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M

marsaday

I am trying to find an outside tap on tool station, but cant seem to find what i need. It needs a back plate so it can be secured to the wall. Also do they come in solder, push fit or compression ?

Any links will be appreciated.
 
They come in all types..

Tap

15mm x ½" Outside Tap with Check Valve | NoLinkingToThis

wwall plate
Wall Plate Elbow 15mm x ½" | NoLinkingToThis

Use these compression will be easier and easier to maintain
 
like these? 45259.jpg 95844.jpg items 74070 and95844 at toolstation
 
You can also try screwfix part nos 37241-92934 and you might like to look at 82202 i find these quite useful
 
Don't forget you'll need to fit a double check valve inside the property to comply with the water regulations.
 
I quite like to use 33291 from toolstation.
Very tidy on the outside.
View attachment 6860

I like these as well, really tidy! Do have to be really carefull punching the pipe through though if drilling from inside...
If you blow the face off the outside finish it is a pain to get the fixings in for the wall plate.
 
Taps with integral check valves are not water regs compliant for a new installation. They are only suitable when upgrading an existing tap. A new installation must have a double check valve and isolating valve internally.

I'm fairly sure speedfit do a push fit double check valve. They're normally compression anyway.
 
JG Speedfit do a push fit double check valve but it's way overpriced. A standard compression one is better. The bib taps with the built in DCV don't last in very cold weather, even with the tap drained, so a separate internal one is the best solution. Don't forget to fix an isolating valve so that you can turn the tap off and drain it in the winter.

Always drill from the outside so that you don't burst your wall.
 
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and if you are using the standard back plate, fit it below the point where the pipe comes out the wall so that it can be drained in winter.
 
Taps with integral check valves are not water regs compliant for a new installation. They are only suitable when upgrading an existing tap. A new installation must have a double check valve and isolating valve internally.

I thought the regs said should be not must. Have they changed?
 
whats a double check valve ?

A double check valve will prevent any stale water in a connected hosepipe or contamination from garden / pressure washer chemicals mixing with the main (drinking) water supply, from the outside tap.
 
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As mentioned above, the integral DCVs in the bib taps are useless after a winter and it is widely known amongst plumbers. Relying on one of those is bad practice to say the least, not sure what the regs say on the matter but I do know what good plumbers say 😉
 
A double check valve will prevent any stale water in a connected hosepipe or contamination from garden / pressure washer chemicals mixing with the main (drinking) water supply, from the outside tap.

Agreed, but I was only challenging the must be inside part. Like I said the regs might have changed.

Open Question to all: How much do you charge where you are (ballpark figure) for fitting an outside tap including materials?
 
Agreed, but I was only challenging the must be inside part. Like I said the regs might have changed.

Open Question to all: How much do you charge where you are (ballpark figure) for fitting an outside tap including materials?

ballpark my friend..£300,how much do you charge.
 
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Paragraph 15 of the water regs is the appropriate one. 15 (1) states that an adequate device must be used to prevent backflow. and 15 (5) states that a backflow prevention device is adequate for the purpose of paragraph (1) if it is in accordance with a specification approved by the regulator for the purpose of this schedule.

This specification is the Regulators' Specifications on the Prevention of Backflow which is enforceable from 1st May 2000. This specification contains the guidance on DC valves for outside taps. The advice for backflow prevention in the WRAS water regulations guide is based on this specification.
 
A double check valve will prevent any stale water in a connected hosepipe or contamination from garden / pressure washer chemicals mixing with the main (drinking) water supply, from the outside tap.
Agreed, but I was only challenging the must be inside part.

Sorry that was a reply to marsaday asking what a double-check valve is, not directly to you hence why I quoted part of his original reply!
 
and if you are using the standard back plate, fit it below the point where the pipe comes out the wall so that it can be drained in winter.

you can open the outside tap, then close the stopcock inside, but sometimes, even when it's fitted lower, there might be water still left in the pipe. if you want a 100% guarantee of no water left in the pipe, fit an air release tee after the stopcock. close the stopcock, open the tap & open the air release to drain. never done though.
 
