I have just bought a monoboc basin tap from B&Q - the tap is supplied by 2 copper tails which screw into the bottom of the monobloc.
How do I connect the 15mm supply pipes to these? There is very little space between the tails.
Mark.
Once you've screwed them in, and passed them through the hole in your basin, you gently spread the two tails apart to a distance of about 2".
You need a reducing compression fitting to match whatever the tail diameter is. The tails are flexible - you can bend them. At least, that was the case with the ta pI bought (grohe)
Someone else will be along later to explain:
1) how they make apparently solid flexible metal pipes like that 2) how you make a compression fitting "grip" the softer tail metal.Robert
engine:
Mark.
Gently.
Copper is very soft.
Fingers in between the tubes and bend each separately and gently without crumpling the tubes. Don't just grab the ends of the tubes and bend - they are likely to crease at the block. With your fingers behind the tubes this shouldn't happen. Copper is soft and should behave with this.
You just need to spread them slightly and then rediirect downwards again
Bin the horrible things and go buy flexible tails with push-fit for the pipes. Saves hours of farting around trying to match the cheap things up.
(Just done three of them)
You can bend the soft copper tails by hand.
If you don't like this, then B&Q and others sell the felxible braided connectors which can be obtained with a 15mm isolating ball valve at the end that connects to the supply. Where the tails are on show I prefer to replace the ones supplied with the braided connectors.
They are the spawn of the devil these things. I couldn't get a seal with compression fittings so ended up soldering on reducers. Which would make removing the thing more difficult.
The idea is you simply bend them after installation - they are thick walled soft copper to allow a reasonable amount of bend without crushing.
BTW, I'll bet the entire thing becomes loose after some use.
You can get solder reducers which are female at the reduced end and provide a 15mm male tail. This gives a neat job at a service valve positioned below.
And given the average sink will allow more flexing of the tap assembly than normal with those dreadful things. ;-)
Souds ideal - to b&q sell flexible connectors which will screw into the monobloc?
15mm one end and 8mm? the other? I haven't seen them when I wanted one - I'd say the flexible pipe is too large.
I thought they were usually 10mm? Like
I can't argue with you, but it was a decent trade-off and the sinks are old ones made from "real" metal. :))
Take the tap into your local plumbers merchants and get the length of tail you need, also to check the threaded end fits the tap thread.
I got mine from our local hardware store which had loads of them hanging from a rack.
Yes, I told you so in another post in this thread. Available with or without 15mm isolating valve. You need a B&Q trade center for these, not the smaller stores.
Only at the largest B&Q stores but they do sell them in both chrome braided and white with a variety of supply fittings, compression onto
15mm tube, push-fit, with 15mm compression ball valve and with a 1/2" BSP fitting for attaching to valves.I can't find them on the B&Q site, it takes forever to load. Screwfix have them:
Note that there are both 10mm and 12mm threads so it's important to get the right one.
as do Wickes, but I still suspect you need the smaller diameter of the standard tail to go through the hole in the sink
I don;t know why, I've never used the horrible tails supplied with monoblocs and I've fitted the braided tails to kitchen, bathroom and cloakroom sinks as well as to bidets. I've never found any problem getting them to fit. In fact they are easier to fit than the copper tails which often have a very short narrow shank also in soft copper. The braided tails have a long narrow shank which is usually long enough for any hole in a ceramic sink/bidet.
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