Plumbing query

[Jules]

it's been a while since i posted a DIY query so here is todays "engineering challenge"

The hot tap in my bedroom is running constantly. I think either the washer is knackered or doberry that it sits on needs sorting. It's happened all of a sudden so i suspect the washer.

I understand the theory of what is required but i have only ever changed a washer on a cold water tap. It seems relatively straight forward apart from the brute strength that is normally required..

The hot water comes off the combi boiler so I dunno about what happens if you turn off the water into the house and then drain it. is it going to cause a problem with the boiler? will it need bleeding or some thing afterwards? Is it beyond the talents of an avarage electronic engineer ? should i get a competent individual in and pay them a furtune?

Thanks in advance for any guidance from the masses

Jules

[Scuttler]

Woah!!!!

You don't need to drain the boiler at all!

There should be a stop valve in line to the tap. It's possible that one was never put in in the first place. If that is the case then at the boiler there will be a shutoff valve to stop hot water flow to the taps. Shut this off. Otherwise shut down the tap at the stop valve (usually located under the sink/bath you're working on).

Then open a hot tap that sits in line to your tap that you want to work on but below (ie kitchen tap if you're working on the bathroom tap).

Once you've done the repair then open the valves again and off you go.

You only need to drain a system if you're messing with the central heating and even then not every time!

[Scuba Steve]

as he said . so just so you know what to look for

the valves should hav a handle " two way valve

a red wheel type "ball valve"

or a brass type outside top . Gate valve


or under the boiler there are two valves
yellow is gas dont touch this

and the other two should be turned clockwise to close

[Gram43]

If you're unsure about the valves under the boiler, just turn the main water feed stopcock off. As your combi is fed by a cold water feed and you have turned that feed off at the main valve into your house, you have nothing to worry about.
Turn your hot tap on and nothing will come out so enabling you to strip it down and replace whatever you want. When finished, just turn on the main stopcock again.

We had a completely new system installed last year and I've done this procedure many times.

[Scuba Steve]

there should be a stop cock in your hot press

[Jules]

Originally Posted by scuba steve irl

there should be a stop cock in your hot press

What's my hot press?

Thanks for all the advice everyone.
I am off to look for valves and stop cocks...
I seem to remember that the main water into the house valve is conveniently placed behind the washing machine so you have to deinstall half the kitchen and pull the machine out to get to it.

At my old house we completely replumbed and every tap had a stop valve below the sink. This house doent seem to have that luxury.

I'll go check what the taps are like round my boiler...

[Andy the Coastie]

Jules,

Would you like me to pop up .

I could sort out ALL your little red hot flushes in your bedroom

Can't have you dripping all night ,,, can we

[Jules]

Isolator valve such as you would have on the pipe to your tap. How many turnsshould it be to make it go to off. Mine turns clockwise forever and doesn't do any thing in terms of shutting off the water flow. I think these should be just a quarter of a turn or half a turn?

Further investigations ongoing....

[Jules]

Originally Posted by Andy the Coastie

Jules,

Would you like me to pop up .

I could sort out ALL your little red hot flushes in your bedroom

Can't have you dripping all night ,,, can we

That is the best offer I have had all day. Whilst you are up here seeing to my plumbing can you also fix the hole in the garage roof and help me decorate the lounge?

Seriously the dripping is keeping me awake all night so another little drip wont make much difference

[Jules]

this is the type of valve i have which is just going round and round..

http://www.bes.co.uk/products/graphics/10405.gif


can anyone tell me if these are supposed to do that, i am sure last time i used one it was either 90 degrees or 180 degrees to trun it off.