flexi pipes vs solid pipes

[articoceanic]

Hello

My bathroom has had solid copper pipes to all the taps, but my plumber is replacing it with flexi, after i asked for them to replace the stuff.

Am i being ripped off with an inferior service? flexi will leak sooner or later will it not.

regards

 

[lame plumber]

if you want copper pipe it will cost a bit more time, have you ever known a garden hose never to split in time!!!

 

[julesverne]

Flexi's hoses tend to be used when price is a determining factor ie plumber not being paid a lot or the plumber is not a plumber and is in fact a handyman/ chancer

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Another factor in this is if the supplied brassware came with braided hoses then that's what's getting fitted! If it's decent gear and fitted right then at the very least it will be covered by the warranty.

 

[julesverne]

Good point about supplied hoses

 

[ShaunCorbs]

tbh flex's on taps and hard pipe on bogs, thats what i do unless commercial (and you have peoples pulling the flex part) its easier when you come to change taps later on

 

[Best]

I would go with copper pipe every time. It's not that hard to a plumber to bend accurate pipes.

 

[kris]

Flexi's hoses tend to be used when price is a determining factor ie plumber not being paid a lot or the plumber is not a plumber and is in fact a handyman/ chancer

I use them to connect onto taps , they are no difference in price infact there more expensive than a tap adaptor TBH,

Me personnally i dont feel your being ripped off articoceanic and just because hes used flexis i wouldnt deem the guy a diyer either ,, not if his work is spot on but only u know that mate,

 

[kris]

I really dont understand what the big deal is about flexis , its only 300mm of a braided hose,
I remember when plastic came out, all engineers said thats for diyers and now most use it lol

 

[Gray0689]

Flexis are great love them
When you look at any top end taps that are they supplied with!!!
Think that says it all

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

Flexi tails on taps are pretty much the norm now. It only really needs to be in copper if the flow rate is really poor and i am doing everything i can to not restrict it further

 

[Mgrant]

Do many tend to use flexis when piping up baths, find it alot easier.

 

[Rckape]

I'm still avoiding flexi's where I can. I tend to fit taps which come with copper tails.

I've got a few long speedfit flexi's on the van which I use for temporary connections though.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I really dont understand what the big deal is about flexis , its only 300mm of a braided hose,
I remember when plastic came out, all engineers said thats for diyers and now most use it lol

This ^, if we like it or not most monoblock taps come with them these days and they are becoming more popular. For taps/cistern connections i really don't see the problem

 

[kris]

Do many tend to use flexis when piping up baths, find it alot easier.

Yeh I certainly do, there quicker , easier and in most taps supply flexi tails anyway ,

 

[SimonG]

The problem with flexis is how its installed. As long as its not kinked, twisted or stretched it will be fine.

 

[plumben]

Personally I use both, if the taps come with flexi then that's what gets used, if not then its ridged

 

[Staffy85]

yea use both depends on the situation, i would say doing it solid would last longer and with that its probably good practice to use flexys where they could be accessed and checked over.
{thats just an opinion though} ...

 

[lame plumber]

old plumber becomes wise plumber, especially when thinking of retiring and flexis start to seem to be the answer if installed correctly.

 

[jim fennessey]

folks need to keep up with the times ,things are moving onwards plastic and flexis are here to stay,

 

[Ermintrude]

Hello legionnaires disease

 

[Coldfeed]

Flexis are good. I don't like the ones with inbuilt iso valves tho. As long as it's not all twisted up and installed by correctly they're great.

 

[the_d_o_t]

I have started using the the speed fit 1/2" or 3/4" femail to 15 or 22mm" pushfit with copper pipe in...... you get the ease of installation, no flow restriction and can get the brass nut version that looks better

 

[shaky]

I do go to more leaks on ridged with fibre washer then I do with flexis

 

[WaterTight]

I do go to more leaks on ridged with fibre washer then I do with flexis

Flexi's can spring a leak when installed properly and not twisted or kinked but it's very, very rare. And most leaks in tap connections occur at the connecting nut' washer (in which case rubber washer in flexi miles more reliable than fibre washer in rigid)

I'd say liklihood of leaking in order of least to most is:

Rigid but with something like a speedfit tap connector at the end

Proper installed flexi

Proper installed rigid with fibre washer in standard tap connector

 

[WaterTight]

I replaced a couple of kinked flexi's to bath taps with this arrangement. I reckon it's pretty much bullet proof.

 

[plumben]

Went to a job this moaning where the flexi had split at the nut, gushing water everywhere,
It wasn't kinked twisted or anything,

Either over tightened or cheap and old,

I still replaced it with a new flexi though

 

[Toggles]

Copper all the way for me, flexi's only used as an utter and complete last resort

 

[jim fennessey]

they have been using flexis in spain at least ten years before uk allowed them to be used ,they dont have much problems with them or legionaires disease .

 

[Geyser]

Hello legionnaires disease

If i have to use flexable hoses then they are WRAS approved ones. These have been tested to prove the epdm rubber doesnt promote bacterial growth within the hose. But that said I'd still avoid using in a health care setting.

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

The only issue I have with them is plumbers tightening them onto isolation valves. That sharp edge is not good practice. Just use male couplers and it will never leak

 

[Staffy85]

The only issue I have with them is plumbers tightening them onto isolation valves. That sharp edge is not good practice. Just use male couplers and it will never leak

yep couldnt agree more, compression joints are for olives and arent designed as a sealing edge, job im at right now had this on the basin , didnt leak but the washers were forced inside the valve reducing the flow rate,