Leaking Service Valve

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charliejamesuk

Morning All,

Monday I decommissioned a bathroom for a customer and made ready for the tiller. Yesterday I had a call from the tiller saying that water was slowly dripping from a downstairs light fitting on the other side of the property.

After a bit of searching around I located the leak which was coming from a 15mm service valve on a flow section of pipe work to a downstairs rad. It was dripping from the bit you'd get your flat head screwdriver on.

My question is, this must be to do with me temporary decommissioning the pipe work in the bathroom (which does include a towel rad). But how does this them impact a section of pipe work elsewhere in the house? Also is it common for these isolation valves to leak from the part where you normally can isolate them?

Cheers
Charlie
 
Hi! Charlie,

Had a few leak from there. Sometimes there doesn't seem to be a reason why they leak except they get worn or the ball seating wears out.

As to it leaking when you decommission the pipework?

Well moving the pipes and changes in internal pressure may contribute to it, but lets be frank it should not make it leak, after all it was designed to work in those conditions.

So that leaves, either it was weak to start with or it was worn out anyway.

It may be a cheap one that complies with BS standards but does not exceed them in the make up of its construction materials i.e brass with a lot of zinc in.

It may be a change in water quality or simply gradual erosion from the water's usual low or high PH.
 
I've had plenty over the years that leak when turned off, especially when they have not been touched for a while. I also think it's pure coincidence that it's leaked, must have been dodgy in the first place.
 
this takes us back to leaving service valves under floors etc although it seems to be common place to find said service valves in all kinds of places I think unless you can afford to use top spec iso valves they are best avoided.I appreciate you did not install this valve but it just goes to show it can happen to anyone🙂regards turnpin
 
i totally agree i have had several that look like they haven't been touched for years with no signs of a leak but when you turn them off they start leaking. one actually started streaming quite fast. cost the cust more than for just for a washer!
 
I turned off the water to a floor in a hotel last week went and did me business leaking connector to the WC cistern when went back up the stairs to turn it back on i could hear dripping went in the room and the water was shooting up to about waist height from the floor! The problem is it looks to the customer like youve set it up to get more work! Did i mention it was a 2 inch pipe? lotsa water.
 
Reminds me.

In the late 60's we did maintenance work on commercial buildings, the stop valves had all been greased and overhauled on a regular basis. So turning off small areas was no problem and you could easily get a job done.

But I went back to the same buildings in the early 80's. I found nearly every stop valve neglected and virtually seized up. And mind you they where big valves. So it was virtually impossible to drain down small sections. This meant a vast bill for someone. As draining down large buildings take a lot of time.

Possibly the problem was cut backs. It seems people will pay for renewal but not day to day maintenance. It still goes on.
 
Yeah they say they pay for renewel but still moan when they get the bill! Like why cant these valves grease themselves!!!
 
Yup, over the last 7 years I've installed several new screwdriver-operated service valves which have leaked via the spindle immediately! In fact I'm returning one today to the supplier.

It does make me see red when brand-new parts fail immediately! Anyone know of a better-quality more reliable valve with similar spec?
 
Plumbstar Tom said:
its a bit of luck as you can buy them from multiple merchants but they all come from exactly the same place

China
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This is the problem when ballofix valves first apeared in the late seventies they where exspensive,now you can buy the generics for under fifty pee you only get what you pay for
this is true for most plumbing stuff taps that used to last 20 years have been replaced with crap that is lucky to last 5
 
9 times out of ten I've found they stop leaking when turned 90 degrees - ie back to off😀
 
Its not only the ballofix type service valves that do this, pump valves with the screwdriver slots, boiler isolation valves, first rule of fight club is dont touch them.
 
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