Life span of flexible tap connectors

[Guest123]

The problem is that B&Q and all the diy stores call plumbing a project and make it out to be easy, so they sell flexis and all the other crap on their shelves.
I very rarely, if ever take on someones diy job to fix it. You only end up being responsible for their mistakes. The trade (not just ours) should be advertising the benefits of getting it professionally done over diy and stop these retired old gents who hog the plumbing aisle in B&Q from doing more damage through their lack of knowledge or expertise.
Sad fact is, that with flexis, plastic plumbing, diy bathrooms etc, plumbing is being done by grandad, uncle etc and home calls will become much fewer with mainly contract work left for plumbers.
The end is nigh sayeth the plumber.

 

[oldplumber]

always used green hosepipe before they invented flexis, havent put in any 1/2" copper for years tho, hard to get from the merchants nowadays.

 

[Guest123]

always used green hosepipe before they invented flexis, havent put in any 1/2" copper for years tho, hard to get from the merchants nowadays.

Not used 1/2" copper either, but have used plenty of 15mm.

 

[tamz]

always used green hosepipe before they invented flexis, havent put in any 1/2" copper for years tho, hard to get from the merchants nowadays.

You should recycle your scrap and only use the green hose for gas (although yellow is easier to id)

You need to excuse me i have an old head and get confused

Cut me a bit of pipe at 2m 3 and a quarter

 

[Guest123]

As you already know, in Scotland using a green hose may in fact give your customer the heebeegeebees as might a blue one. Probably best to use a clear one and as well as being neutral, the customer can then also see all the dirt, sludge and crap left in the pipework.

 

[tamz]

in Scotland using a green hose may in fact give your customer the heebeegeebees as might a blue one.

Thats putting it mildly

 

[Rodreguez]

not quite true, wras approved ones are suitable for potable water. There was an issue where non approved flexi hoses were used in a hospital and there was a bacterial build up on the hoses causing an outbreak of infections and some fatalities ( i believe, havent seen the report for a while)

i work in a hospital and as of 2 months ago i am not allowed to fit anywhere on hot or cold water. everything has to be hard piped due to many problems with legionella counts. gets me loads of overtime hard piping everything.

They are used on radiant heat panels in suspended ceilings though.

 

[Guest123]

Screw B&Q Fix advertise the cheap versions as not suitable for potable water, but the WRAS ones are ok by them. Wonder what the difference is?

 

[MartinN]

I have had 2 (installed by others) fail recently, so i am definitely off them. I prefer now to use plastic pipe plus tap connector and isolating valve. For basins and sinks at mains pressure I like 10 mm plastic pipe which bends easily. Of the 2 flexible connectors which failed one was atrociously installed on filling loop with tight bend AND touching floor and braiding wore away vibrating against floor so presumably then punctured inner pipe (revealing that isolating valve did not close fully). The other was a fairly tight bend, and MAY have been reused from a different location, with likely different bends.

 

[Dickie]

Don't use flexi tap connectors, which are a cowboy job. Bending up offsets & fitting tap connectors only takes minutes. Flexi tap connectors burst also!! Rats eat flexi WC connectors.

 

[mike-c]

Have fitted hundreds of flexies. Failures.....0.
Been in the game for 34 years but thanks to a few people on here that don't like flexies, any potential customer that looks at this forum will consider anybody that dares to use a flexie as a cowboy.
Yeehaa boys and girls, back to the ranch I guess.

 

[Ermintrude]

Only had a two blow. Same job. 1m long 15mm plastic braded ones. Brading long gone ballon inning rubber inners. Told custard, ignored me, 10pm on a Sunday night that same week!!!! Help? Flexi on heating is insane!

 

[Howsie]

We have just changed loads of them in a hospital. They have their place but do harbour legionella.

Lazy plumbing IMHO.

 

[martyc]

I've seen a few flexis fail, mainly though due to what I suspect is frost damage (caravans get bloody cold over winter). I always use copper tails where possible because they just seem an easier safer bet. I've fitted a few flexis but don't like them.

 

[hENRYDAC]

I recently replaced a burst flexi that failed because bleach based cleaning products had got past the tap to basin seal and corroded the stainless steel braiding. That, mind you was the first that I have come accross. However, reading this thread has given me pause for thought about changing to copper.

 

[Tim Court]

Diy'er here but in commercial construction. Early 90's office block had radiant heated ceiling panels around the perimeter with flexi connectors. One fateful night (luckily before handover) several burst and the blame game started between the panel installers and the commissioning engineers. A forensic plumbing specialist (yes, they exist) called in by our insurers determined that whilst there was evidence of overpressure on the system the hoses were duff. The four or five that went showed twisting on install but lots had poor connection between braid and end ferrules. All replaced and the office block is still using the same system. I have had one go at home which had poor braid connection in the same place. I am now worried about the buggers buried in the back to wall wc's!

 

[CHRISX]

Hello All,

Personally I would never use these Flexi`s for 2 main reasons:

The internal bore on some of them is only about 8 - 10mm and even on the `better ones` it is not much more than 10mm - I would not want the large reduction in water flow volume that this causes compared to the flow from 15mm Copper tube.

Even with Monobloc Taps where the tap tails obviously reduce the water flow volume I would still connect with 15mm Copper tube obviously reducing down on the tails - it is a much better job.

Also - without wanting to annoy any of our Members - I don`t rate ANY of these `Flexi`s` as a `professional` fitting / product because I have no doubt that even if they do last over 5 years - they are very unlikely to last 20 years.

Members might state that Households would normally be changing their Bathrooms / Kitchen Sinks / even just Taps more frequently than every 20 years - that is probably true for most Homes but not all.

I would want ALL Pipework that I install to be guaranteed to last at least that amount of time - with no `possible weaknesses` in the pipework - so that there is NO chance that one of these `DIY products` would fail and flood out the property !

As I mentioned I am not trying to annoy those Members who do use Flexi`s - each to their own regarding attitude to subjects like this and their opinions about `Professionalism`.

Chris