Just bought a 3/4" ball valve from B&Q and note the instructions say to use a tap connector. The original (and my several year old replacement) used a female BSP coupler. Is there any advantage to switching to a tap connector? The end of the new fitting is very sharp (why?) and rough.
Pictures of original, current and new bits here (click on pic to zoom):-
In article , Geo writes
On a conventional ball valve, the end of the fitting is flat as shown on the old part. In this case the advantage of the tap connector over the BSP fitting is that the nut on the tap connector can spin, meaning that you can change the ball valve in future more easily. If you use BSP then you will need to also break a connection lower down to undo the BSP.
The new part however is intended for use with an olive and compression nut, you can see the counterbore for the pipe to be inset into the fitting and the internal taper indicates a fitting for an olive. Did the fitting come with an olive and compression nut? If not then you can pull them off a 22mm compression joint[1].
The problem is that your pipe will probably be too short to lift into the recess so you can either replace that length and use a compression nut and olive or continue to use a fem BSP conns, thread sealed with compound or PTFE rather than end sealed with a rubber washer (which would be cut by the sharp end of the fitting).
[1] or take the overpriced shit back to B&Q
OK - thanks that makes sense.
That is what I initially thought - but a piece of 22mm pipe (or olive) would not fit in. I have now measured the internal diameter of the valve end and it is about 20.6mm i.e about 1.5mm too small...
Right - have both tape and compound "in stock".
:-)
That's strange, maybe it is intended for a tap connector after all but like you I'd be unhappy with that tapered edge sealing on a fibre or rubber washer. O-ring perhaps? Size wise I don't have a 3/4" tap connector here but a 1/2" one has a 13.7mm end ie under 15mm pipe size so perhaps that does make sense.
Solved! As the fem BSP in the pic has a compression end then that should be an easy swap.
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