Look I'll do it for £250 and I'll even pet the dog. That's not a euphemism.

If you don’t have a dog, I’ll pet the cat.

If you don’t have a cat, call it £220 and with the extra £30 you’ve saved, go buy a pet.
 
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Yeah, you'd do that and stitch up a fellow tradesmen. That outside tap was my job, and then you swept in with your big talk of tea and jaffa cakes. Great. You know I have a wife to feed right?

Go on then, I hope you choke on your jaffa cake. You stitched me up good and proper. I could drop to £210 and a Hob Nob, chocolate of course. But that's it. I have my pride.
 
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Outside tap, hmmmm about £110, maybe a bit more. Materials about £25/30. Shouldn't take long if it's drilling through by the kitchen sink and it's all easy to access.

A metre of 15mm pipe, a double check valve, a full bore ballafix, a back plate elbow and a bib tap, oh and a couple of elbows and an equal tee.

Shouldn't take long. Last one I did was last year. knock on my van window as I was packing up from another job. Charged £75 and it took me half hour. But I did have all the bits on board and did just walk over to the property and fit it easily.
 
I've been using outside taps as a foot in the door, got them on offer on my website for £40. I see it as advertising, takes 1/2 hour and the cost is covered. I leave a business card and have had a few repeat jobs off the back of it.
Supermarkets have been doing it for years with 'loss leaders', they'll sell something cheap at a loss in the hope that you also buy some other stuff while you're there. Like when asda did tins of plum tomatoes for 7p.
 
I have been fitting outside taps for years, but have never, ever fitted one 1/2 hour. I suppose you could do it that quickly with a cheap B&Q self cutting crappo fitting.
 
Ye but they dont graft for that
Very true, I am only testing the waters to see if it's worth it for repeat business. And if it's not going to be a quick job I'll advise that it will cost more. Example, 2 weeks ago I fitted one in a stone cottage with 400mm ish hard as nails stone walls, took best part of an hour and a spent drill bit just to drill through, so that one cost £120.

I have been fitting outside taps for years, but have never, ever fitted one 1/2 hour. I suppose you could do it that quickly with a cheap B&Q self cutting crappo fitting.
Don't want to ruffle any feathers or anything, but that may be the difference between a handyman and a plumber. As long as there aren't any hidden issues like difficult to drain/refill cold pipes, boxed in pipework or silly stone walls half an hour is fast for fitting one but not uncommon. You're probably faster than me at the other services you provide, but I do plumbing day in day out and have done for years.
Isolate and drain down(<5 mins)
Drill through and fit wall plate and bib tap (10 mins)
Cut feed (2 mins)
Cut, clean and assemble pipes/fittings(5 -10 mins)
Solder up(2 mins)
Turn mains back on and run taps etc. (5 mins)
By my reckoning, you may even get a minute to eat a Jaffa Cake/chocolate hobnob while admiring your work 🙂
Not sure of the price of a b&q garden tap kit, but I'll bet it's not cheap compared to getting the bits you need from a plumbers merchant(I'd guess at about £15 for individual parts from Plumbfix + a couple of bits of leftover pipe from the toolbox). I actually used to fit the kits with self tappers when I was at college as pocket money jobs, must have done a dozen or so and not had any come backs from them, I fitted one in a house I rent out about 8 years ago and it's still going strong. Obviously wouldn't fit one now, not because they are rubbish, they're just not as good as doing it properly 🙂
 
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Yeah, they can easily be done in half an hour if the set up is easy.

I tend to just sweat an elbow onto a couple of bits of 15mm pipe. One to go through the wall, the other to go into the back plate elbow.
Drill my hole. Feed the pipe through. Mark drill and fit the back plate elbow, with the short section of pipe in it. Tighted comp fitting. Then isolate, drain, and cut tee into the mains. Couple more fittings, and an iso valve. Sweat them. Bit of sealant around the hole in the wall, job done. Half an hour is easily achievable.
 
As for those self-cutting valves for the B&Q DIY kits. I've started to worry where the little disc of copper goes!!?

