Which flexible tap hoses do I need?!

[Lobster]

Hi

I'm going to be fitting a new bath and sink next week, and thought I'd use those newfangled flexible steel hoses to connect the taps rather than trying to solder pipework and copper tap connectors in just the right position. I'm assembling a Screwfix order so was going to include

2 sets of these. Trouble is, when you go to the relevant subsection of the Screwfix site at (or , there are no less than 27 different types to choose from, and I really don't rate my chances of getting it 100% right! Could anyone advise me which ones I need please?

I'm using a standard matching pair of basin and bath taps (Screwfix

11216 and 18215), and the existing pipework feeding the taps is all 15mm apart from the hot bath tap, which has a 22mm pipe.

I'll be using compression fittings to attach them to the pipework, not pushfit, by the way.

Thanks! David

[Grunff]

Why not pushfit?

The thing to bear in mind is that the basin taps will be 1/2", and the bath taps will be 3/4".

So if you were going to use pushfit hoses, you'd need:

Two of these for the basin:

of these for the cold bath: one of these for the hot bath:

[Lobster]

Well, because... in fact I'm going to be getting some help on this job from an old retired plumber, and I know from previous experience that he won't touch pushfit fittings or plastic pipe with a bargepole. I have no problem using it myself, and TBH I prefer it, but this chap is far too set in his ways to change his mind if I buy pushfit he'll just refuse to use it!

David

[Lobster]

Grunff you put me in mind of a certain individual who replies to posts asking for advice on boiler selection which include the phrase "...but not a combi...", by advising the OP that he should fit two combis.......! ;-)

It's just that in fact I'm getting some help on this job from an old retired plumber friend, who refuses point-blank to touch push-fit with a bargepole, and I know for sure that if I bought some, he wouldn't use it.

However, by extrapolation I think I've sussed which Sfix parts are the compression-fitting equivalents of what you reccomended, so thanks for that!

David

[Grunff]

That's very hurtful.

There's actually a very good reason why I asked the question. Let's say you're avoiding pushfit because of potential longevity issues, ok? Now, I have no problem with that if you're going to be using copper throughout.

However, these hoses are all rubber anyway, so the hose itself wil last as long as the pushfit connector O ring.

Surely it follows that he wouldn't want to use these rubber hose things either?

I couldn't be bothered to paste in a whole load of links for the compression ones, I knew you'd figure it out.

[Lobster]

Yeah I'm sorry...

You'd think so, wouldn't you! My theory is that he thinks the steel braided hoses are steel all the way through or something; far be it from me to enlighten him. I do know he doesn't mind using them, whereas he would spit at pushfit fittings for sure. He's very - how can I put this - set in his ways? and there's no telling him (as in, him, a pro of 40-odd years experience being told something new by a d-i-yer like me? Let's not even go there... However, he does a very good job so I just shut up and permit him his idiosyncracies.

Thanks David

(PS apologies for the odd partly-duped postings earlier today - didn't realise I'd sent the first one; I meant to dump it and start again)

[Dale Shuttleworth]

Hi,

Grunff ( [e-mail]) wrote: : Lobster wrote: : > I'm going to be fitting a new bath and sink next week, and thought I'd : > use those newfangled flexible steel hoses to connect the taps rather : > than trying to solder pipework and copper tap connectors in just the : > right position. I'm assembling a Screwfix order so was going to include : > 2 sets of these. Trouble is, when you go to the relevant subsection of : > the Screwfix site at

(or : > , there : > are no less than 27 different types to choose from, and I really don't : > rate my chances of getting it 100% right! Could anyone advise me which : > ones I need please? : > : > I'm using a standard matching pair of basin and bath taps (Screwfix : > 11216 and 18215), and the existing pipework feeding the taps is all 15mm : > apart from the hot bath tap, which has a 22mm pipe.

[...]

: And one of these for the hot bath: :

experience with those flexible hoses is that they are usually a much smaller bore than whatever pipe you are attaching them to. This may not be problem for your cold supply which, from the 15mm size of all the pipes is probably mains pressure but it will have a substantial effect on the (probably gravity fed) hot water flow into the bath.

Of course, the hoses proposed may be OK but its something I would consider carefully - you need all the flow you can get to a bath...

Hope this helps,

Dale.

[OldBill]

The reduced bore should be considered. The bathroom I did over recently is gravity fed. I used flexys to connect all the taps. The bath is fine but the flow from the basin is poor. I'm going to change them for plastic pipe when I get round to it.