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This is a moan about on/off taps with the red and blue plastic tops.I had 3 of these today on different jobs which wouldnt switch off.You know the scenario-they will only turn two thirds off and if you try and force them the plastic snaps-I usually fold the inlet pipe over 2 or 3 times and fit an old water valve on the other end to stop water going everywhere.Sometimes the plastic is already broken and seems to turn off OK but in reality it turns nothing-I’ve come across customers who are under the illusion they’ve turned the water off, they might have a shock if they undo the pipe -and potentially dangerous if its a hot pipe.My beef is that theyre not adequate for the job.I always suggest to the customer to get a new set fitted and to ask for the ones with that have round metal on/off tops, even the ones with with round white plastic tops are better.The difference in price is only a couple of quid for the good ones.
Re: Inlet taps
I think the problem is the price, if a member of the public asks a plumber to fit a valve then he’ll quote a price and probably fit the cheapest valve he can get, but if the homeowner himself fits it they tend to be slightly better quality. It really is a pain when it happens though, you can usually turn them off when the plastic breaks by using pliers or similar. As I work mainly in commercial premises, I always inform the customer that next time we’re called out, if the valve hasn’t been changed, or he doesn’t allow us to fit a new valve, we’ll have to turn the water off at his stopcock to repair his machine which would in tuen isolate his whole building. They normally get a ‘mate’ round to change it when told this.
One thing that annoys me is boxed in appliances with the isolating swith for the electricity behind the machine, and thinking about it, when the water valves are behind the machine as well when there’s water gushing everywhere.
Re: Inlet taps
I got a soaking this summer, thought I’d turned the taps off [stop tap type] cold was ok but the hot just shot out everywhere, told customer to turn off the stop tap in the airing cupboard, but there wasn’t one! Got him to turn all the hot taps on in the house ,just to lower the pressure so as to get a blanking plug on .NIGHTMARE. I was soaked, luckily it was summer [think winter 😥 ], oh & it was in a garage, thank god! But that hot tap was seized solid ,I thought it was off! Oh well my fault but these taps are getting more of a problem especially with the new m/cs coming with cold fill only, the old hot taps sometimes just wont turn off, they can also weep a little ,if in doubt fit a blanking plug! Surely some of our suppliers should be stocking these plugs,we have to go to a plumbers merchants & then he doesn’t keep ’em on stock!
Chris..Re: Inlet taps
effzedarr wrote:the old hot taps sometimes just wont turn off, they can also weep a little ,if in doubt fit a blanking plug! Surely some of our suppliers should be stocking these plugs
Connect…….PLM9029 , new product :).
Bryan
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