the flow of water, had to go downstairs and turn it off at the mains.

I'm wondering if that might have been because when Thames water fitted the water meters they left the pressure on the stopcock on full? I've only turned it on slightly now from the mains so perhaps that would work.

Alex1983

Filling loops shouldn’t be permanently connected, the hose should be removed and the isolation taps capped when not required.

Ectophile

Alex1983 wrote: »

Filling loops shouldn’t be permanently connected, the hose should be removed and the isolation taps capped when not required.

But nobody ever does.

However, the valves at both ends of the pipe should have been turned off. They shouldn't be turned on unless you are actually filling the system. The reason for this is water safety. When the heating is on, the system pressurises. If the valves aren't turned off properly, this can force water out of the heating system back into the mains. Anyone drinking that water could be drinking rust and corrosion inhibitor.

richdeniro

There only seems to be one valve at the bottom, if I turn it clockwise the pressure guage increases. Also the pipe that it feeds into on the bottom right (labelled as 'CH return') has hot water flowing through (whilst the heating is on) it now when this is where the cold water was coming from when the leak happened and it stopped when I turned the water off at the mains.

Le_Kirk

The bottom tap is in the off position, if you turn it, it will try to put more water in the boiler and so the pressure will increase as witnessed by the pressure gauge increasing. You don't appear to have a valve/tap at the top of the filling loop, nor do you seem to have a non-return valve, which would have prevented water coming out of the boiler.

barnaclebill

Looking at the photo it looks to me that there is something on the top connection with a hex cap, could be a non return valve inside that has stuck open.

richdeniro

I've got a plumber coming round in a couple of hours. Better safe than sorry.

Norman_Castle

I now have two stopcocks, one above the meter and one below (should they have installed it this way?)

Yes. No reason not to and it makes meter replacement easy (assuming a !!!!!!!! plumber doesn't cut the handle off the first stop tap for the kitchen fitters!).

Head_The_Ball

richdeniro wrote: »

...I'm wondering if that might have been because when Thames water fitted the water meters they left the pressure on the stopcock on full? I've only turned it on slightly now from the mains so perhaps that would work.

The stopcock does not affect the water pressure, it only affects the flow rate, from zero when fully closed to full flow when fully open. The pressure will be the same no matter the flow rate.

Pressure is determined by the pressure of the water in the mains feed into your house.

The stopcock should normally be turned fully on, otherwise you may have restricted flow at your taps. (It is a good idea to open it fully and then close it fractionally by a tiny amount as that reduces the chances of it sticking or seizing open. Open and close it occasionally, twice a year maybe, to reduce this risk.

If your mains is at too high a pressure, (that might have caused the burst in the hose) you can fit a pressure limiting valve like these.

Speak to your plumber about this.