Can I re-use braided flexible hoses on bath hot and cold taps?

[MM]

Right, now I'm back home after Christmas and have measured the hole
centres ready for the new mixer tap-cum-shower attachment. They're
180mm apart, so it does look like a standard measurement.

Next question: I slipped off the side of the bath to have a butchers
and lo and behold, the existing taps have braided hoses! So, correct
me if I'm wrong, but this should make installation of the new mixer
even more of a doddle, no?

Can I re-use the same hoses? What about new sealing washers? Plumbfix,
maybe?

MM

[Tim Watts]

MM wrote:

> Right, now I'm back home after Christmas and have measured the hole
> centres ready for the new mixer tap-cum-shower attachment. They're
> 180mm apart, so it does look like a standard measurement.

That rings a bell. When I was drilling my tap holes on a new bath, it
occurred to me to space them to whatever seemed like a "standard" for mixer
taps, in case anyone wanted to change them later.

I took the dimensions from a few mixer taps online and it did seem that they
followed a fixed spacing for the most part.

> Next question: I slipped off the side of the bath to have a butchers
> and lo and behold, the existing taps have braided hoses! So, correct
> me if I'm wrong, but this should make installation of the new mixer
> even more of a doddle, no?
>
> Can I re-use the same hoses? What about new sealing washers? Plumbfix,
> maybe?

Yep. The washers should be standard - even B&Q will have them, or buy a
small mixed kit of plumbing washers ahead of time.

> MM
--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://www.dionic.net/tim/

"It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent
moral busybodies.

[Scott M]

MM wrote:

> Can I re-use the same hoses?

IIWY, I'd replace them (or, better still, re-do in copper.) I'd always
wondered how well they last until the ones on a friend's bath taps both
ruptured within a year of each other at about 7 years old. The remains
around the burst point looked like something from Alien - the braid was
quite shredded.

Scott

[Brian Gaff]

The pipes to send one into instant depression are those convoluted crinkley
ones, IE bend once and leave, then in ten years it gets a pin hole leak.
I had those in my kitchen and it was the hot one that went first, ouch.

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Tim Watts" <tw+u...@dionic.net> wrote in message
news:fd60r9-...@squidward.local.dionic.net...

[Andrew Gabriel]

In article <kbjq22$l2$1...@speranza.aioe.org>,

The 3/4" ones for bath taps are available in standard (narrow) bore
hose, and a wider hose. If you have a low pressure (loft tank) supply
for the bath, get the wider hose.

BES have a good range at sensible prices.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

[Mr Pounder]

"MM" <kyli...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:iuoqd8drl0t3l012e...@4ax.com...

One of mine that was 3 years old blew under the kitchen sink. It caused a
right bloody mess.
I recently had a new set of taps fitted on the kitchen sink, the other hose
was very close to blowing at just over 4 years old.

[The Medway Handyman]

I've often done so, with no problems. If you want to replace,
Toolstation ones are good & cheap - about �3.50 each.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

[T i m]

Having just fitted a pair (full(ish) bore) flexies to a new shower for
Mum (it might be just a temporary measure though), I wonder how much
difference the risk of failure is when used at tank (and upstairs at
that) rather than mains pressure?

I'm thinking most installations these days will be 'Combi' so I
understand the hot water will be both hot and under mains pressure
(possibly the greatest test for flexible hoses)?

But then what of washing machines and dish washers? We don't seem to
think twice re using the long and flexible hoses on them to carry the
same services?


Cheers, T i m

[polygonum]

On 28/12/2012 09:21, MM wrote:

My mother had one blow around six months ago (a 15mm one under the
sink). Horrible flood mess requiring insurance claim, new carpet and
floors in bathroom and kitchen. Still not finally finished.

The braiding looked as if an explosive had gone off inside. Mostly
looked perfect but one patch in the middle was destroyed.

I would never now re-use one, and would always wish to use something
else. If the water is off anyway, replace.

--
Rod

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

On Fri, 28 Dec 2012 11:55:01 +0000, T i m <ne...@spaced.me.uk> wrote:

>But then what of washing machines and dish washers? We don't seem to
>think twice re using the long and flexible hoses on them to carry the
>same services?

