DIYer updating plumbing fittings in cloakroom toilet - Help needed

[Lothian8]

Hi Guys

We've recently moved and are in the process of updating the cloakroom toilet. I've taken the sink out and there's pipes attached in multiple ways.

Could someone suggest which modern pipes and stop-taps I need to replace what I've discovered in order to fit the new sink?

Photo attached

Cheers
Craig

 

[Ant Parkes]

I would personally turn all water off and replace the isolating valves first. They turn off now but give them another few years they'll probably cause your problems. While you're doing pipework, you may as change them.

Get them for a couple of quid: Isolating Valve 15mm 2 Pack

Then I'd put in two lengths of copper the other end, which will get rid of the couplers and tap connectors.

Once the new basin is in, you'll know a height. Or measure it beforehand so you can cut your copper pieces roughly the correct height.

Then, connect your copper tails to the new taps with these. Flexible Tap Connector 15mm x ½


Some might say hard pipe all the way up to taps, however as you're a DIY'er you aren't going to have a bender?

 

[Amateur]

Are the pipes on show at all or well concealed by a pedestal? I recently did my bathroom but as we had a good view of them when taking a bath i did them like this -

 

[Ant Parkes]

Are the pipes on show at all or well concealed by a pedestal? I recently did my bathroom but as we had a good view of them when taking a bath i did them like this - View attachment 30437

Fancy haha. Nice one.

 

[Amateur]

Fancy haha. Nice one.

Cheers, I try to do as much as I can myself so love these forums for advice.

Cracking bit of tiling too I must add, by me!

 

[Ant Parkes]

@Amateur, I agree. Did you use a wet cutter?
I notice too, it looks like your isolation valve is slightly turned?

 

[Lothian8]

Thanks guys. When I said stop tap I actually meant isolating valves. Appreciate the help. The pipes will be hidden inside a vanity unit. Then it's onto the toilet Cheers

 

[Ant Parkes]

Thanks guys. When I said stop tap I actually meant isolating valves. Appreciate the help. The pipes will be hidden inside a vanity unit. Then it's onto the toilet Cheers

In that case i'd tend to do it slightly different.

I'd put a compression coupler (again, as you wont have blowing gear?) in place of the 2 isolation valves. Straight Couplings 15mm x 15mm 2 Pack

Then bring a piece of copper out of those. Measure the unit just above the shelf. Then, compression elbow off the copper, http://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/p801-05-elbow-15-x-15mm-2-pack/91568, another piece of copper that comes through, into the unit. Then put your isolation valves on there. That way, you can access them easily and the only holes you cut are for the pieces to come through.

With the waste, take the trap off and extend the piece that comes out the elbow. 32mm push fit waste pipe. Again, cut a hole for the waste to come into unit, then cut back later date, put bottle trap, or P trap back on and connect up.

Hope this makes sense @Lothian8

Or, cut a section of the back out and put a coupler in place of the current isolation valves which will be hidden. then put the isolation valves up higher, where you cut the back out. Up to you.

 

[Lothian8]

In that case i'd tend to do it slightly different.

I'd put a compression coupler (again, as you wont have blowing gear?) in place of the 2 isolation valves. Straight Couplings 15mm x 15mm 2 Pack

Then bring a piece of copper out of those. Measure the unit just above the shelf. Then, compression elbow off the copper, http://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/p801-05-elbow-15-x-15mm-2-pack/91568, another piece of copper that comes through, into the unit. Then put your isolation valves on there. That way, you can access them easily and the only holes you cut are for the pieces to come through.

With the waste, take the trap off and extend the piece that comes out the elbow. 32mm push fit waste pipe. Again, cut a hole for the waste to come into unit, then cut back later date, put bottle trap, or P trap back on and connect up.

Hope this makes sense @Lothian8

Or, cut a section of the back out and put a coupler in place of the current isolation valves which will be hidden. then put the isolation valves up higher, where you cut the back out. Up to you.

Makes perfect sense, thank you very much!

 

[Amateur]

@Amateur, I agree. Did you use a wet cutter?
I notice too, it looks like your isolation valve is slightly turned?

Yeah, it was turned off a bit to reduce the flow as the mixer tap just loved to fire water out of the sink and soak you and the floor if you were half asleep and lifted the lever all the way up.

Tiling was a mixture of wet, dry and hole cutters. Only my second tiling job so was happy with it.

 

[Amateur]

Makes perfect sense, thank you very much!

Dont forget jointing compound on your compression fittings. As a DIY'er its a recent discovery for me as I always used to ptfe the olive, compound is sooo much easier to use.

 

[Ant Parkes]

Yeah, it was turned off a bit to reduce the flow as the mixer tap just loved to fire water out of the sink and soak you and the floor if you were half asleep and lifted the lever all the way up.

