Replacing washer in old stopcock?

[john999uk]

Doing a bit of preventative maintenance/changing washers etc. and shutting the water on and off a few times, I now have 2 problems (well 2 on this subject 🙂 ). The old stop tap inside the house will no longer shut off the water flow completely and it also weeps from the gland. I would just replace the stopcock but it's sweated into lead pipe (both sides).
So is it easy to get replacement washers and gland packing/O Ring? If so are their many different sizes?

I am trying to avoid replacing the main incoming pipe and the 10ft under the floor that is still lead as it's a big job that I don't fancy doing in the winter and can't really afford it at the moment.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[jonnyswamp]

If you can get the valve out of the body, the washer and gland won't be a problem
Washer will more than likely be 1/2 inch (or if not there are plenty out there to chose from)
And the gland can be repacked with ptfe tape, undo the gland nut and wrap 4/5 turns of tape around the spindle, doesn't hurt to put a bit of silicon grease around it first
If you need to use heat to separate the valve, make sure you have the stop tap (in the road/pavement) shut and the one you're heating up open
Also open a cold tap up somewhere just to take up the expansion

 

[JCplumb]

Agree with everything Johnny said above.
Did one of these on Thursday, it was an old imperial stop tap on lead. You pretty much can't get replacement pillars for these, the washer was 3/4'' and on a jumper, the nut that holds the washer on the jumper just crumbled when I tried to undo it so ended up looking for a new jumper, there were none of the right size anywhere so went to an old ironmongers for a new nut.

 

[john999uk]

Thanks very much for the advice. Hopefully I can get the body out if not I will have to get floor up and replace house side lead and new stopcock and then under floor leadloc to supply pipe.
Can't just do it in situ as gas meter right next to sweated joint on stopcock so can't cut back!

Thanks again.

 

[joni os]

Will require force to unscrew valve from body so access is important. When parted remove head and withdraw spindle from body. Smooth and polish spindle prior to packing and reassembly. Roughness and scale on spindle is usual cause of weep through packing gland.
If access is limited or valve won't unscrew, consider cutting in lever ball valve, above, to give internal cut off. Repacking and tightening gland nut on an existing rough spindle will suffice provided spindle remains in open position and is not rotated.

 

[john999uk]

Found out we have a water meter!!! Didn't realise that!!! Made turning the water off easy.
Anyway managed to carefully undo the old stopcock 🙂 There was no washer! it had disappeared!. Nut was still there and undid. Cleaned up the handle shaft and packed the gland with gas ptfe as thicker 🙂 Local plumbers merchant said they don't do that size washer any more but found a larger one that I trimmed to fit. Cleaned everything up and applied plumbers grease.

All back together, leak free, and shuts water off 🙂

Cheers everyone.

 

[Jay The Plumber]

ditch the lot and put lead loc with decent new stopcock?

 

[john999uk]

ditch the lot and put lead loc with decent new stopcock?

I would have but the sweated joint from the stopcock is behind the gas meter so I cant get at a straight bit of lead. That was my backup plan. If I could not fix the stopcock washer it would have been a case of taking up the floor and leadloc under floor to new pipework and new stopcock etc.
Cheers.

 

[JCplumb]

Good job, it should be good for another 40 years now 🙂
The one I did last week also had a washer that had almost completely dissolved, just a tiny bit possibly 1-2mm left round the base of the thread.

 

[WaterTight]

I'd have quit once I discovered I had a working water meter.

 

[john999uk]

I'd have quit once I discovered I had a working water meter.

I would have done if it were me living there but it will be tenants! So really need the stopcock to work just in case of emergency.
Cheers