I'm throwing myself on the mercy of any Full Fat driving plumbers out there!

I'm afraid plumbing really isn't my subject, but what I believe is the cold water drain cock beneath the basin in my downstairs loo has started leaking this afternoon. I've turned the water off, but can't work out how I disassemble it (I presume it has done sort of washer inside). All I can do us use a spanner to undo the spindle as far as I can, but nothing else. For now I can only do it back up and leave something to collect the leak!

The plumbing us about 20 years old and I've tried to attach a picture for anyone out there that might know than me (which, come to think of it, I'd probably almost anyone reading this!).

Any advice would be much appreciated. I thought it should be something that wouldn't need me to call plumber out for... 2014 3.0 SDV6 Sport HSE Corris Grey with Ebony/Cirrus
GONE - 2012 TdV8 Westminster Orkney/Ivory
GONE - 2012 3.0 SDV6 Sport HSE Luxury Orkney Grey/Ivory
GONE - 2006 3.0 Td6 Vogue SE Buckingham Blue/Parchment

Picture's on its side by the way - drain cock does actually face downwards!!! 2014 3.0 SDV6 Sport HSE Corris Grey with Ebony/Cirrus
GONE - 2012 TdV8 Westminster Orkney/Ivory
GONE - 2012 3.0 SDV6 Sport HSE Luxury Orkney Grey/Ivory
GONE - 2006 3.0 Td6 Vogue SE Buckingham Blue/Parchment

Turning the spindle out anti-clockwise , sets in into "drain"
From there you can open the spanner up and turn aniticlockwise to screw the guts out .
There should be a sealing washer that you can either replace , or just replace the entire innards from a matching drain valve .
Bear in mind it's soldered in so its better to hold against on the body as you replace the guts of the valve so you don't put too much pressure on the soldered joint and break it .

That looks like a regular 15mm drain cock to me which ought to come undone all the way so the valve drops out. 8mm spanner I think and once you get the middle out it can be re-washered. A new washer is pennies at your local plumbers merchant. If not, you could buy another complete drain cock and swap the middle bits over.

Failing that you would have to replace the unit. Cheap enough but would need to be soldered which again, isn't hard but you would need a decent blowlamp, a heat shield, some flux and some lead free solder. Not in the average toolkit.

The drain cock could be on a mains water pipe or a tank supply pipe.
You need to isolate whichever it is otherwise you stand to get very wet.
You then need a screw-driver which is a good fit in the drain outlet and a spanner or molegrips for the valve stem. You then need to turn the valve stem fully out using the screwdriver to stop the whole thing turning.
I think you may find it is a bit tight. If you can get the innards of the drain cock out you may in the short term be able to remove the washer and refit it upside down for now until you get a replacement.

try and break the paint off first as its probably stopping it from undoing. usually there is a small o ring gland in there. Probably easier to buy a new drain valve and just replace the inners

Thanks all - sorted! Just needed a bit of confidence to get some plyers around the end of the o ring. All I need now is a washer..! 2014 3.0 SDV6 Sport HSE Corris Grey with Ebony/Cirrus
GONE - 2012 TdV8 Westminster Orkney/Ivory
GONE - 2012 3.0 SDV6 Sport HSE Luxury Orkney Grey/Ivory
GONE - 2006 3.0 Td6 Vogue SE Buckingham Blue/Parchment

wait, wait, wait, Plumbers in UK can afford range rovers? I’m moving to UK

lol i use mine as my works car as i can get a fair bit in it and if you fold the seats down a bath fits in nicely L322 2008 vogue
R53 Cooper S Works tuned beyond the works SOLD
R33 Nissan Skyline in rebuild 400bhp atw

vitola231 wrote:

wait, wait, wait, Plumbers in UK can afford range rovers? I’m moving to UK

I know, eh. They all seem to have Rols Royces around here.