connecting single hole kitchen mixer tap to water pipes

[jim_in_sussex]

The mixer unit in question is ikea EDSVIK, but many other makes use a similar design.

The tap unit fits over a single hole in the sink & two pipes about

250mm long are supplied which screw into the base of the tap unit via a 12mm a/f nut/screw soldered on to the tube. The tubes flare out half way down (away from the tap) into standard 15mm dia tube. The H & C tubes almost touch over the whole length of 15mm section.

Q. How are you meant to make the connection to the H & C feeds (standard 15mm Cu in the current kitchen)?

If you solder a 90deg bend on then you won't be able to tighten the tube screwed end at the tap base, (or undo it at some later stage for maintenance). [because turning one tube with bend will foul the other tube & take it away from the direction of the water connection]

OTOH there isn't enough space between the tubes to fit a compression fitting. Nor space to use a push fit connection.

puzzled!

many TIA for any clue

[Andrew Gabriel]

You chuck them in the bin, and buy a couple of flexible tap connectors which are available with the same screw ends, and either screw or pushfit at the other end. I usually fit isolation valves to the pipe ends, and then screw the flexible tap connectors to them (they aren't quite designed to be used this way -- you need a couple of extra O-rings too).

[Calvin]

You can easilly bend them slightly away from each other. It gets a lot easier if you cut one of them slightly shorter than the other so that the joints don't line up. Better still would be to go and buy a pair of flexible tails instead which are simplicity itself to fit.

[Set Square]

Screw them in tight and *then* bend them apart a bit - when you can quite easily get pipe fittings on them.

Or, as others have said, discard them and use flexible tails (preferably with built-in isolator valves) instead.

[OldBill]

There is if you stagger the compression joints position and carefully splay the pipes apart a bit. I usually use in-line shutoff valves to connect to the feed pipes.

Don't be tempted to use flexy connectors if your sink is stainless steel because the tap will be wobbley. They are ok if the sink is rigid.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I mounted the tap in the worktop behind the sink, for this reason.

[jim_in_sussex]

many thanks to all who replied -solved the problem very neatly with the flexible connectors recommeneded - discovered you need a matched air so the screw/nuts at the tap end don't conflict.

Also found a tip on the sink maker Franke's web site - put a bracing strap from the threaded stud across to the underside of the worktop/unit housing.

Used a heavy duty holed strap about 120mm x 20mm x 4mm ex b&q which has solved the rigidity problem.