Flexipipe connection to toilet cistern

[Tricky Dicky]

I need to make a temporary connection from the supply pipe to my old toiler cistern which unfortunately has a bottom feed into the float valve and where the cistern is placed has a considerable offset from the supply pipe. I suspect I will not find a suitable short length of flexipipe that will give me a nice Z bend in the space available.

Having seen this done before with filling pipes to boilers, is it OK to use a long length of flexipipe and loop it on itself to make the offset? I will form it so there are no kinks and will be able to make use of it when the new cistern goes in which fortunately has a side entry to the float valve.

Richard

[Rod Speed]

Yep, that will be fine.

[John Rumm]

As long as you don't go under the minimum bend radius for the flexi, it should be fine.

[nothanks]

Why not do it in copper? If you don't have the means to solder then use compression or push-fit fittings.

[Thomas Prufer]

I'd do it in flexipipe, of a length suited to the new cistern. Less work:-)

And yes, just loop it gently.

Thomas Prufer

[wasbit]

If you mean a flexible tap connector, the the answer is yes. I have 2 cisterns fitted with these.

-

Heed John's warning on the bend radius.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Don't see why not.

[nothanks]

A search for <flexi hose life> reveals many hits suggesting 5-15 years. A search for <burst flexi hose>, or similar, suggests that 20% of claims for escape of water are from burst flexi pipes. I can understand a builder fitting them because they want the job done quickly and will be long gone if the thing fails, but if you're DIY'ing then spending the small amount of extra time to do a permanent, relatively risk-free, job seems a no-brainer.

[Fredxx]

It is the norm to use flexible hoses but they must not chafe any surface or it will wear through. Don't ask how I know! Also adhere to minimum bend radii, bigger the better.

When fitting your new side entry cistern I would say that is a time when you reassess the plumbing. Having a long length of flexible pipe won't look good if it's visible.

[Rod Speed]

He is talking about a TEMPORARY connection.

[Tricky Dicky]

Just to elaborate. The link shows the present connection to the cistern which has been done in copper.

I need to take the cistern off the wall to fit tile backer boards behind and the cistern needs to be temporarily replaced in the same position until we are ready to replace it with a new pan and cistern which will be a back to wall pan against a small fitted furniture unit with the new cistern attached to the backboard of the unit.

The existing cistern is fitted to a bracket that is secured to the wall and although I will try to align things as best as I can I can foresee that getting the position right once the tile backer boards are secured to wall could be problematic hence the idea of using flexipipe from the isolator to the float valve inlet.

As this is the only toilet we have, at our age it needs to be available quickly I was just looking at a quick and easy workaround until we are ready to install the new toilet.

Richard

[Tim+]

If it just temporary and if all the movement you have to accommodate is the cistern being about 10mm proud of its current location, I’d just undo the pipe clips securing the 15mm feed pipe and see if there’s enough movement available to accommodate the new temporary cistern position.

Tim

[Thomas Prufer]

Flexipipe is your friend.

While copper will last longer, I don't think that's an issue on the scale of months-to-a-year you are looking at here.

Thomas Prufer

[nothanks]

I understand the need for it needing to be available quickly ;-) A flexi would be fine for the short term, but I agree with whoever suggested just undoing the pipe clips to get enough wiggle room to use the existing copper pipe (perhaps getting a bit of "swing" from the connections to the isolator). In case you don't know: it's usually easiest to get things aligned by: loosening the fill valve fixing on the cistern, then connecting the pipe to the fill valve, then tightening the fill valve fixing to the cistern. Another thought - I wouldn't rely on fixing a cistern to a cabinet back board unless the back board is something other than MDF or chip. Drill through and fix to the wall.

[Andy Burns]

Use one of these corrugated copper tubes, should stand repositioning a few times during refurb?

[alan_m]

How many on hot water rather than cold water? How many where the internal hose has been twisted/kinked which is the main cause of failure?

[nothanks]

Clearly, that's unknowable ... but it's also avoidable for those "in the know" by using copper

[alan_m]

But are 80% of the claims from people who have copper?

Unless the figure for the number of claims vs the number off flexi installations is known its hard to judge if the "20% of claims" is a significant figure.

[nothanks]

Thus the rabbit hole opens-up ... and I'm too busy to keep digging after this reply ;-)

Nobody suggests that all flexis fail, only that they are less reliable than a copper connection. That's intellectually obvious and seems to be backed-up by reported experience. I don't care what the OP decides to do and am simply offering a common-sense suggestion for what a competent DIYer should do.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well I've got ruddy miles of the stuff buried in my screed.

Gawd help me if it fails.

It's been there 20 years so far.

All the rest is copper.