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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Plumbing Questions >> ballcock! https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1105990608 Message started by trowelhead on Jan 17^th, 2005, 7:36pm

Title: ballcock!
Post by trowelhead on Jan 17^th, 2005, 7:36pm

This might make me sound thick :-[,but is the ballcock seperate from the actual 'tap thingy' that feeds my (domestic)water tank in the loft?
The water inlet on mine is old and crusty and has a slow drip (sound like me!) and every few hours now it starts coming out of the overflow.
Q1)Is it simple to change?
Q2)What do i actually ask for in the merchants?(so at least i dont appear a complete plank)
Q3)Any helpful hints/tips greatfully appreciated.

Seperate issue,whilst in the loft to check out why the overflow was pourling water i happened to look in the ch header tank.New tank and so is 90% of the system(well,about 18 months old) and after doing some work about a year ago the system was drained and i added a litre of sentinel x100.
The surface water looks like someones sprayed expanding foam in it and the water has a thick black 'dusty cloud' for the full depth of the water.
WTF?..... should i be worried about this algae type stuff and could this also be in my ch system aswell causing troubles ahead?
Thank in advance chaps.

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by bstyle on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:00pm

It's called a part 2 ballvalve.

I dont normally take the entire valve out, I just undo the large union nut inside the cistern and screw the new valve up- making sure the fibre washer is in place.

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by billythekid on Jan 17^th, 2005, 9:29pm

wrote on Jan 17^th, 2005, 8:00pm:

It's called a part 2 ballvalve.

I dont normally take the entire valve out, I just undo the large union nut inside the cistern and screw the new valve up- making sure the fibre washer is in place.

If the nut fits that is. At the merchants ask for a 22mm float valve or 22mm ballcock, if yer gettin a new float too, get a copper one. If it can come apart(the crustiness is normally hard water splashiin on it over time) you might only need to change the washer, instead of replacing the ballcock. The ballcock change is the easier job though!

Wouldnt worry about yer header tank, youve put the inhibitor in so it should be ok, if yer worried about it put a lid on the tank to stop the dust going in.

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by bstyle on Jan 17^th, 2005, 9:34pm

22mm, thats a new one to me- I suppose every area is different.

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by billythekid on Jan 17^th, 2005, 9:40pm

22mm, am i having a brain fart? what sizes do you have? 28mm? Or are we talking imperial ½,¾and1". What size would you ask for?

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by bstyle on Jan 17^th, 2005, 9:45pm

The threaded part on ballvalves is 1/2 " or you can put a 15mm piece of pipe straight into it because it's got a bevelled fitting edge on the inside. I would normally just connect the ballvalve with a 15mm service valve.

I notice you are from Scotland so I guess it must be different where you are?

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by billythekid on Jan 17^th, 2005, 9:52pm

yeah for a half inch ballcock, most of the time the domestic tank is 22 tho. half inch for the CH header.

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by bstyle on Jan 17^th, 2005, 10:17pm

In England both are half inch, I'm not being argumentative!!!

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by billythekid on Jan 17^th, 2005, 11:34pm

no i know, i guess your right then. Here its 22 mostly, although some are done in 15 but its not reccommended. Trowelhead, check the size of yer pipes m8! lol

Thanks for the heads up BStyle, now i wont look like a prat! rofl.

Well, except in this post.

oh and the other ones.......

oh and only for this reason, other reasons are still prattable

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by bstyle on Jan 17^th, 2005, 11:40pm

We could have been arguing all night, but in reality we are both right !!

Are the overflows 1" 1/4 up there ? (on cw storage cisterns)

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by JerryD on Jan 18^th, 2005, 12:11am

My advice would be to turn off the water and remove the old ballcock assembly complete, take it to the plumbers merchants and say "Give us one of these mate"

At least that way you know you're getting like for like.

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by JohnDavies on Jan 18^th, 2005, 1:15am

And why a brass ballcock? I thought the trade believed that plastic was superior as it didn't ever wear, or need soldering.

I am interested!

John Davies

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by billythekid on Jan 18^th, 2005, 11:29am

no plastic sucks, brass is better in my opinion. I use copper floats too. I'd never use a plastic ballcock in a storage tank, if there is a lot of expansion up the feed pipe or blowing over from the expansion pipe, the extra stress could just snap it, less likely with a brass one.(although unlikely in either case).
As for needing soldering, they dont, and even if they did, put a compression joint up against a soldered joint in the big freeze and the solder joint will hold every time, the compression will pop right off, plastic will just snap!

Overflows are generally 1¼", although 1½" is acceptable, and just as common.

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by trowelhead on Jan 18^th, 2005, 6:40pm

Thanks for all your help and replies.
My feed is indeed a 15mm,will this cause any problems in getting the right part?
The ch header tank is covered by a lid so am i assuming rightly or wrongly that the 'growth' inside is there as it has access to air and so therefore will not be a problem in the actual system?

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by bstyle on Jan 18^th, 2005, 8:08pm

A 15mm Ballvalve will not pose you problems at all, they are as said before very easy to fit, it would take me 5 minutes once water is off as I would just change the valve after the union nut. It is very likely that you could do the same.

BTK the overflows in England are 21.5mm or similar (depends on manufacturer) slightly less than Scotland!!
At least if the ballvalve gets stuck in the on position in Scotland it stands a good chance of not flooding the house!

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by billythekid on Jan 18^th, 2005, 9:20pm

wrote on Jan 18^th, 2005, 8:08pm:

Yeah we like our rain outside m8 ;o)

Title: Re: ballcock!
Post by JerryD on Jan 18^th, 2005, 9:47pm

wrote on Jan 18^th, 2005, 8:08pm:

BTK the overflows in England are 21.5mm or similar (depends on manufacturer) slightly less than Scotland!!
At least if the ballvalve gets stuck in the on position in Scotland it stands a good chance of not flooding the house!

Recently I've had to fit two overflows to cw storage tanks. Doing a 'failed ballvalve' test has proved the solo overflow unable to cope. Some houses have higher water pressure than others!

My own house has an Aylesbury valve rather than a ballvalve and this really fills fast so two overflows were needed again :o