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Hi guys.
Was sorting a job for a customer yesterday and they asked me to install an outside tap on Thursday (It was too late to start it at the time).
No problem I hear you say, why on earth would someone who calls themselves a plumber want advice on an outside tap...
Well here's the thing. The house has a cellar which has steps going down to it outside the kitchen wall, so it can't come out there without a few metres of elaborate exterior pipework that will almost definitely freeze in winter, so the only option is to bring it out from the bathroom. The bathroom is fully tiled so can't drill into it without breaking at least one tile, can't drill out from it without making a mess of the outside wall. The only place I can safely drill in without hitting the back of a tile is under the bath, so access to the isolation valve will be hindered by the bath panel. They don't want any exposed pipework.
So my quandary is. I can fit it but the isolation on it will be rendered pointless by the plastic bath panel which needs to be siliconed back in once the job is finished.
What would you do?
1. Do it under the bath with a disclaimer on the invoice about freezing.
2. Go out under the basin which will make a pigs ear of the exterior wall, but will leave an accessible place to have an ISO, this spot will also have to include about a meter of exterior pipework as the sink backs onto a part of wall over the cellar steps.
3. Or go in under the kitchen sink as standard but have a couple of meters of exterior pipework.
The customer is the landlord and doubts the tenants will adhere to the winter drain off rule. So I'd rather use no exterior pipes and a wall plate than a back plate elbow - to reduce the chance of a freeze. The only option where I could do this is from under the bath so no useful internal ISO with that option...
Only the kitchen sink method will allow me to site the tap over a drain, there is no exterior drain outside the bathroom.
I could just put it to the customer and let him decide, but which do you think is the best option?
Was sorting a job for a customer yesterday and they asked me to install an outside tap on Thursday (It was too late to start it at the time).
No problem I hear you say, why on earth would someone who calls themselves a plumber want advice on an outside tap...
Well here's the thing. The house has a cellar which has steps going down to it outside the kitchen wall, so it can't come out there without a few metres of elaborate exterior pipework that will almost definitely freeze in winter, so the only option is to bring it out from the bathroom. The bathroom is fully tiled so can't drill into it without breaking at least one tile, can't drill out from it without making a mess of the outside wall. The only place I can safely drill in without hitting the back of a tile is under the bath, so access to the isolation valve will be hindered by the bath panel. They don't want any exposed pipework.
So my quandary is. I can fit it but the isolation on it will be rendered pointless by the plastic bath panel which needs to be siliconed back in once the job is finished.
What would you do?
1. Do it under the bath with a disclaimer on the invoice about freezing.
2. Go out under the basin which will make a pigs ear of the exterior wall, but will leave an accessible place to have an ISO, this spot will also have to include about a meter of exterior pipework as the sink backs onto a part of wall over the cellar steps.
3. Or go in under the kitchen sink as standard but have a couple of meters of exterior pipework.
The customer is the landlord and doubts the tenants will adhere to the winter drain off rule. So I'd rather use no exterior pipes and a wall plate than a back plate elbow - to reduce the chance of a freeze. The only option where I could do this is from under the bath so no useful internal ISO with that option...
Only the kitchen sink method will allow me to site the tap over a drain, there is no exterior drain outside the bathroom.
I could just put it to the customer and let him decide, but which do you think is the best option?