Which stop valve

[swellybro]

Hi,

I am hoping someone on here can help.

I must confess that i am relatively new to plumbing so hopefully this won't come across as a completely stupid DIYer question.

My parents have an outside tap fitted and they turn it off each winter to prevent freezing. Well it has come to that time of year again to switch the tap on, however the tap wouldn't turn the water back on to the outside tap. The tap is a gate valve and it appears that the tap has completely worn away and rather than being a square socket it has been rounded. My parents have said that the gate valve was very difficult to switch off.

So as i see it i can either replace the gate valve with another gate valve or replace it with something better and easier to turn on and off. Would a stopcock be better? or what about one of those switch valves. The pipework is 15mm btw.

I have taken a pic of the plumbing under the sink (the gate valve has the worn tap removed), misc 040 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

What do you think would be best and easiest to fit - i am quite happy fitting plastic components or even brass - though i have done very little with a blow torch but i am hoping that won't be necessary 🙂

Cheers

Richard

 

[unguided1]

Hi Richard
you would be better of replacing that gate valve with a 15mm lever valve.

regards
Mike

 

[macplumb]

Just put a service valve in and make sure you have a double check valve fitted as to stop back syphonage. Hope this helps

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

Just make sure its full bore for an outside tap

 

[swellybro]

Thanks for the speedy replies. Can you just tell me would any of the following be acceptable?

1)15MM COMPRESSION BALL LEVER VALVE BLUE LEVER WATER/GAS on eBay (end time 21-Mar-10 20:52:11 GMT)
2)15mm J Guest Speedfit Isolator Service Valve PLUS Clips on eBay (end time 07-Apr-10 10:56:16 BST)
3)NEW 15MM BRASS COMPRESSION ISOLATING SERVICE VALVE on eBay (end time 09-Apr-10 12:18:29 BST)

How do you know if something is full bore? and do the service valves come with a double check valveor would that be something that has to be fitted as separate valve?

Cheers

Richard

 

[unguided1]

Hi richard
1, 2 and 3 are all fine to use but for your parents benefit i would 1 with the lever valve so they dont have to go looking for a screwdriver.

me personally would not use 2 because after a few years they get stiff and when you apply a screwdriver the slot tend to disintegrate.

As mentioned in the threads above you can check if your utside tap has a check valve in it, as they usually have a small bolt head underneath the tap.
regards
Mike

 

[swellybro]

Hi,

thanks Mike, the outside tap does indeed have a small bolt under it.

I have ordered no 1.

So hopefully all will go well.

Thanks again for your help.

Cheers

Richard

 

[stevetheplumber]

Youll find the new valve is slightly longer than the existing there maybe enough play in the pipe work to fit it leave the original nuts and olives on if possible
if you have to shorten pipe dont forget to remove the pipe insert before you cut it as your using compression you can cut the pipe with a junior hacksaw

 

[kirkgas]

to comply with water regs the double check valve needs to be fitted inside the building, so a tap with built in check valve is no good

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

agree with all the above,but wtf is that mess?flexys and plastic? not plumbers art

 

[WHPES]

Yes you need a double check valve as well.

Gate valves are for heating systems and not suitable for mains water use.

The flexis look like flexi tap tails so we can let him off on that one.

The whole thing looks suspiciously like the work of a kitchen fitter rather than a plumber.

 

[swellybro]

Yeah it is a bit of a mess under there. Think my parents had a handy man do the outside tap plumbing for them, before that I think it will have been fitted when they had the new kitchen done. So you're probably right a kitchen fitter!

Right the new valve will arrive tomorrow, so I need to get a double check valve as well? I will just have to pop down to focus for that. I take it i can fit that either before or after the stop valve?

Thanks for your help guys.

Cheers

Richard

 

[WHPES]

Check Valve should be after the stopcock. Don't know if you will get one from Focus but Plumb Center or equivalent will do them.

Make sure you use the correct pipe inserts with any end of plastic pipe.