Flexible connectors

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Flexible connectors

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Dave1980

Has anyone had any trouble with flexible hose connections? I have fitted some to a bathtap as the bath was tight to a wall, and after a year the hot water connector burst. I replaced this with another (longer) flexihose in case the first hose was stretched and under pressure, now 6 months later this new hose has burst (fraying the metal sheating in two places) The rating on the hoses was 65 degrees C. and the hot water is set at 57 degrees C.

Is this a known problem on flexible hoses? or are the hoses poor quality? I won't mention the make as I do not want to give the manufacturing company a bad name they may not deserve. Lets just say they are sold in B&Q so not some cheap internet buy!.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 
System3 is your man for these.

IMO you should of used bent tube.

But yes. Flexi's do fail. I would look at the Hws and see if there is any potential for over temp or high pressure
 
Flexible connectors have a rubber washer/seal and like all rubber, it degrades over time.

Are you tightening them up too much? Should be hand tight then a 1/2 turn tweak with a spanner (imho).
 
Thanks for the replies, I realise that bent tube is the best but in this case it was an existing bathroom and to try and get to the bath, meant taking out a sink and plinth that had been tiled around. This is proof that the easeist way is not always the best way !!!

"dontknowitall" I don't think I over tightend it, but if I did, would that cause the flexihose to burst a couple of inches from the connection?

As I am new here, I assume System3 is another forum member. Am I correct? and how do I get intouch with him?
 
Yes system3 is a forum member. And he's not a great lover of flexi's

If you do have to use a flexi. Get a good quality known brand. And tbh I never tighten mine any more than 1/2 a turn over hand tight

I cannot see any reason for the failure. Do you have any photos you could upload

Doesn't look like
Corrosion?
Pressure?
Heat?
Mechanical damage?
Rats?
 
Dave1980 said:
"dontknowitall" I don't think I over tightend it, but if I did, would that cause the flexihose to burst a couple of inches from the connection?

As I am new here, I assume System3 is another forum member. Am I correct? and how do I get intouch with him?
Click to expand...

You're correct. Over tightening wouldn't cause it to leak at that point. (I'd assumed it was at the tap joint.)

Re System3, it's a recent "in joke" on the forum. He hates flexis with a passion (and he's not the only one.)

By the way, Welcome to the forums!!
 
No Pictures, sorry I have dumped the flexi pipes.


It does look like a pressure failure, and I did tighten them more than people are suggesting, so could be my fault.

Funnily enough I joked about a Rat chewing it, but it has been the same flexi burst each time, the hot supply, the cold seem fine, I suppose that then opens up the "Heat" question.

Looks like it is going to have to be out with the sink and tube the bath for safety.
 
Just seen "dontknow it all" reply so it is not me over tightening it then.....PHEW! bit of a relief there!!
 
just because you bought the flexis from b&q doesn't mean they are the best quality only higher prices imho
 
Speedfit make a tap connector that can be tightened by hand. These are a godsend in a situation like this, tighten the connector onto the tap and then push the copper into the connector.
 
I never use them because I've seen too many catastrophic failures.They are basically a rubber hose encased in braid and with the high hot water temperatures often found n older properties they can quickly degrade. The rubber used in the cheap imported ones are very poor quality and no way would I use one under mains pressure. Any flexible connector that is not WRAS approved is also not suitable for drinking water and their use are banned in hospitals, most of the schools, nurseries and public buildings I work on and in care homes due to the fact that they have been known to harbour nasties in the rubber like legionaries disease. However if you must use something like a flexible connector, use the bendable copper version as these do not contain rubber.

Best is and always will be copper pipe going to your taps. Copper doesn't twist, distort or untwist itself when tightened in the way a flexie does and holds baths. basins etc. with much more rigidity than any rubber hose ever will. Plastic has its uses too and as someone says above the JG Speedfit hand tight tap connectors are really useful. If you haven't used Speedfit before I recommend that you read up on it first and there are excellent easy to follow diy guides on their website that you can also download.

