Bringing plumbing bits back from France

[IMM]

The French have BSP threads, so no problem. French copper is different, but I believe the Channel port Castoramas have adaptors to UK copper sizes. Adaptors are available in the UK.

[Lobster]

We're just off for a brief camping trip to France, and kids permitting (yeah, right), I hope to be able to squeeze in a quick visit a Castorama superstore with a view to stocking up on some plumbing goodies which is way cheaper than anything I can find in the UK. I'm really talking about taps I suppose, maybe sinks too (eg how about a swish monobloc mixer tap for 13 GBP

anyone done this successfully? My only concern really is over compatibility of French and UK fittings, ie will I be able to hook them up to standard UK 15mm copper?

Also, I was looking at sinks, but many seem not to have any provision for fitting either a single or paired taps (I expect that must happen with sinks over here too, but have never come across it before.) What's the deal here; how do you prepare a nice round hole(s)? Is there a punch-out section underneath that I can't see or is it a hole-saw job or something?

Thanks David

[raden]

In message , IMM writes

So it's not only physics you're changing, but chemistry now

[Andy Hall]

They wear those pillbox hats.......

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Nige]

Yes, but I'm not sure if the French has high/low pressure systems.

[Rory]

"Lobster" wrote

Maybe they're designed for taps that are wall mounted?

[IMM]

Only high. Its all high pressure. Low pressure is available, but special order.

[IMM]

Maxie, it is clear you can't think right. You are preoccupied. It is clear your mind is still on Dimm Lin the Far Eastern luscious lovely.

[IMM]

They do Andy, they do....

[G&M]

I assume 'high' is a relative term here. Many French taps have about 0.25 bar on them at best.

[bob]

The reason you will not find taps connected to a sink in France is because the french do not wash regards b

[IMM]

A bit rich from a Brit. Go on the London tube at rush hour and smell all the BO, then go on the Paris Metro. I don't know where this notion of the French being dirty came about.

[Steve Firth]

Don't worry, your tinfoil helmet will protect you against the deadly radiation.

[G&M]

I've found in my occasional forays to London that even with a good shower beforehand one inevitably stinks when one gets off the tube. Don't know where it comes from but I'd hate to live there and smell like thay every day.

The Metro doesn't have this problem at all, though it is higher ceilinged so the trains are taller.

[Lobster]

Well, that all went well...

Got to Castorama and found they'd sold out of *all* the low-end taps, kitchen and bathroom, so we left empty handed other than with a gazebo. That turned out to have umpteen missing bits, so went back on the morning of the ferry departure for an exchange. None available, so got a refund, but it took so long we ran out of time to stock up with food'n drink at the next-door hypermarche as planned. Brilliant. So back to Blighty with nothing but a car-full of *very* wet camping kit.

Did a double take when I saw the shelves stacked with 'Performance Pro' power tools! So presumably Castorama's a sister company to B&Q?

David

[Owain]

"Lobster" wrote | Did a double take when I saw the shelves stacked with | 'Performance Pro' power tools! So presumably Castorama's | a sister company to B&Q?

Oui.

Owain

[Ed Sirett]

C'est Kingfisher. (Castorama, Superdrug, Screwfix, B&Q, Woolworths...)

Didn't they start by making wallpaper?