Size of connectors for monobloc tap

[Lobster]

Hi all

I have a monobloc tap to fit; it comes complete with two narrow steel braided hoses which screw into the base of the tap, and terminate in compression fittings (or are they tap connectors? can't remember!) at the other end. Anyways, the point is that the compression fittings are not your normal 0.5" /15mm size, they are 10mm in that they are the correct size to fit an old 10mm microbore compression fitting I had lying around.

What's that all about - can you get 10mm -> 15mm adaptors? Screwfix don't appear to do anything suitable. Why wouldn't they have 15mm fittings on already... who would plumb a kitchen using 10mm tube?

Cheers David

[Will]

I bought a kitchen tap recently and it came with 2 solid copper tubes that were threaded for the tap at one end and 10mm the other, so I slung them in the bin and bought a couple of new flexible hoses from the plumbers merchant. Cost me about 6 quid.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Anyone trying to get two connections to an overstyled piece of useless ditz like what you have just bought? ;-)

Especially when used with a thin stainless steel shim sink, and flexible fittings,. you are as likely to rip a hole in the sink as turn a tap on..

[Roger Wareham]

These sound like the continental type that terminate in a 3/8" BSP female connector with a rubber sealing washer. If so, they will connect to a 12mm/15mm compression adapter, but you may need to file down the sharp edge on the 12mm side (where it's shaped to fit the olive) to stop it cutting through the rubber.

Roger.

[Will]

Absolutely. I had some fun at the kitchen showroom demonstating to the Mrs why we would be mounting our tap in the worktop instead of the sink....

"Look how wobbly these taps are............. whoops, let's get out of here"

[Ron Lowe]

Our fancy new kitchen tap was exactly like that.

The flexible inlet hoses had small female ( 3/8 BSP ? ) fittings, with fibre washers. The tap was also supplied with a pair of 1/2"BSP F X 3/8"BSP M reducers.

I simply installed standard15mm X 1/2"bsp M fittings on the copper pipe, and used the supplied adapters.

You may need to hunt for the reducers! I had a quick look right now, and came up blank.

| | Hose from tap | | ---- | | 3.8 BSP | |

- - Fibre Washer

---- | | | | -------- / \ 1/2 x 3/8 reducer | | | |

-- -- Fibre Washer

------ | | -------- 15mm compression x 1.5"BSP M / \ | |

---------- | | | |

---------| | | | | | | Pipe 15mm

You *may* be able to bodge a BSP fitting onto a compression thread, but it's not the same. The proper fitting has a flat surface to bear against the fibre washer. A compression fitting has a sharper edge where the olive profile widens out. This may cut into the sealing washer. It may be possible to file it down a bit, but that sounds a bit rough.

I'd hunt some more for the right fittings, or go to a plumber's merchant with the tap in your greasy paw.

[Ron Lowe]

[...]

Full of typos, sorry.

for 3.8, read 3/8. for 1.5, read 1/2.

An organisations I know uses carefully-placed typos as a means of electronically signing their correspondance. If it's full of typos, we know it's genuine :-)

[Mark]

You can use either a 15x10mm straight connector

a Reducing Set is not enough room in the base of the monobloc tap to fit two 15mm holes or pipe nominally, so they are usually 10 or 12mm

-

[Ron Lowe]

I think this part on the end of the pipe will work:

possible supplier:

[Ben Blaukopf]

You should be able to get an adaptor from BES, and reducers (goes on the end of the pipe, plugs into the fitting) from anywhere - e.g. Screwfix

16275 or 23297. If you're anywhere near Cambridge, I happen to have a few spare of 23297 that I don't need (so if that's all you need you can save yourself the 5 quid screwfix charge).

Ben

[Lobster]

Thanks for that, and the other suggestions. Ended up follwoing Will's advice and just bought new tails:

God knows why this sort weren't supplied originally.

Cheers David David