Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

I need to turn off the hot water to fix a tap, but I just can't turn the
stop tap. This is on a pipe behind the hot water cylinder running up to the
loft and it's got a flat oval shaped piece to turn. I've found it tight in
the past and have use mole grips, but this time I can't budge it.

Am I likely to damage anything if I really get brutal, or is there any way
of freeing it up? Alternatively, I presume I can turn off the cold water
feed to the house and drain the tanks. (In the long term, I think I'm going
to have to replace this tap.)

Peter.

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

Am I likely to damage anything if I really get brutal, or is there any way
of freeing it up? Alternatively, I presume I can turn off the cold water

Yeah. Probably a gate valve. These are almost guaranteed to seize within a
few years. I had to replace mine a few weeks back for the same reason. Don't
get too brutal with a tank full of cold water to come out of the broken end.
Drain the cold tank and replace the valve. I've started using lever ball
valves instead of gate ones. From what I can tell, they are what is used in
Europe.

Christian.

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

Subject: Can't turn hot water stop tap!
From: "Snowman"
Date: 03/10/03 10:06 GMT Daylight Time
Message-id:

I need to turn off the hot water to fix a tap, but I just can't turn the
stop tap. This is on a pipe behind the hot water cylinder running up to the
loft and it's got a flat oval shaped piece to turn. I've found it tight in
the past and have use mole grips, but this time I can't budge it.

Am I likely to damage anything if I really get brutal, or is there any way
of freeing it up? Alternatively, I presume I can turn off the cold water
feed to the house and drain the tanks. (In the long term, I think I'm going
to have to replace this tap.)

There should be a nut behind the handle where the spindle goes into the body of
the tap. If you loosen this first you stand a better chance of not breaking the
spindle or the handle. It's probably jammed because you had it fully open.
Better to leave stop taps half a turn back from fully out.


Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines (www.pumaracing.co.uk)
I'm not at all sure why women like men. We're argumentative, childish,
unsociable and extremely unappealing naked. I'm quite grateful they do though.

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"Dave Baker" wrote in message
...
Subject: Can't turn hot water stop tap!
From: "Snowman"
Date: 03/10/03 10:06 GMT Daylight Time
Message-id:

I need to turn off the hot water to fix a tap, but I just can't turn the
stop tap. This is on a pipe behind the hot water cylinder running up to
the
loft and it's got a flat oval shaped piece to turn. I've found it tight
in
the past and have use mole grips, but this time I can't budge it.

Am I likely to damage anything if I really get brutal, or is there any
way
of freeing it up? Alternatively, I presume I can turn off the cold water
feed to the house and drain the tanks. (In the long term, I think I'm
going
to have to replace this tap.)

There should be a nut behind the handle where the spindle goes into the
body of
the tap. If you loosen this first you stand a better chance of not
breaking the
spindle or the handle. It's probably jammed because you had it fully open.
Better to leave stop taps half a turn back from fully out.


Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines (www.pumaracing.co.uk)
I'm not at all sure why women like men. We're argumentative, childish,
unsociable and extremely unappealing naked. I'm quite grateful they do
though.

There's no nut. The tap is one where a quarter turn turns it off. ie when
the oval bit you turn is in line with the pipe, it's open, if you turn it
quarter of a turn so that it's crosses the pipe it's closed.

Peter.

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

Snowman wrote:

There's no nut. The tap is one where a quarter turn turns it off. ie when
the oval bit you turn is in line with the pipe, it's open, if you turn it
quarter of a turn so that it's crosses the pipe it's closed.

It sounds suspiciously like a gas tap to me. Anyway, there may well
be a nut on the back of the tap you could loosen (just a bit mind).

Nick

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"Nick Nelson" wrote in message
...


Snowman wrote:

There's no nut. The tap is one where a quarter turn turns it off. ie
when
the oval bit you turn is in line with the pipe, it's open, if you turn
it
quarter of a turn so that it's crosses the pipe it's closed.

It sounds suspiciously like a gas tap to me. Anyway, there may well
be a nut on the back of the tap you could loosen (just a bit mind).

Nick

Sounds like a gas tap to me as well! Assuming you are certain that it's a
water tap(!) you could try spraying every evening for a few days with
WD40/PlusGas or whatever. It has (occasionally) worked for me in the past.
Then get brutal, but if it turns a little turn it back and then forward
again, then back etc., Make sure you can drain the system quickly.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

Sounds like a gas tap to me as well! Assuming you are certain that it's a
water tap(!) you could try spraying every evening for a few days with
WD40/PlusGas or whatever. It has (occasionally) worked for me in the past.
Then get brutal, but if it turns a little turn it back and then forward
again, then back etc., Make sure you can drain the system quickly.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)


Yes it's definately water - at least it stopped the water last time I
managed to turn it. I'll give WD40 a try - does that work best in the
evening? :-)

Thanks,
Peter.

