New taps and flexi hose connectors

[TheCuddlyOctopus]

I am fitting a new mixer tap in my bathroom basin and have fallen at the last hurdle with connecting the flexi hoses. There is a picture but basically the flexi hose doesn't fit into the isolator valve- both parts are the same size and the but doesn't seem to connect them. Do I need some sort of adaptor and if so what? I couldn't see anything in homebase. The plumbing isn't that old but the last taps were cheap ones and I wonder if the plumber had to do a weird fitting? Help!

Sorry, here is the photo...

when you bought them, were they called "flexible hoses" or were they called "tap connectors?"

A tap connector has a nut on one end that screws onto the bottom of a tap.

Both of them usually have a connector at the other end intended to fasten to a copper pipe.

I can't quite make out the connector on your new flexy to see what type it is.

You don't have a copper pipe, you have a ball valve which is also intended to connect to a copper pipe.

If you are fond of plumbing, you could insert a short pipece of copper pipe between the ball valve and your hose end

Or you could take off the ball valve and fit the flexy onto the pipe

Or you could get a different tap connector which includes a ball valve, take off your old ball valve and fit that onto the copper pipe.

Your old ball valve looks like a budget version, which may leak now that it is old and has been used, so I think the last option would be best. Have you got a set of wrenches, and do you know how to turn off the hot and cold water supplies to your taps?

p.s.

if the new flexy hoses came with the tap, the instructions should say what they are intended to connect to.

Hi! They came with the Bristan tap so assume that's the purpose they're intended for. Yes I have wrenches and know how to turn the water on and off. I think I'm going to go with your last suggestion as that seems like the least hassle- presumably I just use the wrench to unscrew the ball valve (after turning the water off?).

Thank you- the old flexi hoses had a wider but on them so they would screw onto the ball valve directly but this seems to be the same size.

yes

but berfore you do that, find the old chrome nut that held the old tap connector pipe into the ballvalve, and see if it fits the connector on the new flexi. Different makes sometimes have different threads.

The old nut will be captive on the supply pipe when you take off the old ball valve. If the old nut is compatible with the new connector, it may save you the effort of pulling off the old olive, which can be quite arduous if it is embedded in the copper pipe, and you may need to cut an inch off the pipe to remove it. To do that sensibly you will need a pipe cutter (a small, cheap, useful tool)

Ah thanks. The problem is I can't find a flexi hose with an integrated valve that is the M10 size (the one I have is an M10 1/2 inch looking at the manual and the valve is 15mm- or at least it says 15 on it!). The issue I think is that both the valve and the hose are male connectors? Is there a male to female adaptor you can get?

There wasn't a nut that held the last hose on, it sort of screwed straight onto the valve- it is wider that the 1/2 inch one.

scratches head it's never straightforward...

looking at your photo, the end of the flexy has a chromed nut on it.

If you undo this I think a 15mm copper olive will fall out.

if so, it is the fitting to go on a 15mm copper pipe, and is a female.

The integrated valve that you want is a 15mm one, to go on ordinary ppipe. The 10mm end is to go on the tap connections which are smaller (thiis cis common on modern mixer taps).

show us a photo of the bottom of your tap please. There are a couple of ways it might work.

Ah, yes, there is a copper olive- but not to worry I have managed to track down the right size flexy (with the M10 for the tap end which was tricky) with a valve on amazon. So hopefully that should sort it when it gets here- or if not it sounds like I could just put it straight on the pipe if all else fails. Thanks so much. Why on earth is it a mixture of metric and imperial measures?! In the meantime we are cleaning our teeth in the bath.

the hose provided by Bristan is likely to be better quality than the Amazon one.