Screwfix stoopidity

[Scott M]

Evening all,

Bloody Screwfix! They list three compression fit service valves, two of which are "Next Day Only" (why?!??!?!?) leaving just the choice of a nice shiny Pegler. So far so good. Except if you buy said Pegler one it's not what it seems. Instead of a boss and fibre washer it just came with a stub and a (as I thought, pre-crimped) olive.

Ok maybe this is a new innovation to use olives instead of fibre washers, I think having stared at it for a while after getting it home. It's not as if Pegler are going to sell crap, is it? Get it on the pipe and go to fit it to a standard plastic toilet valve and it's not looking hopeful. Even with much PTFE it doesn't look hopeful. Then I realise that the olive's not even crimped on.

So all I can think, and I'd like anyone's idea on this, is that some bod at Screwfix has perused the Pegler catalogue, found one of their more esoteric fittings (this would work if one was attaching it to the female end of some existing compression fitting), listed it in the SF book and then ordered 50,000. It's either that or they're intended for metal threaded taps with a taper in the orifice (which I didn't think was usually the case) and stuff anyone trying to re-plump a loo.

Opinions?

[John Rumm]

Got a catalog number so we can have a look?

[A.Lee]

Part number? I've found the pictures on Screwfix's site do not always match the actual parts - waste fittings are one of the worst.

Alan.

[Roger Mills]

That's not the only sort of 'stoopidity' they exhibit!

I ordered a 7.5Kg tub of tile adhesive and a few smaller items. It all came in a big cardboard box with no packing and no indication that it needed to be a particular way up. The lid came off the tile adhesive in transit, and much of the contents were spread around inside the box and were all over the other items (although I was able to clean it off them).

When I rang up to complain, the agreed to replace the tile adhesive - and when the new one arrived, *that* was floating around inside a big box - which the postman delivered on its *side*. Miraculously the lid hadn't come off that one - but it must happen quite often if that's how they send stuff out!

[David Hearn]

This one?

like normal 15mm compression on one end, described as 1/2" on the other end.

D

[Dave Plowman (News)]

All the service valves I've seen are designed to go inline on copper pipe

- or the ones Screwfix seem to sell do. They all say 15 or 22mm.

[Scott M]

Sorry John & Alan, stoopidity on my part. 19933 is the offending article. The photo (as in the book) shows the compression end, hiding the end that should be a straight 1/2" boss but isn't. The body is otherwise identical to what was supplied; the olive-on-a-post arrangement is hidden.

[Scott M]

Well, SF define 'isolating valves' as being the ones with a compresion fit on either end, with 'service valves' being a tap connector and valve all-in-one. I wanted a 1/2 tap connector on the end of mine.

[Scott M]

That's the beast! The cap nut facing away is hiding a standard 15mm olive.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

But you wrote 'service valve' in your original post. ;-)

[Scott M]

I'm confused (this is normal.) Thought you were referring to Isolating valves in your post (ir compression fit at either end.) This pegler thing is sold as a service valve but is effectively a male compression end to a female compression end.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You've lost me too now. I've only ever seen one type of compression fitting. A service valve to me is one used to isolate taps for washer changing, and has a screw operated mechanism. An isolation valve has a lever operation. But of course I could be wrong. ;-)

[Scott M]

Oh, ok, with you. Get thee off to the SF book! In their parlance a service valve is a screw operated fitting with a tap connector at one end and a compression joint at the other. An isolation valve is a screw operated doofa with a compression joint at both ends. Anything with a lever or similar seems to be a "ball valve" (though the others are too, of course. Argh!)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Heh heh. It's not unknown for those designing a site to make random choices when naming stuff.

FWIW, I only ever use full flow lever isolation valves at home - I've got a mainly low pressure water system.