Plus you won't get a good flow rate through such a tiny aperture.
 
Could do an outside tap with good access in easy 20min


Its not a competition right!! I could do one in 15 mins, with one hand tied behind my back and the other one stapled to a length of 2X1. Blind folded, wearing welly's full of custard, while being pelted with stones from an angry mob. Plus it would look neater than yours.

:thinking2: I think it's time I took my medication.
 
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The flow rate is reduced but not so much that you'd notice without a flow rate cup, but the disc stays connected, it gets pushed open once there is enough of the hole cut. I used to think they'd end up blocking something further down but they don't. I'd never fit them on the rising main because of the flow rate issue amongst other things, I used to fit them on a tee'd section to the washer/cold tap. Again though, now I know better, I just wouldn't use them.
 
I do keep one in my van for if I can't drain down a section of pipe or if I've frozen a pipe and need a controlled way to drain a section under pressure off.

You can actually buy them in 22mm too, but only on the web. I don't have one of those!
 
Personal best....about 2 mins. We are talking removing right!!? LOL.

I don't know mate. If I'm totally honest, I'm far from a fast plumber. I'm slow and rough. But totally charming with it, so it's ok!! 🙂
 
You lot must be linking several of those ugly flexies together to do an ootside tap in half an hour. Most of the ones I've done take around an hour.
 
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Hmmmm lovely flexis........
Actually saw one that reminded me a bit of the shower hose toilet feeds today when replacing a cistern kit. You'd have loved it 😀
 
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However I can install a bath in around 30 seconds.

My daughters plastic baby bath in her bedroom.:jester:
 
can easily be done in 30 minutes, i done one the other week and i didnt time myself but probably around about that time give or take, rough as a badgers n all that though ye know:cowboy:

but it was for family
 
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The problem I find with most outside taps is the woeful kitchen fitters plumbing under the sink!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
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I know. I'll get banned at this rate!!

I've got paper work to do now 🙁

While I was on ebay I also noticed this:

small header tank | eBay

Basically someone who's had a combi fitted is trying to sell there old header tank on ebay. Mental.

1/ Who's going to buy it?
2/ If someone does, how tight are they?

These are our customers. Scary.

Have a good one all.
 
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JG Speedfit do a push fit double check valve but it's way overpriced. A standard compression one is better. The bib taps with the built in DCV don't last in very cold weather, even with the tap drained, so a separate internal one is the best solution. Don't forget to fix an isolating valve so that you can turn the tap off and drain it in the winter.

Always drill from the outside so that you don't burst your wall.

I always drill half way from outside & halfway from inside but I am extremely clever.
 
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Agreed. No one drills half way from each side. You'd have to be more than clever to line them up. You'd have to be a freaking genius. Like the Rain Man of drilling.

Possibly you pilot all the way through and then drill each side with a bigger drill?
 
Agreed. No one drills half way from each side. You'd have to be more than clever to line them up. You'd have to be a freaking genius. Like the Rain Man of drilling.

Possibly you pilot all the way through and then drill each side with a bigger drill?

That's what I thought at an absolute push!
 
While I was on ebay I also noticed this:

small header tank | eBay

Basically someone who's had a combi fitted is trying to sell there old header tank on ebay. Mental.

1/ Who's going to buy it?
2/ If someone does, how tight are they?

These are our customers. Scary.

Have a good one all.

If you hurry up Danny you may get it. 8 mins to go and still at 99p.
Was tempted to put in a bid myself( :lol: ) as the galvy one on the job i was at today is ready to drop the rse out of it. Luckily i had an old one in the garage that will do me. Just need to find somewhere to put all my drain test stuff now :smile:
 
I have been fitting outside taps for years, but have never, ever fitted one 1/2 hour. I suppose you could do it that quickly with a cheap B&Q self cutting crappo fitting.

Thats because you are a handyman and we are pros.
5 minutes to get the gear out the van, another 5 to drill a hole, 10 minutes to fit the pipe and tap and 10 minutes to drink your luke warm tea and get weighed in.

