Ball valve

[Nicolas]

A couple of days ago I arrived home to find water gushing out of the over flow pipe from a tank in the loft. I rushed up into the roof to see the water level in the central heating tank level with the top of the tank and cold water at full boar.
after turning off the cold feed I discovered that the plastic ball had snapped of the arm . The arm had dropped down allowing full flow into the tank.
how could this have happened , has any body come across this before

 

[ShaunCorbs]

plastic goes brittle with temp and bet the pin had snapped

 

[Rickster123]

How old was the ballvalve??

 

[Nicolas]

Thanks for the comments . I see what you say about brittle plastic . The valve to my knowledge is ten years old. What do you think of this theory. The over flow pipe is quite close to the top of the tank. If the washer was leaking do you think that the slow rise in the water level Could exert enough pressure to snap the ball before the water reached the over flow

 

[Rickster123]

Nothing's made to last anymore mate I'm afraid.

 

[townfanjon]

The float may have been older than the valve, no real dramas .

 

[Best]

If you have hot water getting into the tank by pumping over at times, then that also would damage plastic. But everything is a bit delicate nowadays and usually made cheap. The brass pins can rot, but never have seen one snap yet

 

[Nicolas]

Thanks for all you comments , but I will be keeping a close eye on it from now on .i think with tanks in the loft it's a case of out of site out of mind. Townfanjon. No real dramas cheeky. Had I arrived home a couple of hours later I would have had a major flood. The flow of water into the tank was greater than the overflow could cope with thanks again.

 

[townfanjon]

. Townfanjon. No real dramas cheeky.

thats nothing compared to what some get on here, lol

 

[Nicolas]

Townfanjon. lol. Is that laugh out load or lots of love. And I don't even know you . Thanks again

 

[macackau]

Hope it's been replaced with a brass part 2 version. Might reduce your risk of having another one fail

 

[Nicolas]

Macackau thanks for your reply I take your point but no it's been replaced with a standard brass arm and plastic ball. As I have said I will keep a close eye on it . I will try to check on a monthly basis. Regards