plumbing-in-London-water-supply-ball-valve

Water supply-ball valve

Ball valve Cutting off the water supply to a valve

Look for a servicing valve in the supply pipe near the inlet to the ball valve and turn it off with a screwdriver. If there isn't one, turn off the appropriate stopcock in the following manner. If the faulty valve is in the cold-water storage tank, turn off (clockwise) the main stopcock, which is probably under the kitchen sink or in the cellar if you have one.

If the faulty valve is in a lavatory cistern, turn off the circular gate valve on

the supply pipe from the cold-water tank to the lavatory. It will probably be near the bottom of the cold-water tank. To make sure you have turned off the right gate valve, flush the lavatory; it shouldn't refill. Once you have identified the gate valve, label it for the next time. If no gate valve is fitted, tie the ball-valve arm to a batten across the top of the cold-water tank, and turn on the bathroom cold taps to empty the tank.

Remove the old washer from the end of the piston with the point of a penknife and force the new one into its place. Make sure that it lies flat on its seating.

Clean the outside of the plug with fine abrasive paper. Wrap some abrasive paper around a pencil and clean the inside of the valve in the same way. Apply a light smear of petroleum jelly to the plug and reassemble the valve. Fit a new split pin if necessary. Restore the water supply.

Poor flow from a diaphragm valve

Poor water flow from a diaphragm ball valve can be caused by debris becoming trapped behind the diaphragm.

YOU WILL NEED Screwdriver.

Cut off the water supply to the valve (see margin) and unscrew the large knurled nut.

Pull the nut away from the valve, taking with it the valve's front plate, the plunger and the float arm.

Replace the diaphragm and the top of the valve body in to reassemble the valve. In order to make a tight seal.

Adjusting the water level

Drain cock

An overflow may occur if the height of the ball float is wrongly adjusted. iModern ball valves are easy to adjust.

WILL NEED Possibly: a pair of pliers.

A ball valve with a metal float ami has a vertical section at the float end. The ball can be moved up or down to raise or lower the water level, and then screwed tight.

A ball valve with a plastic arm has an adjusting screw. Turning it clockwise lowers the water level.

With older Portsmouth valves you have to bend the float arm to adjust the water level. First unscrew the ball float and remove it, otherwise you might break it off. Now take the float arm in both hands and bend the float end downwards to lower the water level, or upwards to raise it. Screw the ball back on.

Curing a noisy ball valve

If your plumbing makes a banging noise or a persistent hum it probably comes from the ball valve in the cold- water storage tank.

As water flows into the tank it creates ripples which may make the ball valve bounce on its seating. The movement is transmitted to the rising main, producing the noise.

YOU WILL NEED An empty yoghurt or cottage cheese pot, about 60 cm (2 ft) of nylon string. Possibly: some 15 mm pipe clips, screwdriver, bradawl.

Make sure that the rising main, which supplies water to the cold-water tank, is supported by roof timbers near the tank. Fit pipe clips to secure the pipe, if necessary.

If this does not cure the noise, make two small holes opposite each other near the rim of a yoghurt pot. Thread some nylon string through the holes and hang the loop over the float arm, near the float, so that the pot is suspended in the water below the ball float. It will stabilise the float and prevent it from bouncing.

Replacing an old ball valve

Modern diaphragm ball valves with overhead outlets are quieter and less prone to limescale and corrosion problems than old Portsmouth valves. If you have persistent trouble with an old ball valve, replace it with a modern one.

YOU WILL NEED A new diaphragm ball valve with overhead outlet, a new ball float, one or two adjustable spanners. Possibly: penetrating oil.

Cut off the water supply to the ball valve

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Central London (wc1, wc2, ec1, ec2, ec3, ec4): Barbican, Clerkenwell, Monument, Shoreditch, West End, Gray's Inn, Bloomsbury, Holborn, Soho, Moorgate, St Paul's Cray, Tower Hill, St. Paul's, Covent Garden, St Mary's Cray, Belgravia,

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Northwest London :(nw1, nw2, nw3, nw4, nw5, nw6, nw7, nw8, nw9, nw10, nw11, nw12, nw13, nw14, nw15):Neasden, Plumbers Brent Cross, West Hampstead, Wembley, Camden Town, Northolt, Hampstead,Kilburn, Havering, Golders Green, Harrow, Temple Fortune, Cricklewood, Kingsbury, Plumbers St John's Wood, Greenhill, Harlesden, Colindale, Maida Vale, Mill Hill, Regent's Park, Hampstead Heath, Harrow on the hill, Willesden, Sudbury, Plumbers Swiss Cottage

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