On 09/01/2020 14:10, alan_m wrote:
On 09/01/2020 08:09, Brian Gaff (Sofa 2) wrote:
Who knows how old the original post was. I've never come across a plastic
one. Its not a good thing to have, I have enough trouble with a metal
one.
Somebody needs to make a stopcock that after years of not moving can
in fact
be moved without breaking off the stem, or fracturing the pipe or that
needs
two adjustable spanners and half a ton of penetrating oil and limescale
remover to shift.
Brh humbug
Brian


The integral stop cocks fitted with water meters around my way are plastic.


+1

There should be a special plastic fitting that reaches down to the
'stop cock' which is turned 90 degrees from full on to full off.

Mine has a 6-sided end, like an allen key, and about 10 mm
further up the shaft are two rectangular 'shoulders' so any
flat bladed implement about 15mm wide and 3 mm thick would
do the job.

Try a steel ruler if you have one to hand.

Andrew wrote:

There should be a special plastic fitting that reaches down to the
'stop cock' which is turned 90 degrees from full on to full off.

Mine has a 6-sided end, like an allen key, and about 10 mm
further up the shaft are two rectangular 'shoulders'

A "normal" stopcock key fits a plastic stopcock here

https://screwfix.com/p/stopcock-key/71652

On 10/01/2020 13:12, Andy Burns wrote:
Andrew wrote:

There should be a special plastic fitting that reaches down to the
'stop cock' which is turned 90 degrees from full on to full off.

Mine has a 6-sided end, like an allen key, and about 10 mm
further up the shaft are two rectangular 'shoulders'

A "normal" stopcock key fits a plastic stopcock here

https://screwfix.com/p/stopcock-key/71652

£28 !!.

It looks like it is designed for metal stop cocks, ones that
need some welly to turn on those blue-moon occasions when you
need to.

A external combined water-meter/stop cock box wouldn't need
anything that strong, because the stop cock is plastic and only
turns 90 degrees, but the extra reach could be necessary.

The key supplied by Southern water is as described above.
I have just measured it and the 'hex' end measures 10mm
across two opposing flats, so assuming the stop cock
has a hex socket, I would just get a hex fitting for
a 3/8 socket set, with a long extension bar and Tee handle.

This one would be a cheaper alternative :-

https://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenber...le-520mm/9638k

- assuming that the 'flat' section engages with the slots in
the plastic stop cock.

On 10/01/2020 13:36, Andrew wrote:

£28 !!.

Yep, a quarter of that price from other retailers

It looks like it is designed for metal stop cocks, ones that
need some welly to turn on those blue-moon occasions when you
need to.

It's the same design I use for my plastic stopcock. The stop cock has a
plastic bar that engages with the key.

A external combined water-meter/stop cock box wouldn't need
anything that strong, because the stop cock is plastic and only
turns 90 degrees, but the extra reach could be necessary.

My plastic stop cock associated with the water meter is multi turn and
down approx 2 feet from the surface.

The key supplied by Southern water is as described above.
I have just measured it and the 'hex' end measures 10mm
across two opposing flats, so assuming the stop cock
has a hex socket,

Mine has a wide parallel bar that can be turned by a "traditional" stop
cock key.

http://www.admac.myzen.co.uk/water_meter/





--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Andrew wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

https://screwfix.com/p/stopcock-key/71652

It looks like it is designed for metal stop cocks, ones that
need some welly to turn on those blue-moon occasions when you
need to.

That is what I bought it for, but it works well on plastic stopcocks too.

A external combined water-meter/stop cock box wouldn't need
anything that strong, because the stop cock is plastic and only
turns 90 degrees, but the extra reach could be necessary.

My plastic one (2017 vintage IIRC) is multiturn.