advice would be most appreciated!

[tamz]

Your tails may be short if you do that.
If you want to use the supplied copper tails cut the old tap tails 1" above the elbows, fit the new taps, bend them to position, trim them to suit and join them back with 2 compression unions.

Decisions decisions

There is more than one way to skin a rabbit

 

[royston]

Ok ill have my say ! Take the copper tails you have with tap and replace with flexiys, either 10 or 12 mm to 15 mm compression end. A couple of raps of ptfe round thread then screw into your tap, then nip up with a thin spanner. Attach tap to sink and tighten tap nut with a monument tap box spanner.You will now have plenty of play and not need to worry about hacksawing and cutting tap tails. Then do whats needed to connect onto your pipework, compression or soldering, whichever you feel your comfy with. But dont solder pipe to close to flexys, disconnect them off your pipework first. After you have fitted a few then maybe you could use the copper tails if supplied. Regarding warranty claims i wouldn't worry as bristan will send you any faulty parts direct. I install alot of Bristan gear.

 

[herbert]

mate, you wanna get better at soldering? have a blast at doing the tap tails in copper.. fit and solder it all up and it if all goes wrong you only have a small amount of water to contend with as you can turn it straight off with the isolator.ok if it fails you will have to remove the tap again which can be a little awquard then do it with ya flexi's. You know you want to do it with copper just keep it neat

 

[Wotevaz]

Done well buddy! Im doing the course too, im probably learning more on praticals than all the stuff in books! Ive done a radiator move and fixed a few taps that were dripping.....on the soldering you be suprised how little solder u actually need to make a firm fix....none of this lashing the stuff on....best ov luck m8

 

[stevetheplumber]

some of the cheaper taps with coppertails cant realy be cut as they are as thin as paper and have a rolled in end to stiffen them once thats gone they just fold up
always best to buy a pair of flexis that screw direct into the tap body theres two sizes so take one of the originals to the merchants with you

 

[pete23]

Well thanks very much guys. So much to now contemplate!?! I went to the merchants today, guy instantly suggested push-fit flexi connectors. When I asked him if there were any other ways he looked at me a little strange and asked why? When I said I wanted to make a good job and make it look good his reply was "Why? You're not gonna see it are you?" After politely laughing and then asking him about any compression fittings he pointed me in the direction of either push-fit couplers or (brass) compression couplers. I have now bought a couple of the proper compression couplers and intend to cut the original tails about an inch from the existing elbow and attach the coupler. Then use the actual copper tails supplied to connect to the tap. Hopefully, fingers, toes and legs crossed. Think it should work? Am planning on attempting it thursday evening so hopefully wont be swimming by the night!

Thanks once again for so much help and advice.

 

[tamz]

There is too much "Can't see it from my house" attitude nowadays. Always take pride in what you do.

 

[quality]

Give him a break he works at a merchants / wholesale outlet he has never seen a flood

Simple job you will manage no problem but post some pics when your done

 

[Avatar]

Ok ill have my say ! Take the copper tails you have with tap and replace with flexiys, either 10 or 12 mm to 15 mm compression end. A couple of raps of ptfe round thread then screw into your tap, then nip up with a thin spanner.

DO not follow this advice it is eroneous. Under no circumstances should ptfe be used on the threads of compression fittings. This really gets my goat . . .


Plus there is nothing wong with pushfit, apart from the price! Double check you have the right size connectors though it is easy to get it wrong (I always seem to have the wrong damn size when I need it!)
Make sure you have a monoblock spanner - it will take you 5 hours plus if you don't.

Good luck mate - it is easy to come unstuck on your first tap!

 

[royston]

If you read the reply properly avaarse you will read that i said the thread that screws into the TAP, NOT the compression fitting. People who dont read threads properly get my goat. Eroneous who the hell do you think you are !!!!

Read threads properly before trying to be clever.

 

[princegoose]

Id agree with above,

replace copper tails with bought ones from screkficks
towels
mono tap back nut spanners (mini box spanners set) tooistanton wouldnt be without them
spanner and grips
15mm pipe slice

and you'll definitely need something you didn't get.