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"Snowman" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

Sounds like a gas tap to me as well! Assuming you are certain that it's
a
water tap(!) you could try spraying every evening for a few days with
WD40/PlusGas or whatever. It has (occasionally) worked for me in the
past.
Then get brutal, but if it turns a little turn it back and then forward
again, then back etc., Make sure you can drain the system quickly.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)


Yes it's definately water - at least it stopped the water last time I
managed to turn it. I'll give WD40 a try - does that work best in the
evening? :-)

Oh yes, it's a well known fact!

If I try and remember to do things in the morning I always forget and end up
doing them in the evening anyway so that's why not cut out the middle man?

I fear that, if it's a gas tap that someone used for water, the water will
make it prone to complete seizure. I have not seen a water tap like this,
you might be advised to consider changing it. Mind you, the cheap gate
valves always stick (as another poster said). The only real way round this
is to shut and open them every 6 months, except you never remember :-(


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

In article , Bob Mannix
writes

"Snowman" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

Sounds like a gas tap to me as well! Assuming you are certain that it's
a
water tap(!) you could try spraying every evening for a few days with
WD40/PlusGas or whatever. It has (occasionally) worked for me in the
past.
Then get brutal, but if it turns a little turn it back and then forward
again, then back etc., Make sure you can drain the system quickly.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)


Yes it's definately water - at least it stopped the water last time I
managed to turn it. I'll give WD40 a try - does that work best in the
evening? :-)

Oh yes, it's a well known fact!

If I try and remember to do things in the morning I always forget and end up
doing them in the evening anyway so that's why not cut out the middle man?

I fear that, if it's a gas tap that someone used for water, the water will
make it prone to complete seizure. I have not seen a water tap like this,
you might be advised to consider changing it. Mind you, the cheap gate
valves always stick (as another poster said). The only real way round this
is to shut and open them every 6 months, except you never remember :-(

This is a feature I like on the Keston boiler, if it's sitting there
idle and hasn't used its valves and pumps for a while it wiggles them
around just to make sure they don't stick. Now if only someone could
invent a gate valve with similar features...
--
Tim Mitchell

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...
Mind you, the cheap gate
valves always stick (as another poster said). The only real way round this
is to shut and open them every 6 months, except you never remember :-(


--
Unless you do it in the evening !!

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

"Snowman" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

Sounds like a gas tap to me as well! Assuming you are certain that
it's
a
water tap(!) you could try spraying every evening for a few days with
WD40/PlusGas or whatever. It has (occasionally) worked for me in the
past.
Then get brutal, but if it turns a little turn it back and then
forward
again, then back etc., Make sure you can drain the system quickly.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)


Yes it's definately water - at least it stopped the water last time I
managed to turn it. I'll give WD40 a try - does that work best in the
evening? :-)

Oh yes, it's a well known fact!

If I try and remember to do things in the morning I always forget and end
up
doing them in the evening anyway so that's why not cut out the middle man?

I fear that, if it's a gas tap that someone used for water, the water will
make it prone to complete seizure. I have not seen a water tap like this,
you might be advised to consider changing it. Mind you, the cheap gate
valves always stick (as another poster said). The only real way round this
is to shut and open them every 6 months, except you never remember :-(

Washing machine valve?

Pete

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"PM" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

snip

I fear that, if it's a gas tap that someone used for water, the water
will
make it prone to complete seizure. I have not seen a water tap like
this,
you might be advised to consider changing it. Mind you, the cheap gate
valves always stick (as another poster said). The only real way round
this
is to shut and open them every 6 months, except you never remember :-(

Washing machine valve?

Pete


I know that was a little tongue in cheek, but a serious response is that the
(only?) advantage of gate valves is that they are full (22mm) bore as they
only deal with the hydrostatic head from the header tank. Washing machine
valves, which may have to withstand mains pressure, are not full-bore (in
terms of the 22mm pipes they would be isolating) and would severely restrict
the flow.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

Bob Mannix wrote:
"PM" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

snip

I fear that, if it's a gas tap that someone used for water, the
water will make it prone to complete seizure. I have not seen a
water tap like this, you might be advised to consider changing it.
Mind you, the cheap gate valves always stick (as another poster
said). The only real way round this is to shut and open them every
6 months, except you never remember :-(

Washing machine valve?

