DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

We have two mains stop cocks serving our flat which are located in the communal cupboard. The pipe work in the flat itself had a great deal of lime scale accumulated over the last 30 plus years and much has been removed with chemicals and flushing. I had a plumber fit a scale filter in the airing cupboard to minimise further limescale and the two mains stopcocks were also overhauled and “sand filters” were fitted to further reduce limescale entering the flat pipe work.

I am curious as to what a sand filter actually is and whether it can reduce limescale and also whether the filter itself needs any maintenance?

Appreciate any comments.

Hi rossowheels,
I doubt very much that sand filters have been fitted, they are more likely to be filters which will catch sand particles.
They do need cleaning, frequency will depend on how much crap is in your main supply.
Regards S

Thanks for you comments.

The stop cocks are main water and I was wondering whether they usually come with filters? My plumber says that he fitter sand filters to minimise limescale and maybe he meant something else? Just a little confused…..

Please see photo

Hi rossowheels,
Sorry but I am also confused, all I can see is a water meter with external read probe and stopcocks either side of the meter. Maybe your plumber fitted mesh filters in the stopcocks? Depends if there is a fitting in the incoming pipe partly hidden in your photo.
Regards S

Exactly. Do mains stop cocks usually have some kind of filter integral filter? Maybe the plumber changed the filter to a “sand” type. Whatever was done resulted in a large bill!