Ricko Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Just turned the water back on at the allotment and only one tap out of the two is working. The sequence from the main is: Meter & stop tap by road 20yds Further stop tap (this is the one i turned back on) 40 yds Stand pipe (working) 40 yds Stand pipe (not working) Any thoughts??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Just turned the water back on at the allotment and only one tap out of the two is working. The sequence from the main is: Meter & stop tap by road 20yds Further stop tap (this is the one i turned back on) 40 yds Stand pipe (working) 40 yds Stand pipe (not working) Any thoughts??? Do you mean one stop tap serves both stand pipes or has it got a seperate stop taps for each one ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricko Posted March 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 one stop for two standpipes, I am thinking an air lock of some kind??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 one stop for two standpipes, I am thinking an air lock of some kind??? unlikely to be air if its ran from mains pressure , more likely to be a problem with the standpipe, perhaps a bit of **** gone up the pipe when turned off then back on again or a washer stuck or something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) The non return valve in the non working tap has been forced back into itself due to freezing at some point. At least that's a more than half decent theory working on the limited details you give. It happens quite a lot on newer properties as the bibtaps have inbuilt non return valves. Turn the water off, unscrew the tap from the pipe and peer inside, you will see a white plastic insert with a smaller round piece in the middle, make sure the middle piece will push into the tap, you may need to force it back through. If your tap has a small bolt head on the underside, it generally has a non return valve although some of the newest don't now. Edited March 17, 2012 by -Mongrel- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSPUK Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Those blasted tap's done me - I turned water off inside to tap - opened tap for winter not knowing it was non return - froze and broke tap - now just unscrew it now to drain water from pipe and put it back in spring. dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 If it was me...I'd break out the non return and then do as you did before. Just remember that you need to leave the bibtap open once you have turned the supply off, that way when it freezes and then thaws, any expansion goes out of the tap, not back in. At least that's the theory of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tug Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Could also be the jumper in the stop tap has got stuck. Try turning it on/off a few times with the standpipe open. Donut question, but is it turned on in the road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricko Posted March 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 The sequence I have mentioned shows it is off betwen stand pipes, it must be a fault in the tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39TDS Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Are you sure the pipe isn't burst at some point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricko Posted March 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 it has been on for 2.5 weeks and no surface water has shown? but not sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark@mbb Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Check the tap if it is an old tap the brass rod that hold the washer tend to drop out of the bttom off the tap and the water pressure wont push it back up turn the water off and undo the top half off the tap to check Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39TDS Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 it has been on for 2.5 weeks and no surface water has shown? but not sure Does the meter go round with the taps off, stop tap on? If it does, it is burst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 SHut the water off at the mains, remove the tap(its not rocket science) turn water back on , if water flows from the open end you have a problem with the tap as already described, if no water flows there could be a blockage or a burst pipe. The latter is doubtful as at least some water would flow from the tap unless the pipe was severed in half. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulw6969 Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 sounds like washer stuck in down position in tap turn of main and strip out tap and grease up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 In 20 years of plumbing, I cannot recall a single washer that has 'stuck down' against mains water pressure. A burst pipe is pretty unlikely if nothing is showing 2 1/2/ weeks after turning on, and as said, a split would generally not completely stop water flow. Take the tap off and turn the water back on to determine the integrity of the supply, then fix/replace the tap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davva Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 In 20 years of plumbing, I cannot recall a single washer that has 'stuck down' against mains water pressure. A burst pipe is pretty unlikely if nothing is showing 2 1/2/ weeks after turning on, and as said, a split would generally not completely stop water flow. Take the tap off and turn the water back on to determine the integrity of the supply, then fix/replace the tap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricko Posted March 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Just been down: Turned off stopcock Dismantled tap, took spindle & washer etc off Turned on stop cock, nothing at all came out. Looking closer the standpipe has a stainless cover and at the back is a further stopcock at the bottom with a further valve above it, when I turned the valve with an adjustable spanner there was water pressure behind it and some started to come out of the valve but still not the tap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) Did you look into the inlet of the tap for a non return valve? Did it have one? Did you check it wasn't jammed? Fairly obviously, if it comes out of the pipe but not through the tap then it must be an obstruction through the tap, if you have removed the spindle and washer and it still doesn't flow that only leaves the non return as if it doesn't have one it's just a tube. Edited March 18, 2012 by -Mongrel- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricko Posted March 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Unfortunately I can't access the rest of the structure as the stainless steel enclosure is padlocked and is held together with security screws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Can you not just wind the tap out? If you look at the pic I posted previously you will see it's just a 1/2" thread, wind it out, sort the problem then wind a dozen turns of PTFE tape around the thread and wind it back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark@mbb Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Well mongrel after 20 years and you havent come across a hose union bib tap that has hsd the the washer come loose i would hate to see the plumbing you have done 30 years ago i was sweating lead joints and willing to learn and still learning today strip the tap and check the washer and gain some experience Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) Well mongrel after 20 years and you havent come across a hose union bib tap that has hsd the the washer come loose i would hate to see the plumbing you have done 30 years ago i was sweating lead joints and willing to learn and still learning today strip the tap and check the washer and gain some experience Mark I've seen loose jumpers and knackered washers, but never one that's held back mains water pressure. If you'd bothered to read the rest of the thread you would now be aware that the tap has been stripped and surprisingly the washer wasn't stuck, indeed the water still doesn't flow through the tap even with no innards in it. It's looking really quite likely that the problem lies with the non return valve, I seem to remember somebody may have mentioned that a while back but can't remember who, some talentless schmuck no doubt. Just out of interest, how does the fact that I've not seen a stuck washer translate into you feeling that you "...would hate to see the plumbing you have done"? Do you always make such sweeping assumptions? Take a look at the gas pipes below which I did last week and then you can decide whether I'm competent. I can fix bibtaps too. Edited March 18, 2012 by -Mongrel- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davva Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Take a look at the gas pipes below which I did last week and then you can decide whether I'm competent. Not without doing a drop-test Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davva Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 opened tap for winter not knowing it was non return - froze and broke tap - now just unscrew it now to drain water from pipe and put it back in spring. If you fit a non-return valve inside the house, you can use a basic tap without the valves inside and therefore resolving the problem without the annual hassle. The non-return valves (double-check if you prefer) are inexpensive at approx £2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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