Tiling was a mixture of wet, dry and hole cutters. Only my second tiling job so was happy with it.

Thought as much haha.

I really should get a wet cutter again. Been using my grinder because i'm lazy.

 

[Harvest Fields]

Are the pipes on show at all or well concealed by a pedestal? I recently did my bathroom but as we had a good view of them when taking a bath i did them like this - View attachment 30437

This is an awesome thing to do mate. But what I will say is that there are a lot of fittings there if you are a confident diyer for next time I would solder the elbows onto the chrome. Or bend the pipes with a pipe bender

 

[Amateur]

This is an awesome thing to do mate. But what I will say is that there are a lot of fittings there if you are a confident diyer for next time I would solder the elbows onto the chrome. Or bend the pipes with a pipe bender

I only found out about chrome solder fittings a few weeks back when i posted a pic of a rad i put in my kitchen with chrome pipework. Not sure i fancy stripping back the chrome on every joint though for the solder. if youre not spot on you would have a poorly soldered joint or exposed copper past the fitting where its been stripped too far back.

I have got a bender but am still very much the beginner with it. I found some measurements on line to aid in getting the bend just where you want it so will try that next time i need it. Also have the Rothenburger Quickfire 2, sooo much better control than the amatuer torch i had before.

 

[oz-plumber]

There's a lot of professional plumbing input into this - not.

All the advice and accolades is from DIY'er to DIY'er.

Moving forward!!!

 

[Amateur]

There's a lot of professional plumbing input into this - not.

All the advice and accolades is from DIY'er to DIY'er.


Moving forward!!!

Is there something wrong with that then? Ive not once pretended to be anything other than an Amateur so i didnt see the problem in offering a bit of input for consideration to a fellow DIY'er.

Maybe i missed the listed criteria section of "Professionals Only" when I signed up?

I could fully understand if i offered rubbish opinions that were dangerous etc. I know my limitations so would not attempt certain things myself or try to offer advice on anything that I know nothing about.

I have a keen interest in all aspects of DIY so like to participate in these forums to learn from the professionals.

 

[Ric2013]

Not really. No one's given bad advice as far as I can see. The pipework coming into the room from the floor looks messy, but you can only work with what's there. You could solder onto the tails coming from the floor using strategic pipe bending to bring the rest of the pipe up to plumb, clip to the wall, and pull offsets into straight tap connectors. Or use bent tap connectors and go into them with pulled bends at 90°. But if it isn't visible and it isn't leaking and you don't care that it isn't pretty, it actually doesn't matter very much.

Half turning off quarter turn isolators to balance flow is something I have done before I learned better, but as long as you aware that the isolator will probably seize or leak when you use it, it's not the end of the world.

I do have an unusual opinion on isolators below taps and it is that since isolators need to be used once a year to avoid seizing, and that they are there for maintenance purposes, and that maintenance of a tap is a rare event, probably once every five years on average, and that plumbing work is generally carried out by a plumber who can cap off to provide a temporary supply if need be, they aren't essential. I have met some other plumbers who say that very often they use them to replace a tap and half the time end up having to replace the isolator as well, thus having to isolate the entire system anyway, plus extra time and cost. Most other plumbers disagree with me, but I give people the option and have had customers who say that unless they are a strict legal requirement, they don't want to pay for them (and I won't buy cheap and nasty valves, so the costs add up) and, in these cases, I don't fit them.

 

[Ric2013]

Going back to the OP's question, if that's speedfit or similar pipe coming into the room (is it?) connected to copper above, I would buy some new speedfit isolators (or couplings) and continue the run in plastic right up to the taps and use speedfit tap connectors to go onto the tap threads. If you really just want to do the minimum and the taps don't line up with the hot and cold pipes, you could always use flexible tap connectors that compression fit (or pushfit even!) onto the copper pipe.

 

[oz-plumber]

Is there something wrong with that then? Ive not once pretended to be anything other than an Amateur so i didnt see the problem in offering a bit of input for consideration to a fellow DIY'er.

Maybe i missed the listed criteria section of "Professionals Only" when I signed up?

I could fully understand if i offered rubbish opinions that were dangerous etc. I know my limitations so would not attempt certain things myself or try to offer advice on anything that I know nothing about.

I have a keen interest in all aspects of DIY so like to participate in these forums to learn from the professionals.

I couldn't have put it better myself, but I think we are looking from opposite sides of the fence.

 

[Amateur]

I couldn't have put it better myself, but I think we are looking from opposite sides of the fence.

I totally agree, youre a time served professional tradesperson and im a keen amateur that is always looking to learn.

Nothing wrong with opinions from both sides of the fence though. Its an open forum so lets all play nice and get along and help fellow members out where we can!