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Went to bung water off on a cwt in attic of a modern posh house and discovered water everywhere around tank and ceiling. Fluidmaster plastic tailed side entry valve, (which I then replaced with brass tailed Pro version) was leaking at end of tail. Close inspection shows the plastic has cracked in 2 places
image.jpg
 
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I thought following on from that thread before you had decided to use part 2's now best?
 
I have just had another look and magnified it to discover the plastic is full of fine cracks!
Use this photo as reason to replace any you come across.
image.jpg
 
I thought following on from that thread before you had decided to use part 2's now best?

Customer wanted to keep same type of valve as I had told him it was probably originally fitted in recent years to be a silent fill. I like them, but wary when they eventually do go faulty and fill in very fast. I only ever use brass tailed valves, mainly part 2, although they aren't great either
 
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Customer wanted to keep same type of valve as I had told him it was probably originally fitted in recent years to be a silent fill. I like them, but wary when they eventually do go faulty and fill in very fast. I only ever use brass tailed valves, mainly part 2, although they aren't great either

How often I have changed those ... They not only cracking as well the threads get ruined very fast
 
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How often I have changed those ... They not only cracking as well the threads get ruined very fast

Seems to be different grades of plastic in valves. That valve was in an unlit attic, yet it is full of fine cracks on and near where the olive was hitting. Just not up to the purpose it is supposed to made for. I will bin everyone I come across if customers allow me
 
I'm a brass only guy too, unless ive been given the fitting by a friend for free and on a emergence/weekend job, but usually brass and i let the customer know keeps them happy
 
The plastic tails are almost unfit for purpose. I lost count of the time I've been to a job where the customer says they have leaking toilet and it's a cracked inlet valve. I estimate 30% of the time it's a cracked plastic tail that's failed.

Another problem with them is if you need to remove the cistern to change a syphon, the threads fail when trying to reconnect the supply to the inlet valve. Now I try to convince the owner to spend another £15 for a brass shanked Pro45, the labour side is already being paid for on the syphon swap anyway so it's well worth doing for future peace of mind.
 
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