Flexi hoses

[Best]

I used Fernox Water Hawk or something - from Screwfix.

Its like chewing gum.

I am not sure about that. Some of the Fernox paste is near identical to Boss White.
It is supposed to be potable on all cold and hot supplies.
Boss White has been used for years - now it is wrong to do so, but whether it actually does any harm or not is hard to know.
Edit, - just looked it up and I see it is, as its name suggests, Fernox Water Hawk is for potable water, so nothing wrong with it.

 

[mo7]

ok well i will see if i can get a pipe bender off someone i know at work tomorrow, if not i can hire one for a tenner or buy a cheapo from wickes for £25.

I could do the rigid pipe with a few comrpession joints i spose but i fancy a go on the pipe bender.

if i buy the oen from wickes is there any way i can try and forsee if it wil lcrease pipes before I buy?

 

[JCplumb]

The usual cause of copper pipe creasing in a bender is cheap copper.
Buy quality British copper pipe from your local independant merchant, don't get it from one of the big sheds.
Had my first pipe bender about 10 years and it only used to cause creases with cheap copper, it wasn't an age thing, or temperature thing and I used the same guides etc. on every piece of pipe I bent.
Although I might add that 22mm was partial to the occasional ripple, even with quality copper.

 

[newcastle phill]

Nahh cheap, dimensionally incorrect guides everytime.
I buy the cheapest copper i can get my mits on.
It has the same BS as the expensive stuff.

I never have a problem with it throating. Only ever with nasty cheap benders.

Maybe im just lucky !

 

[plumben]

Usually the isolating valves are never needed and can seize up or leak if not decent quality IMO.
Not needed I believe.

As per the water regs each appliances/outlet should have the ability to be independently isolated

All though I agree there usually useless I still fit them to everything where practical, but usually just put to good quality full bores on the hot and cold incoming into the bathroom

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

I don't like flexi's personally but have used them in difficult tight spaces, the key is to buy wras ones and not kink or twist them up and really you only need to have isolation valves on float operated valves for maintenance.

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

As per the water regs each appliances/outlet should have the ability to be independently isolated

All though I agree there usually useless I still fit them to everything where practical, but usually just put to good quality full bores on the hot and cold incoming into the bathroom

The regs state that float operated valves need to be isolated. Doesn't actually mention about any other appliance

 

[newcastle phill]

Basins and sinks. Bogs Bides etc. Read it somewhere. Need iso's

 

[rpm]

Like this?

 

[rpm]

Opps, dunno why it`s sideways!

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

 

[newcastle phill]

This is like top-trumps.
(BS6700)

[emoji12]

 

[Best]

As per the water regs each appliances/outlet should have the ability to be independently isolated

All though I agree there usually useless I still fit them to everything where practical, but usually just put to good quality full bores on the hot and cold incoming into the bathroom

I never use isolating valves on baths. If I had to use them, I would use full flow best quality valves. Those ordinary cheap isolating valves, as we know, are trouble.
I don't see the point in valves on bath supplies, as on the very rare occasion you need to do a simple repair to the bath taps, it just needs the water turned off briefly. Don't want to remove a bath panel just to turn valves off. And when a bath tap needs totally replaced, or when a bath has to be removed, it's easy just to plug the pipes temporary.

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

I do the same. I like to keep maximum flow to bath taps on gravity systems especially.

 

[WaterTight]

Truth is none of us know what the risks of fleximagigs really are.


We go on personal experience and hearsay. The plural of anecdote is not data.

If we had access to total estimated flexible hoses installed over a ten year period - biggest sample size possible plus total estimated bursts, referenced against instances of poor installation, it'd make for some interesting reading but I bet we'd all be suprised at the figures one way or another just because we don't know.

What percentage of 100,000 moderately improperly installed flexi's (not massively snaking or twisted) will burst within ten years? Guesses on a postcard.

 

[WaterTight]

The insurance companies will have the best info. I wonder if they'd give it out if we asked nicely..

 

[mo7]

What a hassle...

Went down to the merchants to buy 2 tap connectors I needed 3/4 to 15mm - as I understand it these should be quite common as a lot of houses with combis use 15mm pipe to baths.

Plumb Center simply told me they don't do them.

Plumbase said they don't normally stock them and they could try and get them but would take 4 days.

I got a ouple in the end from Screwfix.

Straight Tap Connector 15mm x ¾" | Compression Tap Connectors | NoLinkingToThis

I note that normal tap connectors usually sue FIBRE whereas this one uses RUBBER washers.

I know flexis use rubber washers.

My reading of things were that rubber washers generally offer a better seal but they can degrade over time especially with heat.

I am guessing over time rubber will phase out fibre.

Any issues with me using the ones I've got? Not that I have a choice.

Pipe bender will be with me tomorrow so will have a go at installation tomorrow.

 

[Tjdservices]

I normally use fibre but rubber is fine, just do t over tighten, bet you wish you'd never started

 

[mo7]

Just to bump this back up

I did finish the job using copper pipe and rigid conenctions - in some ways easier than trying to stop flexis kinking (because i could the exact amoutn of pipe rather than trying to make a 300mm and 500mm flexi fit into the tight space.) Did find getting the bend right difficult without putting too much stress on it - but somehow managed it.

been a few weeks and no leaks.

 

[quality]