Hello

Just discovered that the stop-tap in the integral garage is leaking from its
collar - downstream cardboard boxes were sodden. The tap is about 30 years
old and is used fairly regularly to adjust the internal water pressure in
response to changes in mains pressure. I managed to stop the leak by
tightening the spindle nut a little, I've done this once before a few years
back.

I was wondering whether I need to change the tap or its washers - or whether
I can continue to tighten the tap every few years for the foreseeable? If I
do need to change the tap, then the problem I have is turning off the
external stop-tap which is located a metre or so below a metal cover in the
drive and which to my knowledge has not seen any action since the house was
built 30 years ago. I seem to remember that the Utility Company is obliged
to isolate your property on request - or did I dream this? If not, is there
a special tool and technique for turning off these "subterranean" stop taps?


Thanks
Thomas

Thomas wrote:
Hello

Just discovered that the stop-tap in the integral garage is leaking from its
collar - downstream cardboard boxes were sodden. The tap is about 30 years
old and is used fairly regularly to adjust the internal water pressure in
response to changes in mains pressure.

Closing a tap slightly does not decrease pressure per se it reduces
flow,the pressure is dependent on the amount of flow past the restriction.
if you close the main tap and restrict the aperture the pressure will
remain the same on both sides of the main tap until you open another tap


I managed to stop the leak by
tightening the spindle nut a little, I've done this once before a few years
back.

I was wondering whether I need to change the tap or its washers - or whether
I can continue to tighten the tap every few years for the foreseeable? If I
do need to change the tap, then the problem I have is turning off the
external stop-tap which is located a metre or so below a metal cover in the
drive and which to my knowledge has not seen any action since the house was
built 30 years ago. I seem to remember that the Utility Company is obliged
to isolate your property on request - or did I dream this? If not, is there
a special tool and technique for turning off these "subterranean" stop taps?


Thanks

you can usually repack the spindle gland if there is no more adjustment
unless the shaft is damaged
Thomas

"F Murtz" wrote in message
om...
Thomas wrote:
Hello

Just discovered that the stop-tap in the integral garage is leaking from
its
collar - downstream cardboard boxes were sodden. The tap is about 30
years
old and is used fairly regularly to adjust the internal water pressure in
response to changes in mains pressure.

Closing a tap slightly does not decrease pressure per se it reduces
flow,the pressure is dependent on the amount of flow past the restriction.
if you close the main tap and restrict the aperture the pressure will
remain the same on both sides of the main tap until you open another tap


Point taken.
Closing down the stop-tap does however prevent the water-hammer we sometimes
get when we have very high mains pressure.




Thanks

you can usually repack the spindle gland if there is no more adjustment
unless the shaft is damaged
Thomas


Yes, but I'm guessing that that will require the water to be turned off at
the external stop-tap :-)

Just a thought.
Will those pipe-freezers work on an alkathene pipe at mains pressure?

Thanks
Thomas

Thomas wrote:
"F wrote in message
om...
Thomas wrote:
Hello

Just discovered that the stop-tap in the integral garage is leaking from
its
collar - downstream cardboard boxes were sodden. The tap is about 30
years
old and is used fairly regularly to adjust the internal water pressure in
response to changes in mains pressure.

Closing a tap slightly does not decrease pressure per se it reduces
flow,the pressure is dependent on the amount of flow past the restriction.
if you close the main tap and restrict the aperture the pressure will
remain the same on both sides of the main tap until you open another tap


Point taken.
Closing down the stop-tap does however prevent the water-hammer we sometimes
get when we have very high mains pressure.




Thanks

you can usually repack the spindle gland if there is no more adjustment
unless the shaft is damaged
Thomas


Yes, but I'm guessing that that will require the water to be turned off at
the external stop-tap :-)

No just turn the tap you are working on off, that should prevent water
from escaping while you shove more packing in.(some greasy string etc)
This will only work on old taps with glands, nowadays they use o'rings.

Just a thought.
Will those pipe-freezers work on an alkathene pipe at mains pressure?

Thanks
Thomas

Just a thought.
Will those pipe-freezers work on an alkathene pipe at mains pressure?

Thanks
Thomas



No problem as long as you freeze a sufficient length. I'd guess six
inches or so should do it, maybe less since you will generate radial
compression from the ice expansion (plus the alkathene contraction).

In message om,
newshound writes

Just a thought.
Will those pipe-freezers work on an alkathene pipe at mains pressure?

Thanks
Thomas



No problem as long as you freeze a sufficient length. I'd guess six
inches or so should do it, maybe less since you will generate radial
compression from the ice expansion (plus the alkathene contraction).

