On 05/06/2011 21:32, Java Jive wrote:
Or even just: "Change the washers to stop the taps dripping".



To change a washer in the kitchen cold mixer tap, you have to turn off
the main and then drain the feeder to the loft tank, with the
consequent danger of causing airlocks.


Why? If you tie up the ball valve (or just don't open any taps fed from
the header) the feed pipe will remain full if you don't hang about.

To change a washer in any other cold tap, you have to turn off the
main and throw away all the water in the header tank.


Why? Just put a cork in the tank's outlet.

To change a washer in any hot tap, you have to throw away all your hot
water as well.


Why? If there's no tap in the cold feed pipe between the header and the
hot cylinder, just put a cork in the appropriate outlet, as before.

Then you find that because the taps were manufactured in the eighties
to look good rather than last well, you find that you can't get, say,
a new brass screw to hold the washer in position, but have to buy at
least a new tap innards, more probably a new set of taps.

All my life I've been used to changing washers the moment I saw a
dripping tap, but these days I grit my teeth and just let them drip.


Why not just bite the bullet and insert stop taps/ service valves in all
the appropriate places to make life easier in future?
--
Cheers,
Roger
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