connections to thermo shower

[Ejaz]

hello all, after spending what seems an eternity renovating my house i attempted to fit a new thermostatic shower in my bathroom only to find the push-fit elbows in the wall that are supplying the shower are leaking!

Obviously i will have to break the tiles to replace the elbows which is a bummer but i don't want to have to do it again. So i have a few questions:

1. do i replace with another pushfit or compression elbow?
2. do i need a length of pipe to connect to the shower or should i use a combination of fittings e.g. tap connector or something? (shower instructions say 'connect the supply using compression fittings!')
3. any additional things to ensure water tightness e.g. tape or jointing compund?

many thanks as always

 

[cornishchewey]

More often than not push fit elbows etc only leak if they are not fully/ correctly seated. You might be lucky and find that just simply checking them will be enough.

I have buried hundreds of Hepworth Hep2o joints behind walls under floors and in ceiling voids and touch wood none have ever leaked to-date.

It pays with Hepworth, which are the only ones you can do it on, to make the push fit, then diassassemble by unscrewing the cap, to check the insertion depth and then screw it back up.

Older Speedfit and John Guest fittings with thier quick release ring are, in my experience, lethal in cavities because the slightest knock can release them, you cant do that with Hep2o.

PS I don't work for hepworth!!!!

 

[Ejaz]

thanks for the advice! I checked the fittings and pipes are fully inserted so i think i'll just replace with compression fittings. should i connect to the shower with tap connectors?

 

[cornishchewey]

No they will almost certainly leak

Showers usually have compression fittings for connection to pipe, which means the profile at the fitting will not match a tap connector profile and the likelyhood therefore is that they will leak.

I would still fit decent push fit elbows not the new fancy copper ones but Hep2o or the new lockable speedfit. Upto you.