Stopcock problems

[Sanjay29]

Hi.

Help please.

I have attached 2 photos of my stopcock. This comes into the house in the downstairs toilet. It looks fragile not sure what the pipe is, that is about 4/5 inches is made of. I want to replace the stop cock but worried about damaging the small amount of pipe. ( possibly lead not sure).

I can turn the severn trent stopcock off on the road. ( only for my house).

Any advice.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Madrab]

Scratch the pipe with a file/screwdriver/knife, if it's lead it will feel soft and show you a shiny metal colour. If it's copper it will feel hard and leave a copper coloured shiny metal.

Chances are it will be copper, it would be very rare to have a piece of lead directly into a stop tap as it is too soft. If there is lead then that would usually have a wiped length of copper on the end before a stop tap like that.

 

[just pumps]

You dont say why you want to replace it, if it has seized then slacken off the small hexagon nut shaped piece half a turn and by turning the handle back n forth it should work loose. Might take awhile and might need a good pair of grips to get it moving mind.

Make sure that you nip the hexagon nut up again when finished!

 

[JohnD]

Measure the external diameter of the incoming pipe. It is not lead.

If you stand back a bit you might be able to photograph the whole thing in focus

How old is the house?

Is it a concrete floor?

 

[Exedon]

Could do with clearer picture but looking at nut size on top of stop tap compared with one above it that looks to be 15mm conex I wonder if that's a early Philmac stop tap?
If so if so incoming main could be alkthene but they did make adapters to just about everything.

 

[Sanjay29]

Thanks for your prompt replies.
The house is 35 years old
the floor is concrete. we have put a wooden surface on it now.
I will take a photo later on and post it since we are not living in the house yet.
I think it is an alkethene pipe from the floor not lead or copper...but I am not an expert..
i want to replace it because it is leaking and seems that it will snap off.
I will send a clearer picture...curious about the 15mm conex and philmac stop tap.
picture to follow ...

 

[Sanjay29]

Here are the better photos I hope.

 

[Sanjay29]

Could do with clearer picture but looking at nut size on top of stop tap compared with one above it that looks to be 15mm conex I wonder if that's a early Philmac stop tap?
If so if so incoming main could be alkthene but they did make adapters to just about everything.

Thanks. Here are the more recent photos

 

[Sanjay29]

Measure the external diameter of the incoming pipe. It is not lead.

If you stand back a bit you might be able to photograph the whole thing in focus

How old is the house?

Is it a concrete floor?

Here are the photos. Thanks in advance.

 

[Sanjay29]

Could do with clearer picture but looking at nut size on top of stop tap compared with one above it that looks to be 15mm conex I wonder if that's a early Philmac stop tap?
If so if so incoming main could be alkthene but they did make adapters to just about everything.

 

[Sanjay29]

Here are the photos. Thanks in advance.

 

[Exedon]

That's definitely a philmac stop tap you need to carefully clear the paint from incoming pipe you will then first see what colour it is and you can then measure it accurately.
What is exactly your reason for changing it?

 

[Sanjay29]

That's definitely a philmac stop tap you need to carefully clear the paint from incoming pipe you will then first see what colour it is and you can then measure it accurately.
What is exactly your reason for changing it?

Leaking. Also looks ugly. Any advice. Thanks

 

[Justin Passing]

You didn't say where it's leaking.

Turn off in the road.


If it's leaking at the gland nut, Hold what I called the the body nut to save twisting the body and orrible Philmac nut.
Self-grip grips are good for that.
Undo the spindle nut -undo the tap a bit first, then the gland nut wiggle to and fro as necessary to get it moving. The spindle & its crossbar will probably turn as well, , fine.
Once it's moving, hold the crossbar and undo the spindle nut until it comes free, up the spindle.
Then realise you should have cleaned the spindle first.

Get some Loctite 55 , or PTFE tape twisted into a string if you must, and put some turns (many if ptfe) round the spindle between the nut and body nut, winding anticlockwise. Enough to make a "washer".
Again hold the "body nut" and screw the spindle nut back in one tight not too tight but quite tight so it squashes your washer.

Make sure the tap turns smoothly.
1) In future ehen you want toturn the tap, ALWAYS loosen the pindle nut off a bit, while you're turning.
2) never leave the tap fully open - open it full and turn closed a turn, so it'll wiggle in future.
3) Don't worry about minor leaks, most stop by themselves after a day or three..
Use loo paper wrapped round to monitor if you aren't sure - it's obvious if it's getting wet.
Leave the loo paper there it looks divine.
ALso leave a manky old rag on the floor in case it does leak - you don't want a wet wood floor.

Now box the bugger in, use the tap on the pavement and hope you never need to use it again, or test it regularly if you must.

If it leaks from one of the pipe nuts, come back having looked up Fernox LS-X.

 

[Sanjay29]

Wow
Thanks for the great detail. So much info.
Great diagram. Much appreciated