Why not just clamp them as plumbers do? They obviously use proper tools
but a G cramp closing a couple of *C* shaped jaws will do the job.

--
Tim Lamb

On 11/10/2012 09:57, F Murtz wrote:
Thomas wrote:
Hello

Just discovered that the stop-tap in the integral garage is leaking
from its
collar - downstream cardboard boxes were sodden. The tap is about 30
years
old and is used fairly regularly to adjust the internal water pressure in
response to changes in mains pressure.

Closing a tap slightly does not decrease pressure per se it reduces
flow,the pressure is dependent on the amount of flow past the restriction.
if you close the main tap and restrict the aperture the pressure will
remain the same on both sides of the main tap until you open another tap


I managed to stop the leak by
tightening the spindle nut a little, I've done this once before a few
years
back.

I was wondering whether I need to change the tap or its washers - or
whether
I can continue to tighten the tap every few years for the foreseeable?
If I
do need to change the tap, then the problem I have is turning off the
external stop-tap which is located a metre or so below a metal cover
in the
drive and which to my knowledge has not seen any action since the
house was
built 30 years ago. I seem to remember that the Utility Company is
obliged
to isolate your property on request - or did I dream this? If not, is
there
a special tool and technique for turning off these "subterranean" stop
taps?


you can usually repack the spindle gland if there is no more adjustment
unless the shaft is damaged

Like he sez. Part closing the tap doesn't reduce the static pressure -
just restricts the flow. If you want to control the pressure, install a
proper pressure regulating valve.

If you need to turn of your external stopcock, you'll need something
like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberg...uestid=1790360
[This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get them cheaper than
this].
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

If you need to turn of your external stopcock, you'll need something
like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberg...uestid=1790360
[This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get them cheaper
than this].

Worth looking at your external stopcock before you buy as, if you have
an external water meter, you might find (i) it has a tap you can turn by
hand or (ii) it has a hexagonal head. I have the latter and gather from
learned folk here I should have been left with a plastic "key" when it
was fitted. I weren't. But I find a socket on a long bar works for me.
--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

On 11/10/2012 10:42, Robin wrote:
If you need to turn of your external stopcock, you'll need something
like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberg...uestid=1790360
[This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get them cheaper
than this].

Worth looking at your external stopcock before you buy as, if you have
an external water meter, you might find (i) it has a tap you can turn by
hand or (ii) it has a hexagonal head. I have the latter and gather from
learned folk here I should have been left with a plastic "key" when it
was fitted. I weren't. But I find a socket on a long bar works for me.

But he did say that the external stopcock hadn't seen any action for 30
years. It's very unlikely that an external meter with hex tap was
installed 30 years ago!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

Roger Mills wrote:
On 11/10/2012 10:42, Robin wrote:
If you need to turn of your external stopcock, you'll need something
like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberg...uestid=1790360
[This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get them cheaper
than this].

Worth looking at your external stopcock before you buy as, if you
have an external water meter, you might find (i) it has a tap you
can turn by hand or (ii) it has a hexagonal head. I have the latter
and gather from learned folk here I should have been left with a
plastic "key" when it was fitted. I weren't. But I find a socket
on a long bar works for me.

But he did say that the external stopcock hadn't seen any action for
30 years. It's very unlikely that an external meter with hex tap was
installed 30 years ago!

fair cop guv'nor ;(
--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

In article , Roger Mills
wrote:
If you need to turn of your external stopcock, you'll
need something like this:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothenberg...uestid=1790360
[This was the first one I found - I'm sure you can get
them cheaper than this].
My diy one which has seen regular use for 20+ years is a
piece of scrap wood with a /\ notch cut out of the bottom.
Much cheaper.

John

On Thursday, October 11, 2012 9:13:32 AM UTC+1, Thomas wrote:
Hello



Just discovered that the stop-tap in the integral garage is leaking from its

collar - downstream cardboard boxes were sodden. The tap is about 30 years

old and is used fairly regularly to adjust the internal water pressure in

response to changes in mains pressure. I managed to stop the leak by

tightening the spindle nut a little, I've done this once before a few years

back.



I was wondering whether I need to change the tap or its washers - or whether

I can continue to tighten the tap every few years for the foreseeable? If I

do need to change the tap, then the problem I have is turning off the

external stop-tap which is located a metre or so below a metal cover in the

drive and which to my knowledge has not seen any action since the house was

built 30 years ago. I seem to remember that the Utility Company is obliged

to isolate your property on request - or did I dream this? If not, is there

a special tool and technique for turning off these "subterranean" stop taps?