Years ago a mate of mine working on the sites used to card every new owner £40 a tap. He fitted one in just about every house. It even got to the stage he was sticking a bit overflow sleeve through when he roughed them out.
 
Thats because you are a handyman and we are pros.
5 minutes to get the gear out the van, another 5 to drill a hole, 10 minutes to fit the pipe and tap and 10 minutes to drink your luke warm tea and get weighed in.

Years ago a mate of mine working on the sites used to card every new owner £40 a tap. He fitted one in just about every house. It even got to the stage he was sticking a bit overflow sleeve through when he roughed them out.

Noo that's class!
 
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That's what I thought at an absolute push!

Yeah, very sensible, & doesn't it depend on the drill, also how hard you push, my Bosch will punch a chunk out like a dum dum bullet but I've got a weaker hammer drill that just gently taps it way through.
 
Of course I don't! Unless it's a stone wall Devon cottage & 600mm won't go all the way through & now I'm not joking. Did one last week to feed a washing machine in a porch, admittedly I took a whole stone out one side.
 
We used to leave the tails ready under the floor boards in new houses and the waste pipe in the wall plastered over for the washing machines, that was back in the 70's when we could get £70.00 for plumbing in a washing machine and £30 for the outside tap which was fitted behind the washing machine.

Today my minimum charge is €120.00 that's just for turning up, wasn't I the lucky one who was in the business back when people recognised a trade and paid the proper rate, no bad habits here :smug2:
 
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When I went self-employed a plastic 10 gallon tank was about 4 quid, no idea what they are now, years since I fitted one.
 
We used to leave the tails ready under the floor boards in new houses and the waste pipe in the wall plastered over for the washing machines, that was back in the 70's when we could get £70.00 for plumbing in a washing machine and £30 for the outside tap which was fitted behind the washing machine.

Today my minimum charge is €120.00 that's just for turning up, wasn't I the lucky one who was in the business back when people recognised a trade and paid the proper rate, no bad habits here :smug2:

You were lucky with the prices for the automatics. The most i could get was £50 but everyone was getting one so i was doing one every night. Outside taps kicked in in the 80's up here and filled the washers gap.
Ha they were the days. More money than a horse could shyte :lol:
 
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As for those self-cutting valves for the B&Q DIY kits. I've started to worry where the little disc of copper goes!!?

Plus you won't get a good flow rate through such a tiny aperture.

the plate just folds back in the pipe you cut into, so it slows the flow!. wras regs are at the bottom, stop valve or full ball fix ,double check valve drain valve, so a couple of quid in bits with the tap back plate etc customers down here in south wales want it done for £50 ish
 
some of those prices are just way to cheap for the length of time to do the job, mad eh!

To be honest I don't get it, take materials, transport and cost of a phone out and what have they left?

Seriously they would do better flipping burgers in Burger King, no responsibility and all you can eat plus minimum pay which in Ireland is almost €9.00 an hour.

Holiday pay, tax's looked after by employer, guaranteed working hours, starting to sound attractive to me against running a van, clearing out under the sink, hoping the stopcock is there and working, buying & using all the tools required for the job as well as the materials.

The only way I can see anyone posting prices like that is to get their foot in the door and start piling on the "Extras"

Cowboy Heaven or Fools Paradise.
 
im with peteheat, i quoted fora rad change this week, 1200 x 400 double with trv lockshield , drain down crawl through the attic coz its a bungaslow to get to the rad brackets etc etc, total cost of bits was 90.00 i asked for 150.00 the bloke said thats way to expensive?????? its a2 min drive for me to the property, i give up
where will it all end, im hell bent on getting a company job for me..:juggle2:
 
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You can only charge what the market is willing to pay. Here in ***bria a rival of mine charges £40 including materials.

I guess for that the customer gets a B&Q special with no drain off inside.

And I still don't believe anyone can fit an outside tap in 1/2 hour. I trained as a plumber and have been doing it for 40 years, so please don't post bother telling me that you can do it. Total carp.
 
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Whether it takes you two minutes or five days, who cares as long as it is done right, to a high standard.

