Side-entry ball valve replacement

Marlay

Hi, just wondering if its possible to replace a ball valve in a toilet cistern without disconnecting the inlet? Are they universal, in that I can just dismantle the existing one, and attach the new parts to the old threaded tail instead. The inlet is a copper pipe with an elbow connector to the cistern, and I'd rather leave it alone if at all possible.

How likely is it that I'd damage the existing valve dismantling it, and then realise the new parts don't fit? There's no isolation valve, so will have to turn off the water from the hot press.

Cheers.

Joey the lips

Unless you find the exact same one the probability of replaceing it is rare.

However you should also be prepared for a cock up.

Hoever a side entry is actually slightly easier than a bottom entry because if you do not get the seal right it generally does not leak.

A diyer would find a side entry a lot easier as well because although its done on copper it has a little more left and right give once loose....

If that makes sense.

sullzz

If the existing one is a brass ballvalve they are straight swaps from the nut at the tailpiece in so there is no disconnecting the copper elbow etc. Just make sure you fit the new red washer with the new one

cscook

So - we have a new Delchem Side Entry Filling valve - http://www.opella.co.uk/Resources/LF00124%20Delchem_Side_Entry.pdf.
It doesn't seem to be possible to get it so that it doesn't leak. It keeps leaking between the brass fitting at the head of the copper pipe and the external back nut. Is there anything obvious that we're missing? We're using the thread-seal tape.

sullzz

cscook wrote: »

So - we have a new Delchem Side Entry Filling valve - http://www.opella.co.uk/Resources/LF00124%20Delchem_Side_Entry.pdf.
It doesn't seem to be possible to get it so that it doesn't leak. It keeps leaking between the brass fitting at the head of the copper pipe and the external back nut. Is there anything obvious that we're missing? We're using the thread-seal tape.

Take a picture of it to show how its installed , its probably either cross threaded or not enough ptfe tape used .

cscook

Thank, will do tomorrow!

cscook

More tape seems to have reduced a drip to a bare seep - still some work to do but I reckon it's ok to turn the water on for long enough for people to have a shower.

Added extra image - I've worked out how to get the outer back nut flush with the old fitting, but there's still the odd drip.

sullzz

Looking at your first pic , if that is the way its fitted at the moment you need more tape than that , give it about 10 or 12 wraps of tape

Joey the lips

sullzz wrote: »

Looking at your first pic , if that is the way its fitted at the moment you need more tape than that , give it about 10 or 12 wraps of tape

Thats all i would do. Tape or thread lock. Its fine otherwise.

cscook

It's more like the third picture now. So if I just loosen it a bit and put a good few wraps between the back nut and the brass fitting?
Thanks for the help.

Joey the lips

cscook wrote: »

It's more like the third picture now. So if I just loosen it a bit and put a good few wraps between the back nut and the brass fitting?
Thanks for the help.

That looks much better. Just be careful not to overtighten the brass fitting against the white one. The pressure might cause the threaded bar to split.

sullzz

cscook wrote: »

It's more like the third picture now. So if I just loosen it a bit and put a good few wraps between the back nut and the brass fitting?
Thanks for the help.

You need to set the ballvalve up like it is in picture 1 , that is the correct way , the seal is not made with the brass fitting and the back nut of the ballvalve its made on the thread of the ballvalve , so what you need to do is remove the brass fitting and clean off all of the old thread tape and start again , wrap about 10 or 12 wraps of tape covering the first inch of the thread after the first couple of threads , then screw on the brass fitting .

Curly Judge

cscook wrote: »

It's more like the third picture now. So if I just loosen it a bit and put a good few wraps between the back nut and the brass fitting?
Thanks for the help.

The brass fitting is called an "instantor" 317 [half inch]
If I'm reading you correctly you are going the wrong way about sealing the plastic threaded pipe to the fitting.
You must turn off the water, drain down at the cold tap in the bath beside the toilet,[ or some tap lower than the toilet cistern]
Then remove the fitting by undoing the lower nut and gently unscrew the brass fitting from the threaded pipe by turning it anti clockwise.
Wrap the end of the threaded pipe with 4 to 5 layers of PTEFE tape,[like a bandage] and screw the female end of the fitting back on as it was before but this time with the white tape squashed between the treads of the pipe and threads of the fitting.

sullzz

Curly Judge wrote: »

Wrap the end of the threaded pipe with 4 to 5 layers of PTEFE tape,

4 to 5 wraps of ptfe is not going to seal it

cscook

I did have the threaded pipe wrapped with tape all the way up, but I think maybe it needs a couple of extra layers, I just had two most of the way up (following something I found online) and more at the top. I'll try again with 4 layers all the way up and a few more towards to the top later on today.

Joey the lips

sullzz wrote: »

You need to set the ballvalve up like it is in picture 1 , that is the correct way , the seal is not made with the brass fitting and the back nut of the ballvalve its made on the thread of the ballvalve , so what you need to do is remove the brass fitting and clean off all of the old thread tape and start again , wrap about 10 or 12 wraps of tape covering the first inch of the thread after the first couple of threads , then screw on the brass fitting .

Oh i missed that. I thought it was just tightened differently. I did not realise that.