Anyone fitted a mixer tap?

Jon20

Jon20

Jon20

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I'm sure someone on here has fitted a mixer tap before. It looks as though I'm going to have to have a go at changing the mixer tap on the kitchen sink. It's constantly dripping and leaking out of the actual tap levers. I'm a plumbing newbie but the actual fitting of the tap doesn't look to hard to do. There are isolation valves on both the hot and cold. The only bit I'm not entirely sure of is the plumbing side. Hopefully on the below picture you can see that the hot water tail from the tap is soldered to the main pipe, where as the cold has a flexi pipe.

tapk.jpg


I'm assuming I'll need to cut the pipe where I have marked with a pipe cutter? Would it then be ok to use some speedfit flexi pipes to attach to the main pipes? Something like these: http://www.screwfix.com/p/jg-speedfit-monobloc-tap-connector-15mm-x-m12-pack-of-2/84084 in the correct size for the new tap. Are there any particular brands of tap to go for and do they all have the same base size to fit the sink?

Sorry for the all the questions but I'd like to get it right first time.
 
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From your photo, is your present mixer for a two hole sink. looking at the pipe spacing & it's size, if so you will need a basin wrench
to get to the nuts securing the mixer, & it best to cut the pipe with pipe slice, with give you a nice clean cut, rather than the rough cut of a hacksaw.

Those Tap Connectors you linked to ,are for mixers which use one hole.
Most mono mixers will come with a pair of flexible hoses, which have compression fitting, not push fit.


http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothen-eco-pipeslice-15mm/98155

One hole mixer: http://www.screwfix.com/p/swirl-contract-mono-sink-tap/78570
 
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I'd cut where you've marked and remove the old tap. Then put the new tap in place and check how the connectors sit and where would be best to connect them up. Then cut the hot feed to fit a new compression fit flexi-pipe for both the hot & cold.

If the new tap didn't come with flexi pipes you should be able to grab a pair for about £8 from Wickes or a plumbers merchant.
 
Nightglow said:
From your photo, is your present mixer for a two hole sink. looking at the pipe spacing & it's size, if so you will need a basin wrench
to get to the nuts securing the mixer, & it best to cut the pipe with pipe slice, with give you a nice clean cut, rather than the rough cut of a hacksaw.

Those Tap Connectors you linked to ,are for mixers which use one hole.
Most mono mixers will come with a pair of flexible hoses, which have compression fitting, not push fit.


http://www.screwfix.com/p/plumbing-tools-by-rothenberger-standard-basin-wrench-285mm/61719

http://www.screwfix.com/p/rothen-eco-pipeslice-15mm/98155

Two hole mixer: http://www.screwfix.com/p/swirl-contract-deck-sink-mixer-taps-chrome/11473

One hole mixer: http://www.screwfix.com/p/swirl-contract-mono-sink-tap/78570
Click to expand...

Oops sorry, the current mixer is a monoblock mixer, similar to the one hole mixer that you have linked.

Are push fit flexi pipes a no no then? If so, is it easy enough to fit a compression fitting that would allow the use of compression fit flexi pipes?

Edit: I've just had another look and the cold side of the tap tee's off from the mains. The left hand side goes to the washing machine and an outside tap. The right hand side, where the flexi is, doesn't look as though there is any extra pipe that the flexi is fitting on to. It looks as though it is pushed directly on to the tee.
 
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buy a tap you like, look at what you get with it, all mono block taps come with some pipework or flexy pipe..

using push fit is fine, i thought you'd already know this as you have some under your sink..

the flaxy you already have there isnt pushed onto the T directly, a small amount of 15mm pipe will be sticking out and thats what its pushed onto..
 
Mickie said:
buy a tap you like, look at what you get with it, all mono block taps come with some pipework or flexy pipe..

using push fit is fine, i thought you'd already know this as you have some under your sink..

the flaxy you already have there isnt pushed onto the T directly, a small amount of 15mm pipe will be sticking out and thats what its pushed onto..
Click to expand...

Yes, while there is a push fit flexi already there and it hasn't leaked in the 6-7 years it's been there, I was just wondering if it was the correct way to connect to the pipe work. If it's an acceptable way to do it, then great, saves me a bit of time when I get around to doing it.
 
youre likely to get flexy with the new tap and the europeans have been using the stuff for years so it must be ok, theyre great and building lol..

they have been known to split though so for peace of mind maybe use copper
 
Nothing wrong with flexible pipes, used them for years, nothing wrong with push fit as long as the pipe your connecting is clean cut & not rough, or you will chew up the seals.

Don't buy them too short, you need some slack,, don't overtighten them when screwed into tap body, or you chew up rubber O ring.
There will be a short piece of 15mm pipe off the tee, maybe a inch for pushfit to connect to.

Compression are easy to use I do prefer them myself, just need two spanners to fit them, but if access is tight then use push fit.

You need to push down the grey collar on those push fits, to remove them.
 
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I looked in to doing this myself with bathroom taps but in the end paid the plumber as they were so hard to access especially under the bath.

My question is how would you isolate the water supply when you cut the pipe? Can you just turn the water off at the mains?
 
If you have a combi boiler, turning off the cold water at main will also cut off hot water as well, I also switch off boiler.

If you have a older system with a cylinder just turn off stop c ock for hot water feed.
 
I wouldn't personally cut where you've indicated.

I would buy a circular 15mm pipe cutter (cheap and amazingly easy to use, especially in tight corners and they produce a very neat cut) and make two cuts: one cut on the vertical just above the solder joint, and another cut on the lower vertical, just before it moves to the horizontal.

Then you remove a joint from the equation and leave plenty of room for a nice easy push fit connection with a flexible hose. It will also match the cold feed, if that turns you on.
 
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Remember to check which are the hot/cold pipes on the tap unit itself,
I keep seeing them installed the wrong way around and from memory they don't mark them either.

You can check by turning it to the hot position and then blowing into the tap, the pipe the air comes out of is where you connect the hot pipe.
 
Finally getting around to doing this. Have ordered the tap which I'm waiting on being delivered. Ordered the tools and some JG Speedfit monobloc flexible pipes, these: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbing//Monobloc+Mixer+Tap+Connector+15mm+x+M12+300mm/d/sd/p31721, which came today. Unfortunately they aren't going to be long enough. Does anyone know of anything similar that is longer? Around 500mm. Failing that I suppose I could use the copper tails that come with the tap and then use a flexible pushfit pipe to connect to the hot and cold side, similar to what is already being used for the cold side.
 
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