All jobs are different, sometimes you'll get one that dosn't take long and then one that takes more time.
 
You can only charge what the market is willing to pay. Here in ***bria a rival of mine charges £40 including materials.

I guess for that the customer gets a B&Q special with no drain off inside.

And I still don't believe anyone can fit an outside tap in 1/2 hour. I trained as a plumber and have been doing it for 40 years, so please don't post bother telling me that you can do it. Total carp.

It's why us plumbers have to find other means of income these days. Incidentally, there's a Total Carp Magazine. I noticed in the Post Office the other day. Made me giggle while pulling on my balaclava.
 
And I still don't believe anyone can fit an outside tap in 1/2 hour. I trained as a plumber and have been doing it for 40 years, so please don't post bother telling me that you can do it. Total carp.

Believe me it is very easily do able and to as high a standard as you will get.
The same as a 10 rad heating system in one day on your own is too, with nothing to snag when its done. Some guys can some can't,
 
Next time you think about doing an outside tap....

My apprentice drilled from inside out, popped the brick with a 10mm pilot, fair enough, the customer doesn't want it patched with sand and cement and wouldnt accept a matched brick and also wouldn't accept, me to come and do the brickwork wants a Bricky to replace a brick. The brick can only be ordered in pallets worth 400 quid, but luckily I phoned the brick manufacturer and asked them to send a sample pack out of the brick, I'm still awaiting the pack.

In the mean time I've got the customer unhappy - the apprentice paranoid of drilling and me waiting by the door every morning for a brick.

So next time you wanna charge peanuts for a job, I just hope you think about what can go wrong 😉
 
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im with peteheat, i quoted fora rad change this week, 1200 x 400 double with trv lockshield , drain down crawl through the attic coz its a bungaslow to get to the rad brackets etc etc, total cost of bits was 90.00 i asked for 150.00 the bloke said thats way to expensive?????? its a2 min drive for me to the property, i give up
where will it all end, im hell bent on getting a company job for me..:juggle2:

Sometimes it can be worth spending an extra five minutes with the potential customer to get some feed back especially if they appear to hold good paying jobs.

Point out your material costs plus traveling in your van to collect the material and all the tools which are also at their disposal for the duration of the job, don't go into public liability or other overheads that can't be seen by the customer.

Then ask straight up, What did you expect to pay?

Be nice about it, the customer could be broke, reading too many posts on the internet, thinks it was a five minute job etc etc

If we don't ask we are only left wondering why we didn't get the job, worst case both the customer and ourselves learn something.
 
You can only charge what the market is willing to pay. Here in ***bria a rival of mine charges £40 including materials.

I guess for that the customer gets a B&Q special with no drain off inside.

And I still don't believe anyone can fit an outside tap in 1/2 hour. I trained as a plumber and have been doing it for 40 years, so please don't post bother telling me that you can do it. Total carp.

my reply was a bit tongue and cheek but i did genuinely do it in around 1/2 hour give or take, its not hard, with a stopcock inside then drain cock, check valve and outside tap.
 
Believe me it is very easily do able and to as high a standard as you will get.
The same as a 10 rad heating system in one day on your own is too, with nothing to snag when its done. Some guys can some can't,

Outside tap 1/2 hour, Absolute, total, complete, utter, irrefutable, genuine, honest, reality, cobblers. Dream on people.
 
I do mine in 35 mins but then again I charge by the half hour!

Arrive at job. Meet customer and ask where they want the tap located. Look inside to see if there is a possible connection. Ask where the stopcock is located. Wait while they remove everything under the sink. Turns out after searching it's not there. Finally locate stopcock behinde washing machine.

Go fetch tools. Now you have 20 minutes left. Come on people, get real.
 
so here's my scenario

fitting an outside tap in a house which no one stays in because they haven't moved in there, have been working in it for the past few weeks so know where i'm fitting it and where the pipes are, turn up with tools bish bash bosh done in no time

plus i think people are talking about the actual time spent working on it, not from the time you have arrived at the customers and had some tea and a biscuit and a conversation before you began
 

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