Urgent identifaction of a 1964 stopcock.

[k13 wjd]

Hi folks....i really help someone can help here.

stopcock flooded house last week, retard plumber tightened it.....to the endstop.

I need to find a new valve, so scavange replacement parts from.

For info, this is the only stopcock from the main feed in the street, to my house, The copper pipe comes through nearly 4 feet of cast concrete to the stopcock.

The valve dimensions are 36.1mm dia nut, flat to flat, and the pipe appears to be 21.25mm dia external....I presume this to be imp. but only have a metric vernier.

It's currently stopped leaking, but it's on its endstop.......

There is a bs kitemark on it, but no obvious numbers.

can someone also confirm that 3/4 inch stopcock, will connect to a bsp thread.

also, where the nut meets, the pipe, there appears to be a collar - is this an adaptor plate from metric to imperial...or perhaps even a 3/4 to inch BSP adaptor ???????



AARRRGGGHHHH help.

Reason for urgency, is the insurance company want to " use a breaker " to dig up my kitchen floor ( cast concrete) to find the pipe, and run a new plastic pipe.

Idiots. the idea gives me knightmares, 4 feet of solid CAST concrete, to get to a peice of pipe.......
thanks in advance.

 

[johnmcginty]

mate is the pic the stopcock you need to replace ? where is it leaking from?

 

[k13 wjd]

yes, its leaking from the shaft......i'm presuming its a packable hemp stopcock, given the year.


Normally, i'd strip it down, rebuild it, and be quite happy......however, this is my house....and i can't stop the water....scottish water will not turn the water off, as it feeds like 40 houses. i can't freeze the pipe...... i really need a new valve, or to silver solder that one open, and install a newer valve elsewhere.

 

[johnmcginty]

If they wont turn off the water outside how will you change the valve?
Are you in a block of flats ? Howcome there is no outside stopcock?

 

[k13 wjd]

not block of flats.

1960's pre-fab - rows of 8 houses.

the ONLY stopcock, is a valve in a carpark, over 80m from my property.

I will have NO option to turn the valve off outside myself, at 3 in the morning ( as to minimise the chances of someone opening a tap upstairs in a different house)

 

[Bernie2]

Looks like a Securex type "B" probably dzr. If it is try Alexandra Browns of Glasgow seems the most likeliest. There should be some information regarding BS on the back nuts.

Do you live in a soft water area? Look in the kettle if there is no lime scale, chances are you do. They used DZR stop taps a lot on the mains then.

By the way, the pipe coming out the concrete looks to have loads of verdigris around it. That usually means it might be shot. Probably why the insurance company want to renew it. We wrapped them in Denzo tape in the 60 and 70's there doesn't seem to be any on your pipe. That is another reason they might want to renew it.

Anyway "Securex" fittings are not usually off the shelf stuff, you may have problems getting one, but Alexander Browns will probably put you right. The pipe connected to the fitting usually has drifted or swagged pipe ends.

Err I have forgotten exactly which is which, but you could tell the difference between DZR and ordinary brass fittings by the lettering on the backnuts being indented into the backnut on the DZR and standing out on the ordinary brass.

Hope this helps

 

[k13 wjd]

great stuff mate !!!!

the pipe is actaully in fairly decent condition, the stuff round the pipe is like whipped concrete...........the pipe looks pretty solid.

 

[Puddle]

you do not need to turn the water off to repack the gland,stopcock looks ok
However agree with Bernie looks like copper in concrete unprotected
They will not have to dig all up to find pipework,just channel new pipework run in, to outside or outside wall and pick existing pipework up there

 

[REDSAW]

i had noticed the pipe is being attacked by the lime in the cement so its days are numbered i guess.
why dont you just call your water undertaker and tell them you want to go on a meter?. they will then have to turn it of for you to fit one, if you like they give you 6 months if you dont want the meter they remove it.