Pete


I know that was a little tongue in cheek, but a serious response is
that the (only?) advantage of gate valves is that they are full
(22mm) bore as they only deal with the hydrostatic head from the
header tank. Washing machine valves, which may have to withstand
mains pressure, are not full-bore (in terms of the 22mm pipes they
would be isolating) and would severely restrict the flow.

I've got gate valves on my CH pump.
They have been there 25 years and pump has been changed 3 times without a
problem with the valves.
Mind you I never leave any stopcock or valve so its hard open, just keep
them a fraction of a turn from the fully open position.

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"Snowman" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

Sounds like a gas tap to me as well! Assuming you are certain that it's
a
water tap(!) you could try spraying every evening for a few days with
WD40/PlusGas or whatever. It has (occasionally) worked for me in the
past.
Then get brutal, but if it turns a little turn it back and then forward
again, then back etc., Make sure you can drain the system quickly.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)


Yes it's definately water - at least it stopped the water last time I
managed to turn it. I'll give WD40 a try - does that work best in the
evening? :-)

I have just replaced my grotty 15mm isolation valves (screw to turn on/off
and constriction in middle) with quarter turn valves from B&Q which have a
long red handle and are full bore.

I did this for 2 reasons:
(1) Full bore seemed better than constricted.
(2) The isolation valves turned out to be harder to get to than I first
expected, especially with a screwdriver, so long red handles made everything
much easier.

Slightly concerned now after the comments about mains water pressure (valves
are on cold mains to handbasin and cistern, hot tank to handbasin), but they
will spend 99% of their time fully open.

So there are water isolation valves which are quarter turn, much like the
isolation valve on my gas meter.

HTH
Dave R

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

In article , Bob Mannix
writes

Mind you, the cheap gate
valves always stick (as another poster said). The only real way round this
is to shut and open them every 6 months, except you never remember :-(

Then they start leaking, so you have to change them anyway...

--
A. Top posters.
Q. What's the most annoying thing on Usenet?

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
t...

Drain the cold tank and replace the valve.

Or plug the outlet from the cold tank to stop the flow. There are custom
made plugs by Drayton (look like giants' earplugs and cost about 12 quid a
pair) and compression plugs from BES (and real plumbers merchants) or you
might get away with a wine bottle stopper (Vacu-vin) ... or use your
ingenuity!


I've started using lever ball
valves instead of gate ones.

Agreed: full bore level valves (under £5 for 22mm from Screwfix) are the
mutt's nuts



--
John Stumbles
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
-+
Bob the builder / it'll cost yer
Bob the builder / loadsa dosh

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

So there are water isolation valves which are quarter turn, much like the
isolation valve on my gas meter.

Very much like. In fact, they are likely to be the same part number. The one
I bought had ticks against "Water", "Steam", "Gas" and "Heating Oil".

Christian.

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"BillR" wrote in message
...
Bob Mannix wrote:
"PM" wrote in message
...

"Bob Mannix" wrote in message
...

snip

I fear that, if it's a gas tap that someone used for water, the
water will make it prone to complete seizure. I have not seen a
water tap like this, you might be advised to consider changing it.
Mind you, the cheap gate valves always stick (as another poster
said). The only real way round this is to shut and open them every
6 months, except you never remember :-(

Washing machine valve?

Pete


I know that was a little tongue in cheek, but a serious response is
that the (only?) advantage of gate valves is that they are full
(22mm) bore as they only deal with the hydrostatic head from the
header tank. Washing machine valves, which may have to withstand
mains pressure, are not full-bore (in terms of the 22mm pipes they
would be isolating) and would severely restrict the flow.

I've got gate valves on my CH pump.
They have been there 25 years and pump has been changed 3 times without a
problem with the valves.
Mind you I never leave any stopcock or valve so its hard open, just keep
them a fraction of a turn from the fully open position.


I replaced my cold water tank two years ago, within a year one of the gate
valves wouldn't shut off :-(

Can't turn hot water stop tap!
 

"PM" wrote in message
...

"BillR" wrote in message
...
Bob Mannix wrote:

snip
I've got gate valves on my CH pump.
They have been there 25 years and pump has been changed 3 times without
a
problem with the valves.
Mind you I never leave any stopcock or valve so its hard open, just keep
them a fraction of a turn from the fully open position.


I replaced my cold water tank two years ago, within a year one of the gate
valves wouldn't shut off :-(


I believe somewhere (in a mythical land) it is possible to buy "proper" gate
valves (at greater cost of course). What we all buy, of course, are the two
quid ones from the sheds, which seize.

This will probably seize at £1.39:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=17884

This *probably" won't at £3.58 plus fittings:

http://secure.thorite.co.uk/Main_Menu_Brass_Fullway_Gate_Valve_283.html


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)