 

[pete23]

Job Done!......Well no phone calls of complaint yet! As I'm sure you guys all know too well. Never went to plan. Went with intentions of using the compression couplers, however, once I had measured the pipe and cut, my plan failed due to the original tail being slightly bent through the 15mm part. Thus meaning it would not square up to fit "water-tight" with the new copper tail. As I don't have a pipe bender ( as above post said, I will need something I haven't got), and didn't want to "force" the tail, I resorted to using the flexi's. Didn't opt for push-fit but used compression. Connected up and tested...well ran the taps for a minute or two, no leaks, customer happy so job done I guess!? Still feel like I've let the hardened plumber circle of expertise down.....but after all, I still have SO Much to learn. However, feels good, just hope the phone doesn't ring with screams of help. How long do I have to wait before I can relax!?

Just want to thank Everyone who gave me time to post advice and give me the confidence to get up and do it! Also feel like I can ask in future for more guidence........Apologies if you guys get sick of me!

Cheers!

 

[dontknowitall]

Well done and I hope you're chuffed.

Hope all your other jobs go reasonably well. Not wishing to put you off at all, but I found I'd get better and better then have a really awful job and feel my knowledge was being tested too much. Then pick up confidence over next few jobs until I tripped up again.

It DOES improve though as you get more experience.

First one done - next round the corner!

And thanks for the feedback - it's what keeps us helping. I've given up on a few posters as they never say how they got on or never say thank you. This is why you had lots of help from many posters. Time to stop being patronising and I must get some zzzz's in.

 

[tamz]

How long do I have to wait before I can relax!?

If you got paid by cheque, when it clears. Cash........just chill

 

[princegoose]

Ift its any help just before i started my apprentership i fitted a new mixer tap for my dad, took me 3 hours, with push fit, and still ended up get the hot and cold wrong way round.

you'll be laughing in 12 months.

you stop worrying once you've had a few leaks and realise they're easily fixed.

 

[Avatar]

If you read the reply properly avaarse you will read that i said the thread that screws into the TAP, NOT the compression fitting.

Well that is even worse in my book, using PTFE on a tap connector. Have you ever heard of a washer? I am not being clever, I am just trying to tell people the correct way to do something.

If you use PTFE on the thread of anything other than rad tails/steel fittings and the like - which the manufacturers instruct you too, you are creating a leak waiting to happen . . . .

 

[royston]

Well that is even worse in my book, using PTFE on a tap connector. Have you ever heard of a washer? I am not being clever, I am just trying to tell people the correct way to do something.

If you use PTFE on the thread of anything other than rad tails/steel fittings and the like - which the manufacturers instruct you too, you are creating a leak waiting to happen . . . .

You may think that your way is best but i disagree, being a plumber for 20 yrs i think i can be clever. Do you know what im talking about ? Have you fitted many mono-block mixer taps ?? If not ill tell you that they dont have TAP CONNECTORS on them they are supplied with TAILS. And these tails screw INTO the tap. Now you wrap a few wraps of tape around the threads and screw them INTO the tap. Been doing it that way for 20 yrs and no problems, this is GOOD advice. Now a TAP CONNECTOR has a FIBRE washer on the end, which are rubbish in my opinion, and they SCREW ONTO a tap NOT into a tap. I believe the OP has a mono mixer tap. Done !!

 

[tamz]

Btw.
If you are stuck with no washer for a tap adaptor you can wind a shoulder with ptfe. It won't leak.

 

[royston]

Yeh agree with above.

 

[fuzzy]

Btw.
If you are stuck with no washer for a tap adaptor you can wind a shoulder with ptfe. It won't leak.

err, well long enough to get paid and get away anyway!

 

[tamz]

Believe me it will last if you do it right. I have stripped some out that have been like that 30+ years with no problem.
A washer is always the way to do it but there are times when you don't have any. You could sit for 10 minutes and make up a hemp shangie if it makes you feel better

 

[royston]

Fibre washers are crap, ive been to loads of leaking tap connectors and ball valves with leaking fibre washers that have disintegrated.

 

[stevetheplumber]

i wouldnt put ptfe on the tails where they screw into th tap body the o rings they come with have never let me down and i think the tape could interfere with the way they are made to work but hey what ever works for you
39 years a plumber lol
as for tap cons we used to make grommets from hemp for every one but fibre washer or tape is good

 

[Avatar]

I dont use ptfe on any fitting that doesn't require it - like the monobloc tap threads that have a O RING seal on them . . .

Jesus!

I don't know what your problem is mate - what ever it is dont start a fight about it ok.

 

[royston]

My problem is people on this site thinking they are so high and mighty and their advice is law. Making out that wrapping a bit of PTFE around a tap tail thread is some terrible wrong thing do do that will cause injury and harm to someone !!