Bought a mono basin tap from Screwfix today. Came with a fitting kit. The flexible connectors had tap connectors at the other end - that would fit a basic 1/2" tap. Surely that is the wrong sex, as it were? I'm going to have to buy some fittings to make it work. Wouldn't a 1/2" compression fitting or part thereof make more sense?
I expect the hose is slightly cheaper to supply than with a compression fitting and perhaps easier to adapt to an existing BSP female fitting using something like this?
I suspect many might use them with ordinary compression couplers, which is not good practice as the flatness and width of the face of the coupler (with the olive and nut omitted) is not really defined. But it saves money and time if there is already a coupler (or elbow) in about the right place, and generally seems to work. It does make the hose easier to replace when it leaks.
I normally terminate my pipe with a service valve, and then fit the hose directly to the end of that (having removed its top back nut and olive).
(Most valves I have seen have greater or equal flat area on the end than a proper tap connector, so I don't see any downside)
Or screwed on to the end of the isolating valve. If no valve is in place fit one to each supply - which can also be used to restrict the flow.
When helping a friend replace taps on a very small sink recently we opened the valves fully before realising that when fully opening the taps the water hit the base of the basin and then launched into the rest of the bathroom. :(
How long do you suggest is "not very long"? I've had flexis last longer than some cheap taps.
I already have full flow service valves. But sadly fitted them where they were easy to get at - so too far away for those flexible tails. So I might as well just get the correct connectors for them.
or swap the flexi tails for ones with an appropriate end - say 15mm pushfit to fit a cut pipe, or with 1/2" BSP female to fit an existing tap connector.
The service valve will have a near knife edge cutting into the rubber washer. Which while may work is less than ideal.
Hence my earlier suggestion of a nipple with a flat edge for the washer to bear against.
I didn't trust the flexis supplied, got some copper tails (10mm male into the tap' then realised it was going to be very difficult to connect them at the back of a vanity unit) so got a pair of Hep2O from SF:
the hot tap goes first obviously ....
Only got limited experience of these mono taps with the 8mm? screw in tails.
Only really fitted one, in a pal's kitchen. The tails on that were soft copper tube. And I connected those to the 15mm copper tube with end feed adaptors. And they leaked where they screwed into the taps.
The instructions with this tap say only to screw the flexible tails in hand tight - so I'd guess the rubber seal is a bit temperamental.
But I collected some end feed to 1/2" tap thread males from Screwfix yesterday, so I'll use the supplied flexies.
The full more valves I used recently had more surface area on the end than a tap connector.
Possibly because twisting the flexi will damage it internally - fast leat wheatabix cabinet... I did mine with both finger & thumb tips as close to the tap as possible and ther was significant 'bite' - not easily undone. I don't understand why the 10mm tails have hex bits at the tap end when the recess in the tap is too narrow for any spanner know to man! I have many spanners with mods. and even the more radically deformed ones were no good.
After writing my post I looked at my new water/header tank fittings I recently purchased.
The ball-valve fitting had the cone to accept an olive, but the supplied right angled service valve to mate with this came with a fibre washer.
A twist in the flexi after connecting the second end is possible one of the mechanisms for earlier failure. When connecting the second end just make sure when doing up the flexi bit is still free to spin in the connector until finally tight. If it binds it will twist - it means that the flexi is not truly being held in line with the connecting pipe as the connection is being tightened.
On the 2 pairs of flexis that I have (supplied with tap and Hep2O) the 10mm male thread is fixed in the flexi; the other end is push-fit so no twisting at all, just very careful manipulation to the pipe to avoid tight bends.
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