Have just tried to turn stopcock off in street as indoors was seized up, removed all the mud/clay from the hole, and got key on crutch head, turned many many times but water still not turning off at mains!! does this mean the stopcock head is not engaging and i need to call the water board out to fix it??!
stopcock outside not turning off
- Thread starter steved101
- Start date
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maybe a faulty spindle etc
waterboard job
waterboard job
or the main toby is a 1/4 turn type shut off!
I believe the newer meter type outside keys are white plastic and 1/4 turn - the key i tried outside my house is a crutch head type, and i turned it (after basiling out a load of clay/mud ... what a joke that was!!! but it kept turning (not really very stiff or anything though) but no joy!!
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they should beable to come out within the next month
i was only turning off the water to change a ballvalve!! will they charge me, or is it their property? - is it ok for now to just bail the water (to normal level) every day or so to stop the overflow? will this do any harm?
one other point: is it normal for the f & e tank water to be dirtyish in colour (ie like light brownish)?? probably a silly question, but just a though??
one other point: is it normal for the f & e tank water to be dirtyish in colour (ie like light brownish)?? probably a silly question, but just a though??
yes, it is sludgy rust from your steel radiators corroding. Bale it out and sponge it clean (if you stir it up the mud will mix into the water and be washed down to block your pipes and wear out your pump.
If you add Sentinel X400, it is a very mild cleaner, it loosens the old sediment. You circulate it with the pump for 4 weeks or so then drain it out, rinse, and refill using X100 corrosion inhibitor or similar.
Each chemical will cost you about £15.
John - to be honest, the water was clearer yesterday - i could see the outlet at the bottom, today it seems muddier... maybe when i put my hand in to try and stop the float valve dripping, whilst i was looking i put some dirt from me into the tank!!! 
is this a big problem? the system did have inhibitor in it 6 months ago (Sentinel X100)
If i bale out the muddier water and allow some fresh in will this be OK?
is this a big problem? the system did have inhibitor in it 6 months ago (Sentinel X100)
If i bale out the muddier water and allow some fresh in will this be OK?
you probably disturbed the silt in the bottom of the tank when you put your hand in.
if you leave it to stand for a few weeks, the mud will settle to the bottom. Putting you hand in will stir it up.
F&E tanks are usually dirty.
IMO the suspended solid particles in the circulating water are washed about while in the radiators, they only settle when they reach still water like the F&E tank, so the F&E tends to catch more than its share.
I am a householder not a pro.
edit: Too slow!
F&E tanks are usually dirty.
IMO the suspended solid particles in the circulating water are washed about while in the radiators, they only settle when they reach still water like the F&E tank, so the F&E tends to catch more than its share.
I am a householder not a pro.
edit: Too slow!
you can bale it out, but the important thing is not to let that mud wash down into the radiators. So bale it out and sponge it clean before you drain rads, or top up the inhibitor.
p.s. if the ball valve has been dripping, it will slowly have diluted the inhibitor and washed it out through the overflow. This takes a long time, though. Drain some water out into a jamjar, put a bright steel nail in, and see if it goes ruisty. If yes, you need to clean and add inhibitor.
this is a rough test, but will do.
p.s. if the ball valve has been dripping, it will slowly have diluted the inhibitor and washed it out through the overflow. This takes a long time, though. Drain some water out into a jamjar, put a bright steel nail in, and see if it goes ruisty. If yes, you need to clean and add inhibitor.
this is a rough test, but will do.
thanks for the advice, i will do the test tnight and see (how long should it take the nail to rust or start to rust roughly)??
also, do you mean the mud that has settled at the bottom of the tank (do not allow that to be washed down into the system)?? or the mud that i have disturbed?
also, do you mean the mud that has settled at the bottom of the tank (do not allow that to be washed down into the system)?? or the mud that i have disturbed?
I have a couple of nails in jars in the garage. One has been there since last September and not rusted, one is several years, and not rusted. It represents the steel insides of your radiators, which are in constant contact with the water. Leaving air in the jars would encourage rust, if the inhibitor was not up to strength. Loosely speaking, if the nails go rusty, so will your rads.
the suspended particles in the cloudy water in your F&E will gradually settle to the bottom and form mud.
the water level in an F&E only needs to be a couple of inches above the pipe when cold, so you can bale out the water and the mud and spoinge clean.
the suspended particles in the cloudy water in your F&E will gradually settle to the bottom and form mud.
the water level in an F&E only needs to be a couple of inches above the pipe when cold, so you can bale out the water and the mud and spoinge clean.
John - I have drawn water from the drain cock and put in a marmalade jar (cleaned out first though of course)! and put a steel screw in. (longish). is this ok ? do you mean if air gets in, this too will corrode the nail/screw, so you need to make sure the jar is airtight? thanks for your help, i really am thankful to you.
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