Thanks

Thomas

Certainly they used to be obliged to turn you off on request.
Some years ago, we had a leaking stopgap under the front drive. I dug out to get to it and arranged
for the water board to come and isolate as I couldn't see where their shut off was.

When they didn't show (twice), I called up and complained a lot, getting through eventually to the top
man. Exasperated with this, (and possibly driven by my claims to be incurring massive bills for a non-
existent plumber), he promised to come over and turn it off himself.

It turned out that there was no valve on their side, so this blokey, who had turned up in his Jag wearing
a suit, demonstrated his commitment by climbing into the hole (and 1m of water) and fixed the tap
himself. The place was at the bottom of a hill, so it didn't 'arf gush when he took the top off the tap(!)
Wish I'd had a video camera.

Fair play to him though - a pretty can-do manager (though probably not much of a man manager).

Oddly enough, within a few weeks, they came round and fitted taps all along the road...

On Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:13:04 -0700 (PDT), GMM
wrote:

It turned out that there was no valve on their side, so this blokey, who had turned up in his Jag wearing
a suit, demonstrated his commitment by climbing into the hole (and 1m of water) and fixed the tap
himself. The place was at the bottom of a hill, so it didn't 'arf gush when he took the top off the tap(!)
Wish I'd had a video camera.

Fair play to him though - a pretty can-do manager (though probably not much of a man manager).

Hope you offered him use of your shower and a change of clothes.
Well, perhaps not the shower, if it was turned off.

On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 3:45:24 PM UTC+1, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:13:04 -0700 (PDT), GMM

wrote:



It turned out that there was no valve on their side, so this blokey, who had turned up in his Jag wearing

a suit, demonstrated his commitment by climbing into the hole (and 1m of water) and fixed the tap

himself. The place was at the bottom of a hill, so it didn't 'arf gush when he took the top off the tap(!)

Wish I'd had a video camera.



Fair play to him though - a pretty can-do manager (though probably not much of a man manager).



Hope you offered him use of your shower and a change of clothes.

Well, perhaps not the shower, if it was turned off.

If I remember correctly, he seemed rather keen to get away and dripped off to his Jag pretty sharpish!

On Oct 16, 3:13*pm, GMM wrote:
On Thursday, October 11, 2012 9:13:32 AM UTC+1, Thomas wrote:
Hello

Just discovered that the stop-tap in the integral garage is leaking from its

collar - downstream cardboard boxes were sodden. The tap is about 30 years

old and is used fairly regularly to adjust the internal water pressure in

response to changes in mains pressure. I managed to stop the leak by

tightening the spindle nut a little, I've done this once before a few years

back.

I was wondering whether I need to change the tap or its washers - or whether

I can continue to tighten the tap every few years for the foreseeable? If I

do need to change the tap, then the problem I have is turning off the

external stop-tap which is located a metre or so below a metal cover in the

drive and which to my knowledge has not seen any action since the house was

built 30 years ago. I seem to remember that the Utility Company is obliged

to isolate your property on request - or did I dream this? If not, is there

a special tool and technique for turning off these "subterranean" stop taps?

Thanks

Thomas

Certainly they used to be obliged to turn you off on request.
Some years ago, we had a leaking stopgap under the front drive. *I dug out to get to it and arranged
for the water board to come and isolate as I couldn't see where their shut off was.

When they didn't show (twice), I called up and complained a lot, getting through eventually to the top
man. *Exasperated with this, (and possibly driven by my claims to be incurring massive bills for a non-
existent plumber), he promised to come over and turn it off himself.

It turned out that there was no valve on their side, so this blokey, who had turned up in his Jag wearing
a suit, demonstrated his commitment by climbing into the hole (and 1m of water) and fixed the tap
himself. *The place was at the bottom of a hill, so it didn't 'arf gush when he took the top off the tap(!)
Wish I'd had a video camera.

Fair play to him though - a pretty can-do manager (though probably not much of a man manager).

Oddly enough, within a few weeks, they came round and fitted taps all along the road...

:~)
I wonder why.

On Thu, 11 Oct 2012 09:13:49 +0100, "Thomas" wrote:

I seem to remember that the Utility Company is obliged
to isolate your property on request - or did I dream this?

Not sure if they have any obligation to isolate a property on request but if
their stop tap is seized, which you only discover when your own internal stop
tap is also seized, then they will very quickly replace their stop tap - which
these days will be with a tap of mainly plastic construction with a large
plastic knob easily operated by hand.


--