Iron rising main with left hand thread stopcock - where to buy new headgear???

[Ric2013]

I was at a customer's house today and came across an old stopcock on an iron rising main. The main won't last for ever, but replacement is not afforable for customer at present.

The head has been forced, thus damaging the spindle.

It would be nice to be able to fit new headgear in this sort of situation. I'm the sort of anorak that would enjoy restoring the old head in my spare time, but, professionally, this isn't an option as it leaves the customer without water for the period.

The customer had a combi and the stopcock had a loose jumper (as was formerly usual, but no longer), so, given that the spindle was seized, we removed the jumper.

The thread where the headgear met the valve body was much wider than a modern stopcock and had a LEFT HAND THREAD (i.e. it unscrews clockwise).

Does anyone know where I may be able to get hold of a replacement head for this type of old stopcock? At the moment all I can think of is restoring one removed from a water main replacement, and somehow convert it to non-loose jumper, but seems like a wasted effort.

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

size of rising main 2 - 2.1/1 and t off to 1 - 11/2?

 

[snowhead]

Salvage / Reclamation yard.

They usually have salvaged / refurbed old taps and deal with old and industrial looking things, they may have something laying around.

 

[Ric2013]

ShaunCorbs - Sorry, it seems to be a half inch bore pipe. Is this your question? A bit confused by your reply.

Comes up under the wash basin in bathroom - then stopcock, then IMMEDIATELY a four way tee.

Left goes to dead leg - this could more than happily go. Right goes along for 6" and then elbows vertically to rest of house, up goes into lead cold pipe to wash basin.

Iron pipe is bang against the outside wall (tiled). Again not ideal, and means not very easy to modify pipework.

Really need a cheap and simple solution, otherwise it will, realistically, stay as it is until the main fails.

Snowhead - I would agree with you if it were my house. However, as someone studying my NVQ2 (albeit self-employed), I have to work alongside my work-based assessor. He wouldn't be happy fitting secondhand parts (not WRAS or BS etc. etc.) especially if they also have a loose jumper and I don't want to do something he'd disapprove of (even when I'm working alone and for myself, because I know I'll end up telling him). (Although you could, no doubt, argue that it isn't a 'new' fitting, just a service of the existing).

Thanks though.

 

[snowhead]

Snowhead - I would agree with you if it were my house. However, as someone studying my NVQ2 (albeit self-employed), I have to work alongside my work-based assessor. He wouldn't be happy fitting secondhand parts (not WRAS or BS etc. etc.) especially if they also have a loose jumper and I don't want to do something he'd disapprove of. (Although you could, no doubt, argue that it isn't a 'new' fitting, just a service of the existing).

Thanks though.

I was suggesting you may find an identical valve for replacement, but as you say it would not be acceptable.

You'll find the only solution acceptable to your assessor is cutting the old one out and replacing it with new and not leaving as it is now, unusable.

I believe Shauncorbs, like myself thought as you said riser, it was serving more than 1 property, hence his suggestion of it being a 2" riser

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I was suggesting you may find an identical valve for replacement, but as you say it would not be acceptable.

You'll find the only solution acceptable to your assessor is cutting the old one out and replacing it with new and not leaving as it is now, unusable.

I believe Shauncorbs, like myself thought as you said riser, it was serving more than 1 property, hence his suggestion of it being a 2" riser

yes riser = rising main eg flats

 

[Ric2013]

I believe Shauncorbs, like myself thought as you said riser, it was serving more than 1 property, hence his suggestion of it being a 2" riser

Ah, thanks for that. Should have said 'supply pipe'.

I think I'm confusing you. This wasn't my assessment, and it wasn't my decision to remove the loose jumper (though if the spindle is seized, it does no good anyway, so I agree with the decision) - I just wondered whether there was a strictly legal way of fixing this with a replacement head, but if no one makes this new part, there's nothing to be done then.

I just can't help thinking that less wealthy customers would show me the door rather quickly if I told them the only solution was all that extra work. They would just have to accept the non-working valve. That's why I was hoping for a way to do it with replacement headgear.

So what would most plumbers realistically do in this situation?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

if you cant get the valve working and you cant fit a new one fit one higher up and wither fit a plug or leave fully open