Stopcock (leaking spindle)

When any valve such as a (stopcock) has not been operated for an extended period of time, the chances are that the workings will have become prone to rot or decay. Therefore when you actually switch on the valve it is a distinct possibility that you will see water leaking past the packing gland nut and causing a leaky spindle. Most times you might get away with just trying to tighten the gland clockwise to see if it works and yes, tightening this nut will apply pressure on the packing, which in turn squashes it out, but it will probably only have the affect of making the valve stiff to open and close, defeating the object, therefore you will need to repack the gland. Leytonstone Plumbers can re-pack glands for all valves of this type.

You will need:

Adjustable spanner.
Small screwdriver.
New packing material.

1). Ensure the stopcock is fully off.

2) Undo the packing gland nut until it comes away from the housing and can be pushed up along the spindle. Little or no water should come out as the valve is off, so any water will be the result of it draining from the system.

3) Now the gland nut is removed, insert the new packing material and wrap a few strands of the PTFE tape around the spindle and then push it into the hole where the packing gland nut screws. Compress it using a small screwdriver.

4) Replace the packing gland nut, and tighten just enough to compress the new packing material into the gland.

5) Re-open the valve and tighten the packing gland nut until the water stops seeping past the spindle.

If you are not confident enough to take on this particular task, you can always call the services of a professional like a Leytonstone Plumber who will carry out the work and provide a guarantee.






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