plumbing - stop tap

[brightspark]

Looking at that and the dimensions given its 3/8th alkathene , as Kingkenny said its the packing gland that is weeping ,back the small insert out and retighten may or may not seal it. If it doesn't go to buiders merchant and tell them you need to connect 3/8th alkathene to 15mm copper via a stoptap Plasson or Philmac make all sorts of fittings(cheap nasty plastic these days unfortunately). As it was last done in the sixties the copper will be 1/2" same external diameter as the paper thin imported 15mm but much thicker walled

when there was a copper shortage they brought out thinwall copper pipe it was called redstripe needless to say it had a red stripe down it to identify. it was so thin it would just buckle if u tried to bend it

 

[kingkenny]

it cant be PEX as that is the same O.D. as copper,as stated the plasson/philmac do a universal coupling to 15mm copper,turn of at mains,if you have a water meter fitted,then its just a 1/4 turn valve,cut plastic tube,put a make up piece of 15mm copper.new stop cock,before you tighten compression nuts put some boss white/jet blue round the olives then tighten,turn off stop cock the slowly open valve on meter,check bottom joint,then just crack stop cock and allow to pressurise pipe work,then fully open SC then back 1/2 a turn.

 

[hunter27]

If it is only the stuffing box that is leaking you could try buying a new 15mm stop tap complete and just swapping the valve / handle section but leaving the old body in place, I have done this many times but occasionally the thread can be different. I would have thought it was worth a try as they are not expensive.
pete

 

[brightspark]

this ones going to run forever THE POST NOT THE TAP

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

thanks for all the replies and offers of help.

Hopefully I'll get a new stop tap on the way home from work tomorrow (as we leave 30 minutes early on Fridays) and get it sorted in an hour on Saturday morning.

Regards
Peter

 

[michael1703]

assuming you have got a stop cock elsewhere which you are going to shut off your supply with, it might be worth making sure it isnt full of water and maybe drop a bit of oil onto it in preperation for being turned off on saturday

you dont want to snap a stop cock in the ground

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

that's the new one that AWA installed a few years back. Plastic stuff but it does turn, I tried it last night.

Regards
Peter

 

[peterd51]

Hi,

thanks for all of your suggestions. It went well, turned off, unscrewed the big nut and took the tap out to change the washer. This also allowed me to get it in the vice for a good clean-up with file and emery and re-pack the smaller nut with PTFE tape.

It all went together without any problems and it's stopped the drip.

I can see that the top compression fitting (low-pressure side) is 'weeping' very slightly. It takes about eight hours to built up to one 'drop', but as I can now turn off the incoming supply without annoying the neighbours I can replace that later.

I tried tightening it, didn't help...tried putting some PTFE tape on it, that didn't help either. The change might get tied in with moving the outside tap, as for some reason it's about 18" away from the drain and it's annoying when it runs water down the drive.

I'll be keeping that job simple though, compression joints in 15mm copper!

Regards
Peter

 

[hunter27]

The slight weep from the top compression fitting may just be condensation,especially at this time of year.
pete

 

[Tigman]

Get a tube of LSX jointing paste , well its more of a silicone really ,and its for pottable water, wipe some all around the olive shove the pipe back in and tighten , this should do the trick !

 

[DC PROPERTY SERVICES]

Hi,

I've asked on a DIY forum but I reckon I'll get better advice here...

background: the house was built in the mid 60's. We had major building work done around 20 years ago and my wife tells me that the stop tap was changed then (I'd have been at work so have no idea!).

The feed pipe looks like PVC, etc, and measures 17.5mm (0.7 inch) diameter. The outlet pipe is 15mm copper, please see the attached image.

It's dripping from the 'tap' bit and depending on the position of the tap it's bad, or not so bad. It's bad enough that I turn it off overnight and when I go to work just in case, and this stops the drip.

I've been to Woolsleys Plumb Centre in town but they're not really interested. They tell me that kit is available but they can't supply it. A direct replacement would be best. Does anyone think it's possible that the PVC feed had been trimmed/filed down to fit into a 15mm hole?

Is it likely that if I buy a straight 15mm stop-tap and unscrew that bottom connection that it'll go directly into the new one without changing the nut and ring (assuming it has one). Looking at the two nuts they seem about the same size and thread, but the lower one is a different shape underneath.

If so, is there anything I can do or need to do to ensure that it seals?

If a standard tap doesn't look like it'll fit, then is there any kind of reducer that I can use to get down to 15mm copper? Again I'm concerned about sealing it.

Regards
Peter

View attachment 12631

Hi Peter
Been up against the same problem.
You must be near Telford as the council invested in some now obsolete pipework 17.5mm.
I went to my local plumbing supplier who gave me an adapter that converts to 15mm.
It was £15 per adapter. Expensive but got me out of trouble

 

[DC PROPERTY SERVICES]

It's old Telford pipe that is now discontinued.
Adapters available to convert to 15mm.
Had to buy one today for £15.
Expensive but got me out of trouble.
Discontinued pipe you see

 

[Wozzaaah]

This thread is 10 years old and Peter hasn’t been on here since 2011.

 

[jimbo84]

There should be a forum award for the oldest resurected thread. Any advance on 10 years

 

[brightspark]

now now its a new member most of us will have done it and now don't let on it makes the forum more interesting

 

[daleyd]

this ones going to run forever THE POST NOT THE TAP

You were right !!