DRAIN OFF COCKS

A leak on a drain off cock looks easy to remedy. “Just tighten up the square on the end, and job done!” WRONG!

You may get into difficulty because the washer underneath is perished due to old age and the heat it has endured; that is why it is leaking. Tightening up will make the washer split and water will issue out of the spout of the drain off tap.

BE PREPARED!  Before attempting to tighten up the drain tap obtain a replacement washer. Have a hosepipe ready in case you need to drain down the system. If the washer splits, drain down the system and replace the washer.

Sometimes you can get away with putting a sealant up the spout of the cock, but then it may leak from the spindle end. This should only be used as a “stop gap”.