Aladdin EasyFit Isolator Valve and Tools Pack - Starter Kit

I fitted one of these to a 15mm copper central heating pipe running vertically: it was straightforward. I wanted to isolate the system 'downstream' without a full drain down. I had good access to the pipe. Having read the reviews and product description and viewed a video of an installation I concluded that care was needed. I cleaned the pipe of old paint thoroughly for a blemish free surface. I followed the instructions - which were clear and thorough - to the letter. My cordless drill was not powerful enough but a ratchet and socket were fine if slower. I decided not to use an older non-cordless drill that has no torque control because I wasn't sure I could control the vigour of the cutting. No leaks. The valve works perfectly. A clever, well designed and well engineered product.

Absolutely easy to install, unless like me I had to install it in an awkward place. follow the instructions and it works perfectly, but be aware that the force required to cut the pipe is substantial and has to go through both sides of the pipe so in effect it happens trice.

Just a quick note to say, this product is WELL MADE, great piece of engineering. That aside, make damn sure you need the 15mm, mine originally didnt fit and I assumed i had the wrong size, but that was some build up on the pipe, and this piece is precision, so didn't allow for that. Next point, it isn't too hard to install, but note this - if you have the hard copper version, the drill may cut out - i was using for a mid leak situation, so cordless was a must - and a decent Ryobi 18v drill struggled a lot, maybe if you have a dewalt or makita, you'll be fine - if it is a tougher pipe - using a spanner or monkey wrench is an option, but it takes MANY turns, and the amateur may smash his or her hands into the wall a few times! Once the unit is attached, the spindle will appear to long, use the plastic white piece to push it in, this is missing from the instructions, but v important. In a push, this unit will save money on an emergency call out for sure, but depending on your pipe strength and position, it may not be as easy as the youtube vids, but it is doable by a novice.

I have fitted a couple of these before, and was very happy overall. They were easy to fit, no leaks, water isolated without draining the system. All as advertised. Unfortunately, my recent experience wasn't as successful! During installation, water started to seep from the housing of the device. In the end, I had to shut off the mains water supply, cut out that section of pipe and fit a standard isolation valve. Maybe I was just unlucky, having had 2 that worked perfectly before, but this isn't the sort of thing that you can afford to have fail! Lessons learned... I won't be risking one of these again.

Solved my problem main stopcock not shutting off.. this was my answer it was fantastic and easy to install..

I bought this valve to isolate part of my cold water system without turning off the main stop cock. Before buying I watched several videos on YouTube which convinced me it would be an easy job. Problem number one is when you clamp the two halves of the valve to the pipe there is no indication of how tight you need to do up the four cap head bolts. There is some vague instruction about not doing them up too tight in case you shear the heads off but how tight is that??? I used a short ratchet rather than the cordless drill shown in all the videos and believe me tightening them down with the fear of shearing the heads is not a pleasant experience. Now came the major problem. I have an 18 volt drill of a pretty good make but it wouldn't even touch tightening the central cutting piece. I ended up using a 1/2 inch ratchet and all my strength to turn the cutter down into the body of the valve to the Red line and my hand still aches now. Having lined up the Red dots and removed the plastic spacer from the shaft I then tried to fit the plastic cover only to find the central shaft would not push in far enough to allow this. Another turn on the core even though it had gone to the Red line just about allowed me to fit the cover using the supplied screwdriver bit to tighten the screws and destroy their heads so they will not be easy to undo. I have given a three for easy to use as after the second tightening of the core it did actually turn off the water but due to the massive amount of force (supported by a wrench) needed to install it I will not be surprised if it leaks somewhere don the line. Would I buy another one is a resounding "NO" I wish I had paid a plumber to do it the old fashioned way.

Looked a great product and watching the video, very easy to fit and drill. The drilling of the 15mm pipe drew smoke from my dewalt drill so had to stop and start, in the end had to use a spanner instead. Not a true description of the fitting.

Had a leaking isolation valve on the central heating system in our church building. Considered a pipe freezing kit but the DIY versions can be hit and miss. Draining the whole system wasn't an option time-wise or cost-wise so opted for the Aladdin. Stripped back the paint on the pipe using pliers and sandpaper, smoothed it all with wire wool then followed the excellent instructions to the letter. I chose to hand turn the bolts first of all before using a drill/driver on half the maximum setting to finish off. The screws I hand tightened only. Turning the cutter was quite stiff to start but then became easier as it got further through - the drill/driver was set to maximum torque as per the instructions. Once done I was able to shut off the flow and repair properly. I did have a pipe end cap to hand just in case it all went Pete Tong but thankfully didn't need it! Very pleased indeed.