leaking stopcock

[helptavner]

hiya all, had a rather badly leaking stop cock (13 years old) from blue pipe to copper.

it was leaking from the gland nut - so after repacking it with ptfe (gas) as i am told is better rolled in to string - i then used some lx leak sealant (fernox) seemed to sort it - but had to tighten it up to the max - as i could come back a couple of hours and have a tiny weep - this was weeks back and thought all was ok

just thought i would check last night and tissue was a tiny bit wet - (tiny bit)
not worried about tightening it up a lot as i have another stop cock much newer after this one! (one i use) but not the one the plumber used)

anyway have tried to monitor this and left it over night and have a tiny bit of water on the tissue when i touch the body - NOT DRIPPING

worth worrying about / replacing

are they all rubbish?!

have done the best i can. (think every say 10 hours or so it weeps a tiny bit BUT NOT DRIPPING!

bloody anoying!!!!

 

[Whitespirit66]

If you have tightened the gland nut as far as sensible, then try some more ptfe packing. Did you push it down into the recess with a screwdriver?

If this doesn't work, try some waxed string from a plumber's merchants. I tend to use this more for packing glands.

If all else fails, may be less of a b*lls ache to change the tap.

 

[TicklyT]

Draw a piece of ordinary string across a wax candle a few times, and you will have some waxed string for gland packing...

...Or break up the candle and use the wick...

 

[tryitandsee]

......could you use dental floss? would that work.

 

[John506]

I wouldn't have thought dental floss will work, you would need a hell of a lot. You could always tryitandsee

 

[tryitandsee]

You could always tryitandsee

you should see the stuff I use, could double as ships mooring rope!

 

[Charnwood]

Can you still get graphite packing string?
That's what was used when I was a lad.

 

[helptavner]

thanks guys as the packing nut is about rounded off - and as tight as i can get it - and i put plenty of packing in the gland - i opted for wrapping the old stop cock in gas tape - and seems to have cured the tiny leak!! looks a bit of a pigs ear but not on show and i have another nice newer one future up stream.


will by idea work or am i best to get it replaced?!
thanks obviously if this was my only one i would have no choice

thanks

 

[helptavner]

anyone think this will be ok ^^ it was only weeping say after a good day a tiny bit ?! ive wrapped it around it tight - it wasnt leaking

checked it this morning and was ok ?!

thanks all

 

[helptavner]

2 days on and not a leak in sight touch wood!

bloody old stop cocks

i read that loctite 55 is good stuff!

shocked that the fernows lsx wasnt better - seemed to sort it for a month..

 

[tryitandsee]

Just for info, Homeserve do an Insurance based scheme which covers your water supply pipe only, from Water board's responsibility (road/pavement/water meter) up to and including your internal stop cock.
It used to be £15 a year, but has probably doubled by now. But if you took this insurance out, left it for a 'respectable time', you could get the job done later