any plumbers out there

[hedgerow pete]

I have two plumbers questions, the first up is the boiler in the house central heating has a valve which prevents the central heating hot water circulating around the up stairs rads when the heating is supposed to be off but for the best part of the day when the hot water is being used the rads warm up , upstairs,

does anyone know what the name for this valve is, i want to ask the land lord to mend it but its easier if he knows whats wrong


secondly, i am going to buy the brass and copper to make the cooler for the home brew kit i am making on monday, as i dont want bags of 25, i cant buy it from tool staion, and you can forget going to B&Q, so next choice is the big commercial firm next door, i think its bss, or bps, or somethink like that , i do know they are the big boys suppliers, we see the vans and lorries all the time on building sites and they have a trade counter, so i was thinking of going there, the main problem is i need a single length of 15mm tube as well as the coil of 10mm and a handfull of copper fittings to. and i dont want to buy bags of 10 or 25 i just need a few say a handfull of fittings and some tube and a coil of 10mm,

does this sound ok or is there better to go to, i am in birmingham so i can travel to many other suppliers if anyone has any suggestions if they are in the midlands or does anyone know of a good internet shop

 

[Strength_10]

Hi Pete. Sounds like the 'anti-gravity valve'. Otherwise known as 'back flow protection valve' or 'one way check valve'.

Sorry, not near Birmingham so can't help with other query. I always find ScrewFix good though.

 

[hedgerow pete]

cheers dude, i just needed to know what it was called so i can tell him its bust

 

[psafloyd]

What do you need a cooler for if you are brewing, Pete? Are you making proper lager? Or is this a cooler as in a jacket for the cask once brewed?

 

[tonybloke]

don't use screwfix for copper anything, the pipe is wafer thin.
better off going to either pts ( plumbing trade supplies ) , plumbase or plumbcentre where the real trade go! ask for trade discount ( you'll usually get it)

 

[AnotherNewBee]

If it's a valve that is meant to stop water circulating in upstairs rads but allows it to circulate in downstairs rads during the day it's a 'zone control' valve.

If it's a valve that is meant to allow water to circulate in the cylinder coil (to heat the contents of the cylinder) but stop it circulating around the radiators when central heating is not required it's a 3-port diverter. http://www.buyaparcel.com/pageview....ode=H23PMPVV&gclid=COXBgMCjyq8CFYQMfAod_GLvcQ

It might, as someone else stated, be for preventing reverse circulation - sometimes a problem in badly designed installations. As stated, antigravity valve.

If it's a 3-port diverter you might not need to replace the whole thing. You can, usually, replace just the head if it's an electrical fault (or a mechanical fault in the head) - in this case, no need to drain the system. If it's the ball letting by you can take that out and swap it for one out of a new valve - no need to disconnect pipework (but you will need to drain the system to below the valve).

Any plumbers merchant will sell you just a few fittings or lengths of pipe. You don't have to buy in bulk at plumbers merchants.

 

[hedgerow pete]

cheers lads i shall hit plumb centre today to get the parts , its a beer wort chiller i want to make, depending on cost and complexaty

10mm copper coil connected via two tap connectors to cool the hot liquid so i can shove the yeast in