Washing machine manufacturers recommend that washing machine hoses are changed every 5 years. No one knows the life span of a flexible connector and I have seen too many failures to want to use them in any of my customers properties.
 
if you've had two burst in 18 months then in my experience your either very unlucky or
there is another problem. could be fitting, water temp, rodents !!.....
 
yep i have not had problems with them although I would consider changing them every 5 years or so.

B&Q might be expensive (about £6 per flexi!) but the quality is pants - any chance your hot water system is over heating?

perchance your thermostat may be not functioning - therefore the hot water may be hotter than you think . . .

I cant say to use copper in today's market. Copper may be reliable, but it is a pig to install and costs the earth as well!!
 
system3 said:
And guaranteed to leak from the screw slot in six months time, when they are turned off.
Click to expand...

I've had this a lot with the cheap ones, you end up replacing them with other cheap ones because the cheap customers won't pay a bit more!
 
still its good for a nice call back 6 months later!

It is true that isolation valves are a bit likely to leak anyway. Gate valves last longer but look like ****. Stop cocks last for years on end, the only real weak point being the 'gland', from where it can weep water for years on end as well!!

it would be nice if someone came up with a new design isolation valve that didn't suffer from the above faults . . . .
 
I was thinking of buying isolation valves from toolstation and selling them to B&Poo!

They make a fortune on fittings like this - Screwfix has gone seriously downhill since its acquisition by the B&Q holding group . . .
 
its always a good idea to buy quality hoses or like Mike suggested use a pushfit tap swivel, fit the swivel and then push copper in.
 
Dave1980 said:
No Pictures, sorry I have dumped the flexi pipes.


It does look like a pressure failure, and I did tighten them more than people are suggesting, so could be my fault.

Funnily enough I joked about a Rat chewing it, but it has been the same flexi burst each time, the hot supply, the cold seem fine, I suppose that then opens up the "Heat" question.

Looks like it is going to have to be out with the sink and tube the bath for safety.
Click to expand...

maybe the rat has sensitive teeth so only chews the warm one? :44:



in future check you are buying a WRAS approved product.
its a shame you have binned them but as a rule of thumb if it was temp related the hose would look pretty much the same as it used to but just pi33 water through the mesh as the rubber perished, if it was a pressure problem the hose would look distorted as the rubber and the mesh would balloon under pressure at a weak point before bursting.

does this help you diagnose the cause???
 
So when you guys get the hoses in the box with a new mixer tap do you use them or switch to copper?
 
i use em! if they fail its down to the manuf's as they supplied em with the taps.

when choosing to fit a flexi elsewhere is down to you and in the wrong application or a cheap brand could come back to bite you in the a55.....now thats a different thing entirely
 
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The fact its gone on just the hot, and gone twice means it has to be heat causing the problem. Whether its the heat causing pressure, or the temp' distorting the crimped part of the hose I don't know.

I've only ever had one issue with a flexi hose. Put it in a gardeners cottage where I changed a basin that had been smashed. I plumbed in the new tap with a flexi hose, and insulated it as far as I could.

Anyway in the cold weather the pipe must have frozen and it popped out the speed fit part of the hose at the crimped connection. If this makes sense. The speedfit end was still on the pipe, and the hose was still attached to the tail on the tap, but the two parts had seperated. Soaked the place, but it's basically a shed and didn't matter. I replaced it with copper pipe all the way and remembered never to do that again.

I will still use flexi's in bathrooms as 90% of other plumbers do and if they were that bad, no one would sell them.

Respect to all those who never do.
 
kyle87 said:
So when you guys get the hoses in the box with a new mixer tap do you use them or switch to copper?
Click to expand...

for me personally it depends on the quality of the hose, if its cheap carp then ill replace with a decent approved flexi or copper tail. If your unlucky to have to fit a bristan tap with the really cheap soft copper tails then id even consider replacing them with a flexi.
 
AWheating said:
for me personally it depends on the quality of the hose, if its cheap carp then ill replace with a decent approved flexi or copper tail. If your unlucky to have to fit a bristan tap with the really cheap soft copper tails then id even consider replacing them with a flexi.
Click to expand...

I didn't remember the bristan copper tails, that's them that don't play nice with a pipe slice.
 
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