Plumbing boo boo

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Imy

Imy

Imy

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So last weekend I was replacing my kitchen sink tap. It's a monobloc design and it was directly connected to the pipework with copper pipe only, no flexi hoses and no isolation valve either (other than mains).

I thought it would be a good idea to fit a couple isolation valves before fitting the new tap which came with flexi hose fittings. I decided where to cut the existing cold and hot water supply pipes and did the cold one without problem.

When I went to do the hot water one though, this happened:

8sdh.JPG


As you can see, it basically fell over. The only thing keeping it upright before was the tap itself.

I decided to do a temporary botch and carry on with the tap replacement:

d6bm.jpg


What would a better permanent fix be? Bear in mind the only plumbing I've ever done before is changing the bits inside a cistern so go easy on me please guys :)
 
Whatever is the other side of wall you better get round there and see if there is a compression joint that just needs tightening up.

Dave
 
Ok so in the 2nd pic, the pipe at the bottom right with the blue thing on it, goes out that hole then straight into the wall. It was difficult to see but it had what looked like a rubber bung around it at the point it went into the wall. Beyond that I can't inspect it. As you can see in the first pic, the whole thing pivoted at that point.

Really really really hope it's not leaking behind the wall.
 
You might be lucky in using split ring compression spanner to tighten the compression fitting.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p23418

You might even get away with just a compression spanner.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p62263

Might need to enlarge the hole to get it in, but would save a lot of work, removing the sink unit.

And remember to tie some string to the spanner, so if you drop it, you can retrieve it easily.

Bit of a bodge your plumbing, joints should be soldered, not compression.
 
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I'll try to get a pic of the hole when I get home tonight but don't remember even seeing a compression fitting.
 
Not saying there isn't one there, just I couldn't see it. I'll check it again tonight and take a photo.

Assuming (big assumption) I can sort that out, I think I still need something to support the pipe. Any ideas for that?
 
Could be a push fit ( seals by 'o' ring ) fitting on the other side rather than compression.

I would have thought a compression fitting that loose would have had a leak, even before you started the work.
 
Cambofrog said:
Could be a push fit ( seals by 'o' ring ) fitting on the other side rather than compression.

I would have thought a compression fitting that loose would have had a leak, even before you started the work.
Click to expand...

I so hope this is the case!
 
tigerstyle said:
I thought compression fittings were the way forward?
Click to expand...

Not when they are inaccessible.:(

Had one a many years ago, a water leak in ensuite bathroom,the floor was ceramic tiles, so access was from the living room below, cut a few holes to explore, the main water pipe had be so many compression joints teeing off to basins, baths, showers, etc, most were dripping, mainly due the pipe being on a slight fall, ended up removing 3/4 of the living room ceiling, before I found a sagging pipe join with compression Tee leaking.

I'm old school, prefer soldered joints.

Cambofrog: Possible, but looking at the other joints being soldered, I'm going for a compression fitting.

Could be a minor leak, removing the kickboard, might tell you more.

You might even have hole in the floor, like I had in my last place, stop c ock was leaking, no water on the floor, which I thought strange, wasn't till the kickboard was removed, did I realise where the water was going.
 
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s667.jpg


What a faff taking this photo - but anyway as you can just about tell, the pipe goes out the back of the kitchen unit and through the plasterboard wall into the cavity space. There it joins into what looks like a 90 degree push fit corner piece? I'm guessing there's another copper pipe going out the other end but couldn't quite see.

Thankfully I haven't seen any evidence of a leak so far.

Edit: I think it's one of these: http://www.screwfix.com/p/polyplumb-elbow-15mm/75268
 
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Yeah it does look exactly like that.

Any chance of getting behind the unit to try hand tightening it or further inspect it (I'm guessing not given the faff to take the pic but thought I'd ask anyway)
 
hawkhench said:
Yeah it does look exactly like that.

Any chance of getting behind the unit to try hand tightening it or further inspect it (I'm guessing not given the faff to take the pic but thought I'd ask anyway)
Click to expand...

Spot on, compression, but plastic.:eek:

If it isn't leaking, don't tighten it, you could kill the O ring, the fitting is meant to revolve.
 
hawkhench said:
Yeah it does look exactly like that.

Any chance of getting behind the unit to try hand tightening it or further inspect it (I'm guessing not given the faff to take the pic but thought I'd ask anyway)
Click to expand...
The faff was to do with having to hold a torch in one hand and a camera in the other all the while on my knees and elbows. The camera's own flash just created a big shadow so had to use an independant light source.

The only access I got to the joint is the hole you see in the photo so I'd have to first make the hole bigger in the back of the kitchen unit, then make the hole in the wall bigger too in all liklihood.

Nightglow said:
Spot on, compression, but plastic.:eek:

If it isn't leaking, don't tighten it, you could kill the O ring, the fitting is meant to revolve.
Click to expand...
From the photo, I can't even tell what part to tighten. I've tried to swab around the visible joint with tissue paper and it didn't come back damp. Tried to do the same on the other side of the joint but lost the tissue - I don't think that idea's going to work :)

So do nothing about the joint then? How does it manage to revolve so easily while still remaining water tight? Sounds like voodoo.
 
Thanks for the link, they look quite clever. Still amazed they can be rotated after fitting.

Ok so panic over (I think), back to my original question - what should I use to prop the pipe up straight? I feel bad using velcro strips!

It's top heavy now with the isolation valve I used:

7vtc.jpg
 
I'd rethink the layout, you have pipes popping out where they are not required and hidden connectors.

Otherwise, screw a cable clip to a spacer block and glue that to the back of the cabinet, use that to support the horizontal run of pipe.
Fugly, but that's why it would be better to rework the layout.

I like the labelling of the stopcock though :)
 
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