Changing this stopcock/fitting a new one above it

[WaterTight]

The pipe coming out the floor that you can't see is that old black plastic. And obviously not exactly accessible.

The compression drain off looks, to me, like it might be one of those that had those coned olives in them? And I can't guarantee I'd get one off to re-use with a new bit of pipe.

What do you reckon is fitted, pipe/fitting-wise, between the drain off and the top nut of the old stopcock? Can't just be 15mm can it?

What would you do / arrive armed with? I don't want to gamble and want to show up with everything I might need, not faffing round taking bits off and going to merchants.


Thanks

 

[Deleted member 120897]

I take it removing the kickboard isn’t accessible to the existing stopcock either, or just as awkward? Re the base unit not practical either? I’m not a fan of cutting new ones above, but needs must. Compression drain off looks normal, could be 15mm into a reducer. You’ve not much room, as you need to reconnect the tee.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Tbh I think your not going to do it

Cut the back flush with the base of the unit and it looks like you will just have enough and a 22mm stop tap and 3/4 olive and you should be fine

 

[Ric2013]

I always carry an assortment of solder and compression fittings and valves so I could probably do it with standard stock. If that were my task, in the very likely event I were unable to unscrew the head and service the old stopcock because it's in a horrible place, I'd be connecting to the 1/2"ID/3/4"OD Alkathene (?) using a new 3/4" compression fitting (probably the one incorporated into the new stopcock) using an imperial olive (actual 3/4", not 22mm) and wrapping the olive with plenty of tape and making sure I lined the plastic pipe with a bit of 15mm tube as a pipe sleeve. I don't like fitting new fittings onto a bit of pipe where a previous compression fitting was already fitted, so I wouldn't even bother trying to change the stopcock and retain the old drain-off. If I could, I'd prefer to see the pipework clipped as I really do not like putting strain on transition joints of this kind as would naturally occur when the valve is actually used.

But if the customer is not prepared to pay for removal and refitting of the cupboard, you may just have to cut bits out as anything else would be a miracle. If the customer wants you could screw some new laminate over the hacked panels afterwards and could leave it tidy that way. Don't try to do the impossible as it may well end badly and if the customer doesn't like it then he needs to take it up with whoever installed the combination of that cupboard and that pipework without regard for servicing. That is a nice stopcock (horribly installed obliquely to the wall) but probably predates the cupboard by 5 decades, so should have been serviced before fitting a cupboard around it.

Something I don't carry is a Philmac fitting to do the transition from Alkathene (an alternative approach). This is probably now considered the proper way to do it (probably as it costs a lot of money and the wheels of capitalism need to be kept spinning), though I think the way I suggested previously is the traditional method and something I have done myself. Then copper tube to a tee with new drain-off (for what they cost...) already soldered in, and the rest you know.

 

[Ben-gee]

This is one where I’d be winding the guts out and replacing them with new, grind the seat if needed. Cut a little more cupboard away if necessary.

 

[WaterTight]

Thanks all for your advice.

So the black plastic mains are 3/4" OD? So just a plastic version of the imperial copper of the time? That's good to know.

In which case could I not re-use the bottom nut of the existing stopcock and it's 3/4" olive or is it that it's unlikely the nut thread will correspond to the new stopcock body?

 

[Ric2013]

Thanks all for your advice.

So the black plastic mains are 3/4" OD? So just a plastic version of the imperial copper of the time? That's good to know.

In which case could I not re-use the bottom nut of the existing stopcock and it's 3/4" olive or is it that it's unlikely the nut thread will correspond to the new stopcock body?

Careful. I said it was probably 3/4" OD based on your description of it as 'that old black plastic'. It's probably labelled 1/2" if you can see the pipe wall markings. I don't think it's quite a plastic version of the imperial copper, but I've seen it connected to compression and I've tried it and it seems to work. I see your logic regarding reusing the existing olive and nut, but you won't know about the thread till you try. If it is a weird size, you're going to have to go for a Philmac.

Obviously if you can refurbish the stopcock, great. I'm just concerned you're going to have to remove it to get sufficient purchase to be able to get it apart.

It has occurred to me I think I also put PTFE over the pipe before fitting the olive last time I had to connect to mains pressure Alkathene as it was a bit of a sod to get it to seal. But that was a weird job at a weird time of year with merchants shut, only cheap fittings available, and the pipe had a bit of strain on it as it came into the house crooked.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Thanks all for your advice.

So the black plastic mains are 3/4" OD? So just a plastic version of the imperial copper of the time? That's good to know.

In which case could I not re-use the bottom nut of the existing stopcock and it's 3/4" olive or is it that it's unlikely the nut thread will correspond to the new stopcock body?

Yep you could but I suspect it will be fine thread and not fit anything new