Flexible and long-lasting, the dishwasher/wm hoses have been around
for decades and follow a design which has been proven over the years -
although cheapy imports might not be so good.
The latest generation of braid-covered single flexible inside tube
don't seem to be as good, despite appearances. I was fooled by them,
too, associating the design with well-made similarly covered brake
hoses and that led me to the assumption that these would be similarly
long-lasting. Oh, how wrong that was.
The cheap nasty ones are just as good-looking as the more expensive
ones that will will last for decades, but I don't really want to be
the one that finds my kitchen or bathroom flooded because of a burst
flexy, fitted to save me half an hour of pipe-bending or soldering
years ago.

[Merryterry]

They were probably Chinese Crap. I used to sell UK manufactured ones
to WRC Standards. Never experienced a problem over thousands sold.
We, (the company I worked for), had a guy from Liverpool University
test some Chines Hoses and he found bits of tobacco and other rubbish
in the rubber. The internal bores wre rough and supported Legionnela.

Merryterry

[MM]

But how can one tell if it's Chinese "crap", given that pretty much
everything is made in China anyway nowadays?

I was in B&Q this morning and looked at the new flexible 22mm
connectors for my new mixer tap/shower attachment for the bath. Didn't
think of checking where the connectors were manufactured. Are Plumb
Centre ones any good?

MM

[Tim Lamb]

In message
<23c1b47f-3234-442d...@b16g2000vbh.googlegroups.com>,
Merryterry <ter...@fsmail.net> writes

Hmm.. the question is.. who supplies Screwfix?

--
Tim Lamb

[MM]

Or Plumb Centre?

MM

[The Medway Handyman]

About £12 in B&Q, £3.50 at Toolstation.

[MM]

In B&Q they were £8.99 today.

MM

[Andy Champ]

On 29/12/2012 17:18, MM wrote:
>> >Hmm.. the question is.. who supplies Screwfix?
> Or Plumb Centre?

... this week. 'cos I bet it changes.

Andy

[Merryterry]

The company I worked for did supply Plumb Centre who saw the sense in
stocking WRAS Approved Tap connectors of proven provenance. Dont know
whether they still do.

Merryterry

[T i m]

On Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:58:37 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon
<gri...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Fri, 28 Dec 2012 11:55:01 +0000, T i m <ne...@spaced.me.uk> wrote:
>
>>But then what of washing machines and dish washers? We don't seem to
>>think twice re using the long and flexible hoses on them to carry the
>>same services?
>
>Flexible and long-lasting, the dishwasher/wm hoses have been around
>for decades and follow a design which has been proven over the years -
>although cheapy imports might not be so good.

Ok.

>The latest generation of braid-covered single flexible inside tube
>don't seem to be as good, despite appearances. I was fooled by them,
>too, associating the design with well-made similarly covered brake
>hoses and that led me to the assumption that these would be similarly
>long-lasting.

Yup, they do 'look' like they should be strong / reliable.

>Oh, how wrong that was.

Oh.

>The cheap nasty ones are just as good-looking as the more expensive
>ones that will will last for decades, but I don't really want to be
>the one that finds my kitchen or bathroom flooded because of a burst
>flexy, fitted to save me half an hour of pipe-bending or soldering
>years ago.

Quite.

However, I wonder if the usage may make the weaker ones fail (sooner)?

I'm thinking the worst case might be a ceramic hot bath tap on a
combi system where:

1) It's always sitting at mains pressure (?)

2) It runs hot.

3) It runs for a long time (filling a bath).

4) It is turned off quickly (ceramic tap creating a surge load as the
water is brought quickly to a halt).

I did buy a couple of 30cm x 15mm compression couplers (not tap
connectors) but they seemed 'too cheap' so I've not used them.
Hopefully the ones I fitted on the (upstairs, tank fed) shower will be
under less stress than the ones on the hand basin and both under less
stress than the hot tap on the sink (higher pressure than upstairs) or
cold on the sink (constant mains pressure).

The ones I fitted on the (awkward) shower were about 6 quid each from
a local plumbers merchant? Could that make them 'good' ones, till I
get round to replacing them all with copper that is. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[polygonum]

Not saying you are wrong. BUT ( :-) ) - the only one I have seen which
was completely blown was on the hot tap in a kitchen, supplied by a
vented system, has an ordinary (non-ceramic) tap, seem to run at a very
ordinary temperature. And not used intensively.

--
Rod