Freestanding floormounted bath taps

[linton.jaw]

I have a floor mounted Hudson Reed bath tap to fit for a freestanding bath. This is the first one I have ever fitted and have no idea how you can ever fit them. I have two 15mm hot and cold pipes sticking out the floor, they then have to go up a 800mm tube which screws to a base plate on the floor. Then the tap main body screws to this tube. The pipes connect to the main body with the usual size tap connector tails. I can’t see how I can connect this all up without accessing from below. The pipework is ridged our the floor so it won’t drop up and down. And when I turn the tap head to screw it to the post I’m worried any connections into the tap body may loosen or twist. Anyone any experience in this kind of fit?

 

[oz-plumber]

Almost impossible to do with fixed piping.
You need to be able to drop the piping down to fit the tap to the base.

As for checking for leaking connections - just pray

 

[Darren Jackson]

These are tricky to install, Simply cut and remove the adjacent floor boards to where the upstands are going to be sited & gain access to the pipes under the floor and with the water turned off cut them off under the floor. Then I cut two lengths of pipe long enough to go down the outer tube and a further 200mm with a pulled bend on it. I then solder my tap connectors to the pipe and feed it up the outer tube and connect it to the taps and assemble it all together out of situ. Then the bottom end with the pulled bends on it is fed through a suitable sized hole drilled in the floorboard where it is going to be fixed . You can now gain access to the pipes under the floor and connect them to the original pipes using isolation valves and any extra pipe and fitting necessary. With the iso's in place you can easily turn the water off to the taps in the future if there is a leak or any maintenance is required. If you are that worried about leaks, you can temporary connect the assembled unit to the water and check it before you fit it all into place or even pressure test if you have the right equipment. Good luck.

 

[linton.jaw]

These are tricky to install, Simply cut and remove the adjacent floor boards to where the upstands are going to be sited & gain access to the pipes under the floor and with the water turned off cut them off under the floor. Then I cut two lengths of pipe long enough to go down the outer tube and a further 200mm with a pulled bend on it. I then solder my tap connectors to the pipe and feed it up the outer tube and connect it to the taps and assemble it all together out of situ. Then the bottom end with the pulled bends on it is fed through a suitable sized hole drilled in the floorboard where it is going to be fixed . You can now gain access to the pipes under the floor and connect them to the original pipes using isolation valves and any extra pipe and fitting necessary. With the iso's in place you can easily turn the water off to the taps in the future if there is a leak or any maintenance is required. If you are that worried about leaks, you can temporary connect the assembled unit to the water and check it before you fit it all into place or even pressure test if you have the right equipment. Good luck.

The floor is going to be fully tiled and the tap can’t be installed until after as the hole where the pipes come up lands in the middle of the floor tiles. Maybe I’m trying to do the impossible

 

[Fos]

I fitted one a while back and managed to do it with long flexis picked up from screwfix 800mm( or might have been 300+500, I forget) it was just enough slack to get the connections made and the tube screwed back down to the floor.

 

[Welder]

I fitted one a while back and managed to do it with long flexis picked up from screwfix 800mm( or might have been 300+500, I forget) it was just enough slack to get the connections made and the tube screwed back down to the floor.

With great respect, PLEASE don't do that. To do so is to consign your customer to a watery demise... ALL flexis sold today are appalling quality. They WILL leak and it will be YOUR insurance that will pay out. Remember, when you install something like a bathroom your are LEGALLY LIABLE for MANY MANY years after the install.
Do not make the mistake of thinking '12 months and I'm no longer worrying'. I've been an expert witness in a number of cases up to 6 years later - AND WON

 

[Staffy85]

iv never fitted these before , but i have the idea in my head, does it all push directly together and then held in with grub screws? , im kinda thinking if the tails comming out of the floor are solid with no movment then its possible to pipe up from the tap end with two solid tails comming down , cut the pipes to the exact length needed and use to push fit couplings at the base, obviously removal isnt happening but better then flexy's...

 

[linton.jaw]

iv never fitted these before , but i have the idea in my head, does it all push directly together and then held in with grub screws? , im kinda thinking if the tails comming out of the floor are solid with no movment then its possible to pipe up from the tap end with two solid tails comming down , cut the pipes to the exact length needed and use to push fit couplings at the base, obviously removal isnt happening but better then flexy's...

The tap doesn’t push together and hold with a grub screw, that would be much easier. The main head/valve screws to the upright post on a thread and then the upright post then screws on a thread to a plate that you screw to the floor with screws. My idea is to connect everything up within the tap, two copper towels with tap connectors soldered on, then put some push fit fittings on the bottom, cut the towels out the floor to the exact length and then push the tap onto them and hope everything is just right and all connects!

 

[Staffy85]

your idea sounds pretty much like my idea , good luck hope it works

 

[64degrees]

I have a floor mounted Hudson Reed bath tap to fit for a freestanding bath. This is the first one I have ever fitted and have no idea how you can ever fit them. I have two 15mm hot and cold pipes sticking out the floor, they then have to go up a 800mm tube which screws to a base plate on the floor. Then the tap main body screws to this tube. The pipes connect to the main body with the usual size tap connector tails. I can’t see how I can connect this all up without accessing from below. The pipework is ridged our the floor so it won’t drop up and down. And when I turn the tap head to screw it to the post I’m worried any connections into the tap body may loosen or twist. Anyone any experience in this kind of fit?[/QUOTE
They’re a nightmare to fit ! Best option is an access hatch in the floor below. Once it’s fitted you’ll have another problem - those pillar taps are effectively a giant lever, and as such difficult to get a decent fix to stop them moving around. Look great in the magazines though don’t they

 

[Tom Raybone]

Tricky one but I would probably use two 15mm JG Speedfit x Speedfit 1000mm flexi braided hoses. You can pre-connect them under the floor, leaving them above floor level with a small piece of copper tube and a cap until second fix.

When it comes to second fix, slide tap tube/shroud over flexi’s, remove the caps and copper tube pieces then connect on to tap tails.

Agree about many flexis being poor quality, that’s the reason I’d go JG. Manufactured in UK, BS numbers, WRAS approved etc. Definitely DONT use Screwfix ones.