Stuck stop tap
Peter Spikings
My internal stop tap has seized up, tried penetrating oil and leaving a
hair dryer blowing on it but remains stuck fast. I've got a large wrench
but am scared of causing a flood that I won't be able to do anything
about :)
How much should a plumber charge for sorting this out (unless anyone has
any other suggestions)? Don't want to go mucking about with the outside
stop taps myself.
Thanks,
Peter.
Palindrome
A hair drier doesn't transfer thermal energy quickly enough to give
differential expansion such that the casing expands faster than the
valve stem. This isn't a question of hot hot you get it - but how much
of a temperature difference you can achieve between stem and casing.
Hence a hot air gun is better than a hair drier and an oxy-acetylene
blowtorch is better still.
*Two* big wrenches shouldn't cause a flood - if used in opposition so
that no torque is actually applied to the pipework.
Outside stop taps aren't that daunting, really..
Personally, I would stick a fireblanket behind it and give it a good
blast of propane/butane blowtorch.. heat it up, cool it down with some
wet rags, then heat it up again, then cool it, then heat it...Assuming
that it isn't plastic of course and having wrenches ready to go -
especially on the compression joints..
--
Sue
Harry Stottle
"Peter Spikings" <pe...@spikings.com> wrote in message
news:newscache$sih1wj$59h$1...@news.powernet.co.uk...
inside to seal the water in, try loosening that nut a couple of turns
and then try some more penetrating oil, and see if that will free it up.
shazzbat
"Peter Spikings" <pe...@spikings.com> wrote in message
news:newscache$sih1wj$59h$1...@news.powernet.co.uk...
You don't want to be using too much force on your indoor one either, you can
end up separating the spindle from the gate, the part that actually shuts
off the water. At best you'll almost certainly get it half way and then
stuck solid. Best to get a new one. Which of course means being able to turn
the supply off.
First, I would determine what type of outside stop tap you have. If it's an
old iron type with a square head, it could be both a problem and your
salvation. Find a means of turning it, presumably you won't have the proper
tool that you've probably seen contractors using. A spanner bent at 90deg
and fixed to a substantial bar or pipe can be used. In the case of this tap
also being seized (mine was, this is how I know) get in touch with your
water supplier and tell them it won't turn off. They will have to come and
change it, and the new one will be much simpler. It will have either a
meter, or a fitting to take a meter at a later date. If it's the same type
as mine, it comes with a plastic 10mm Allen key which makes it dead easy to
turn off.
And when you've got it sorted out, here's a tip - Every couple of months,
or more if you like, turn the water off by closing the stop tap fully. Then
turn it back on all the way, and then back half a turn. This will avoid the
tap getting stuck against its stop, without impeding the water flow.
Good luck,
Steve
Alang
I had this about 20 years ago moving in to a house that had been
empty for a year. If you can turn off the water at the outside cock
do it. It's likely a new valve since all the new water companies came
round and changed them after privatisation. They take an allen key
which should have been supplied. The old cocks can be turned off with
a piece of 2x1 inch timber with a half inchby inch slot in one end.
Better is a pipe with a slot in one end. I used to use inch conduit.
Next your indoor valve.
I couldn't find a schematic of the standard stopcock but this
illustrates a similar construction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BrokenGateValve2.JPG
There is a lock nut holding the spindle in place(upper nut). Undo
that with *the correct size* spanner until you can move the valve. If
that doesn't work you may need to remove the entire mechanism by
undoing the retaining nut on the body. (lowernut).
Try undoing the retaining nut that holds the packing in and spraying
wd40 into it.
Putting a blowtorch onto it is another method of freeing a stuck
thread but you run the danger of burning down your home and getting
arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to defraud the unsurance
companies
If disaster happens and you break off the valve without being able to
isolate at the outside cock I'm advised that preparing a tapered
piece of broom handle before you work and being quick enough to shove
it in the pipe is good enough to stop a flood
When you get it fixed never leave it turned fully on. Leave a half
turn
--
Peter Spikings
Thanks for all your replies. I gather that unless I want to risk burning
the house with a blowtorch (which I have) down I should turn the outside
tap off and replace the inside tap.
My house is 10 years old so I assume I have the new type of external
stop cock, what size allen key will I need? I've got a bunch in my
socket set. I hope they are labelled, it's going to be under one of
three covers and the covers themselves give no clue :)
I've looked around for replacement spindles but nowhere seems to sell
them. The outside diameter of the spindle containing plug is about 35mm,
is that a common size so could I get a new one and swap out the spindle?
Thanks again,
Peter.
ARWadworth
My outside stoptap was changed last year. You can turn it on and off by your
hand
Adam