question about hot water pipe and fitting new taps

[Chireg69]

Hello
I am about to change my bath and taps but when I took off the old bath panel I noticed the hot water pipe is 22mm all the way to the tap. The cold is 15mm. Now my new taps have 15mm fittings on them both.
My question is, am I ok to cut the 22mm pipe further down and put on a Compression connector reducing it from 22mm to 15mm and then connecting it up to the tap?
I'll be using flexible fittings from the pipe to the tap!
Many thanks for any help!

 

[lbp plg & htg]

In a word "yes"

Why not just use a flexi 3/4"x22mm?

 

[Howsie]

Flexi <spit>

 

[Simon F]

taps come in imperial sizes
bath taps are 3/4"
sounds like your are 1/2" this would suggest they are basin taps
incedently the thread on a 15mm connection is the same as 1/2" thread

 

[Chireg69]

Is that a flexi where one end fits the 15mm tap and the other goes on the 22ml pipe?
Cheers

 

[Chireg69]

To be honest the taps are already on the new bath which is virtually brand new! My mom has just swapped it for a shower!

 

[Simon F]

have a look at screwfix or toolstation
there are so many different sizes and option available from tap size to pipe size with or without a isolation valve fitted, pushfit etc

 

[lbp plg & htg]

Flexi <spit>

No likie, no fittie. TYO

Me, love em. Never had a problem, sometimes you just gotta move on.

 

[Simon F]

how old is the pipe work?
just a note of caution that what looks like 22mm pipe could be 3/4" pipe if the house was of a certain age say 40/50 years

 

[Chireg69]

the house is about 40 years old. I don't know if it's the original pipework! It looks a bit of a mess to be honest. The cold supply is 15mm! What do you guys think of the push fit connectors? Problems?

 

[Simon F]

the house is about 40 years old. I don't know if it's the original pipework! It looks a bit of a mess to be honest. The cold supply is 15mm! What do you guys think of the push fit connectors? Problems?

it's your call.
the most common problem with push fit is the fitting not being fully pushed in and just making a seal on the o ring only to start leaking soon after. I always hold the fitting against the pipe and mark with a felt tip were the end of the fitting needs to finish then when its in place you either know that it is fully on or not.
if the pipe is straight and clean then with limited space behind the bath it might well be an easy option.
if you were using a push fit fitting only use on pipe cut with a roller cutter as a hacksaw cut can leave a rough edge that can damage the o ring seal in the fitting.

 

[Howsie]

No likie, no fittie. TYO

Me, love em. Never had a problem, sometimes you just gotta move on.

Do fittie but rarely. I guess I just like bending copper. My kind of art

 

[Chireg69]

cheers for the help.
I think I'll use the normal connections and use the reducing flexi! The new install will be about 4 inches from the wall so I should be able to get in to tighten (then covered with a shelf)
I am a complete novice to be honest! However I did fit the kitchen sink in and managed to do the pipework quite easy with isolators too but when I saw the thicker pipe it just stumped me!
I have a copper pipe cutter tool so I am planning to cut through the 22mm verticle pipe, connect a flexi from here to the tap and I hope that shouls sort it? I'll double check the correct size first before I buy the flexi!
Cheers for the help!

 

[petercj]

If you do use a flexi avoid the cheap ones, and make sure that the pipe is 22m and not 3/4" if using a 22x15m

Nothing wrong with flexi technology, but there is a lot of rubbish around.

Would go for JG myself:-


John Guest Speedfit - The World Leader in Push-fit Fittings, Pipe and Plastic Plumbing Systems - 15 & 22mm Braided Hoses

 

[Chireg69]

cheers, if the pipe is 3/4 is there a flexi for the job instead of 22mm?

 

[SimonG]

If you have that much space then bin the flexies and go copper.

 

[Simon F]

cheers, if the pipe is 3/4 is there a flexi for the job instead of 22mm?

you would in that instance be best to go to your nearest plumbers merchant and buy a 3/4" olive which would fit closely to the pipe, a 22mm compression fitting would probably be fine if carefully tightened to fit, but better to get the imperial olive.
when you have cut the pipe put the olive from the fitting around the pipe it should be quite a snug fit if it wobbles around then you need the 3/4"olive.

 

[petercj]

cheers, if the pipe is 3/4 is there a flexi for the job instead of 22mm?

I have seen them, but I don't think places like Screwfix keep them, best to ask at your local plumber's merchants.

 

[Chireg69]

Cheers,
On having a 2nd look today it seems the 22mm pipe isn't copper, more of a steel colour! Is this a problem? It's sort of a big upside down T with the stem leading up to the tap!
Is there any way I can post a picture?

 

[Chireg69]

Leading to the hot tap! Basically, can I cut into the silver pipe just under the bottom nut thingy and then attatch a flexi to the tap?

 

[Skelly87]

If the current bath supplies are 22mm or 3/4" for the hot and 15mm or 1/2" for the cold. I'm assuming your hot is fed from a cold water storage tank supplying a hot cylinder, and your cold through the mains? If this is true, then surely reducing your hot bath tap supply to 15mm is going to give you very poor flow and your bath will take ages to fill. Just a thought

 

[Chireg69]

Well it used to be from a tank in the loft but it now all runs off the cold as we have a combi boiler so 15mm should be ok?

 

[Skelly87]

Yea 15mm will be fine as it will be mains pressure

 

[Skelly87]

Oh and as for whether the pipe is steel or copper, you can tell very easily. If you mark where your planning to cut. If you scratch the surface lightly with the side of a stanley blade. Youll find its either painted copper in which case youll see the copper colour or youll get the dull grey of the steel. And it wont matter what you do to the surface as your getting rid of that piece. Just dont cut into the pipe unless the water is off

 

[Chireg69]

cheers mate, although I wasn't going to get rid of the silver pipe totally, just put a flexi half way up it to the tap?