Flexi hoses

[mo7]

Hi

DIYer here.

I had to repalce a mixer shower in an emergency.

There were rigid pipes in place before which I would have liked to re-use but trying to position the new shower which was not an exact fit was a nightmare as the pipes were right in the way so I cut them off and made compression joints with new pipework and then I used Screwfix flexi tails - one 300mm and one 500mm.

I know a lot of pros frown upon flexis but needs must. My only concerns is whether they will stand the test of time.

My queries are

1) I have used Screwfix cheapies (or rather the only ones Screwfix had). For unrelated reasons I have been into Wickes/B and Q and 2 other plumbing merchants and note the flexies are quite a bit more expensive.

Given Screwfix are owned by the same company as B and Q I daresay they wouldn't use cheap rubbish (or stuff that is not suitable) on a critical thing like a flexi hose as mass failure could cost them a lot of money. So is a Screwfix cheapie Ok or should I be having second thoughts? Obviously we know Screwfix is much cheaper than most merchants for a lot of things - so maybe this is just another one of those things.

It is not my house (family member), so for the sake of another £10 I will happily go to Plumbcenter or somewhere any buy another set.

My other 2 questions are to do with whether the flexis are bent too much as I know they are not supposed to be.

HOT TAP

This one is pretty straight forward - I got a bend on it just under 90. Does it look OK?

http://1drv.ms/1VQgJW1

COLD TAP

This one was more awkward - because where I cut the original pipe off - if I had just joined it back where it was the bend would have been too sharp so I have taken it down slightly (also added in an isolation valve).

At this point I have offset it to the side slightly - the reason is because if I went for a 90 bend I felt it was under too much pressure so I have given it more of an S shape - but i wonder whether this is clased as a twist?

http://1drv.ms/1RFjdR1

If I want to get rid of the S shape I can take off the comrpession further back and straighten out - but as I say if I make the flexi a 90 I feel it puts it under more strain.

Thanks.

 

[SimonG]

Looks gash, but it works and is under the bath. The flexis dont look stressed or twisted.

But would be interesting to see the loss adjuster have a look for the insurance company if they did burst.

Why didnt you just use plastic pipe and fittings

 

[mo7]

I already had some of the equipment to do compression fittings - couplings, isolation valves and pipe cutters.

I can do soldering as well but I don't have the equipment and wouldn;t fancy it in such a tight space.

I'm not hugely confident in plastic and take the view that if I can do it with compression I will do it with compression. Doing it in plastic would have been much quicker mind - especially if I had not bothered adding in isolation valves.

As an added complication the pipes are imperial so I had to spend time faffing around fitting a 3/4 olive to a 22m compression fitting on a 3/4 pipe a bit further back.

Its been 2 days and no leak.

 

[mo7]

BTW when you say it LOOKS gash do you mean aesthetically or as it it looks liek it may fail because of all the joints? I did use jointing compound as recommended by various professionals.

 

[plumben]

If it was me I would redo it in copper with soldered joints but if your not willing or upto the task then plastic Speed fit pipe too either compression or push fit fittings, if using compression use the smooth inserts without the o ring and dont use joining compound on plastic pipe,

As to will they stand the test of time, I wouldn't want to risk it, its luck of the draw with flexi's I've seen poorly installed flexi last a lot longer than flexi installed correctly

 

[lame plumber]

How is this for an opinion former. Last month I went to a house that had no ceilings on the ground floor in the lounge and kitchen, the whole ground floor was flooded, the furniture ruined kitchen cupboards wrecked, floors all lifted etc etc cost to date for repairs has hit £20k. Cause, burst flexi hose on the cold tap on the bathroom basin, when the family was all out for the weekend. I tend not to use flexis on any continuously supplied water pipes for the above reason...........................

 

[mo7]

having done all that work I am not willing to take it all out to replace for plastic - what is the point - compression fittings must be fine.

However, I could theoretically take the flexis out and put a rigid pipe in - it just means I need to get more copper - put a tap connector on and then (and the hard bit) - try and get it perfectly back to my existing dead ends.

how do you tend to work out where to leave the tap connector so you know what height to leave i at so the tap tai lcan stil lgo and off - presumably you dont fit a tap connector to the tail and work backwards - as otherwise the tap connector would be too solidly stuck onto the tap tail? there is obviously a bit of art to it.

how much should a tap connector thread onto the tail - that might help..

 

[mo7]

BTW there must be tends of thousands of hosues fitted with these by now - surely if they wre a MAJOR problem it would be more well publicised?

 

[lame plumber]

they are a major problem, they regularly burst and insurance companies hate them, but being diy you just see them as an easy option. You have been warned.

 

[Tjdservices]

If you are using them check that the are at least WRAS approved, also I would use the fuller bore ones and replace that restrictive isolation valve.