Immersion tank stop !!!!!! leaking

funnymonkey

Good evening.
I have a very slight leak to my immersion heater stop !!!!!! but it is very difficult to access (so unable to tighten) as it's located behind the pump in an enclosed space.
My plumber wants £150 to replace which I think is extortionate as if I understand correctly unless it is seized which it is not it would just either need tightening or a new washer?
Could anyone please advise?
Thank you

funnymonkey

Here is a photo of the area. Thanks

ThisIsWeird

Does the stopcock work ok - does it turn?
If yes, then I'd wire brush all that scale away, and spray the spindle with silicone lubricant - try and squirt it in around the spindle. Then turn it all the way in and out a few times, whilst firing more squirts. Finally fully open, and then close it one turn - that won't affect how open it is, but should help prevent it from seizing.
If it still drips, then tighten that first nut clockwise an eighth to quarter turn - that's all. See if that does the trick.
Failing that, you can actually undo that nut fully, and add a good few turns of PTFE tape loosely around the shaft, smeared in silicone grease, which you then push down inside before gently doing up the nut again. It should only drip during this process... 
Meanwhile, obvs make sure the drips don't affect the pump. 

(If it needs replacing, then your CWS tank and hot cylinder will need draining, a simple but involved and time-consuming task, so the plumber's quote was not unreasonable.)

grumpy_codger

Black connectors are push-fit, must be easy to disconnect. The only problem is draining the pipes.

However, if the pipes above are long, they have to flex. In this case it's probably sufficient just to unscrew the pump from the floor (if it's fixed).

funnymonkey

Thank you for your answers. I am really not happy as my plumber fitted a new pump yesterday but left me with this water leak stating that he didn't have time to fix the leak as he had another customer to carry out work for.
Apart from the obvious risk of water leaking over the pump I always thought that you complete one customers job before attending another should any problems arise.

grumpy_codger

funnymonkey said:

Apart from the obvious risk of water leaking over the pump I always thought that you complete one customers job before attending another should any problems arise.

And the other customer has to wait?

What was his job? To to fit the pump? He completed it.

Just playing devil's advocate...

ThisIsWeird

funnymonkey said:

Thank you for your answers. I am really not happy as my plumber fitted a new pump yesterday but left me with this water leak stating that he didn't have time to fix the leak as he had another customer to carry out work for.
Apart from the obvious risk of water leaking over the pump I always thought that you complete one customers job before attending another should any problems arise.

Yes, it's frustrating. But...

The water leak was not of his making. Unfortunately, it's a very time-consuming job to undertake - most likely over an hour. You know there's a drip, so it's incumbent on you to ensure it doesn't land on the pump or anything else until it's fixed, and this is obviously easy to do with a wee bowl. It won't develop into a torrent, so it is a minor and containable issue. Had it been a serious leak, then obviously he'd have tackled it there and then. He had another customer waiting, and possibly another one after that - should they all be significantly inconvenienced because of a drip?

And he's possibly saved you £150 by giving you the time to sort it yourself.

(If you do get him, or another plumber, out to replace the valve, I'd always suggest going 'full-bore lever' type valve. Stopcocks and Gate valves are prone to seizing over time through lack of use.)