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Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:56 am
by rogerowen
Tap had green scale on the outer casing - looked like a small leak it was coming up the centre spindle. I've oiled the thread and wound the spindle a few times to help seat the brass top blocker. Hope this will work - but just wondering if there is a seal or 'o' ring somewhere, anyone refurbed one of these before?
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:57 am
by rogerowen
Picture!
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Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:16 am
by bmcecosse
You need to put some packing under the top gland...
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:47 am
by rogerowen
bmcecosse wrote:You need to put some packing under the top gland...
Aha, like a stuffing gland on a boat propellor shaft - hemp and plumber's mait
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 11:25 am
by rogerowen
No- not plumbers mait, what am I thinking. Going to try a strip of muslin cloth soaked in oil.
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 11:56 am
by bmcecosse
Anything like that!
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:01 pm
by alexmcguffie
Fibre washer
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:42 pm
by Roger46
Hemp and good old-fashioned water pump grease!
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 5:49 pm
by Trickydicky
PTFE tape will cure it.
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:22 pm
by andypocock
(In my opinion) Graphite string is the correct material for hot water or steam packing
Andy
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 7:43 pm
by bmcecosse
Just about any of the above -except the PTFE tape....
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:15 pm
by Trickydicky
Roy, why should you not use PTFE tape? Using string and other thicker materials will stop the tap opening fully, restricting water flow to the heater.
Mine has not leaked since I used PTFE tape on the spindle 2 years ago.
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 11:17 pm
by bmcecosse
It's just not bulky enough on it's own - maybe you just added it to whatever is below ?
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 8:28 am
by M25VAN
While researching a similar problem with a house tap I came across Loctite 55. A sort of cross between string and PTFE. Maybe that will be better than just PTFE?
Re: Heater tap refurb
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 11:07 am
by ian.mcdougall
Below the gland nut in the body of the tap should be a hole only big enough for the shaft to come through so when you fit the sealing material in and the gland nut you compress the sealing material around the shaft which is the seal, so what you put in will not affect the amount the tap opens, if you turn down the nut too hard the tap will be stiff. Turn down the nut util you get no leaking, then if later it leaks again you will be able to tighten down again and again until it needs repacking.