Help needed with toilet cistern plumbing please

[dazzystar]

Hi All,

We've bought a bidet toilet seat which needs plumbing into the toilet cistern water supply. Currently this is all copper going to the right hand side of the toilet cistern (closed coupled toilet by the way). The water inlet to the seat is on the left side (it would be wouldn't it!!). The water feed is readily accessible as it runs close to the floor behind the loo. The seat comes with a T adaptor of which one end screws to the cistern inlet, the other to the water feed and the T part connects to a flexible hose supplied with the seat.

To make as neat a job as I can I'd prefer to tap into the copper pipe running along the floor and attached the flexible hose to something I'd install. I'm no plumber so soldering copper parts, cutting pipe, etc. is a no go for me. Can someone please recommend something that I can install on to the pipe which I can connect the flexible hose to please?

Cheers
Daz

 

[kidgreen61]

First of all, there are very strict rules about mains cold water being anywhere near a toilet (back siphonage) which you MUST adhere to.
If you are unable to solder, then push fit or compression fittings will suffice.

 

[dazzystar]

Do these self cut into the copper pipe?

 

[dazzystar]

Would this work?

Plumbsure Chrome effect Self-cutting Tap, (Dia)15mm | DIY at B&Q

This 15mm self-cutting tap from Plumbsure can be used to help with plumbing washing machines or dishwashers

www.diy.com

 

[75pete]

Only if you want a flooded floor at sometime

 

[dazzystar]

Oh...

 

[CBW]

As per @kidgreen61 - can you prove sufficient backflow protection from fluid category risk 5? Sound like you’re just going to ignore the legalities of water regulations and potentially contaminate water supplies.

 

[dazzystar]

Thanks Chris for your input. Your advice is very much appreciated.

 

[Mottie]

First of all, there are very strict rules about mains cold water being anywhere near a toilet (back siphonage) which you MUST adhere to.

What are they? My toilet, bath and shower were fed from the cold water storage tank in the loft (only the basin was cold mains as we would drink water from it). When we had our hot water system converted to unvented, I’m pretty sure that when they removed the cold water tank in the loft, they just connected the pipe that went to the fill valve in the tank to the output from the tank which would make the toilet, bath and shower mains pressure cold water, wouldn’t it? Does that mean that my toilet is now plumbed in wrong?

 

[dazzystar]

I think, from doing a little research, that I'd need to fit a Cat Risk 5 backflow valve which isn't going to happen. I should also contact Amazon and all the other UK sellers of them in case they aren't aware. That includes B&Q who sell them too and make no mention of it on their website.

 

[Mottie]

Do these self cut into the copper pipe?

I used one of those self cutting valves about 40 years ago in my first house to take a cold mains feed from the sink for a dishwasher. About a year later my toilet kept overflowing. Turned out that the little copper disc that was cut in the pipe, went inside and travelled all the way to my toilet fill valve and jammed it open.

 

[kidgreen61]

What are they? My toilet, bath and shower were fed from the cold water storage tank in the loft (only the basin was cold mains as we would drink water from it). When we had our hot water system converted to unvented, I’m pretty sure that when they removed the cold water tank in the loft, they just connected the pipe that went to the fill valve in the tank to the output from the tank which would make the toilet, bath and shower mains pressure cold water, wouldn’t it? Does that mean that my toilet is now plumbed in wrong?

You will find then, that the cold water supplies to those facilities are protected from contaminated water by means of an appropriate air gap.

 

[CBW]

I think, from doing a little research, that I'd need to fit a Cat Risk 5 backflow valve which isn't going to happen. I should also contact Amazon and all the other UK sellers of them in case they aren't aware. That includes B&Q who sell them too and make no mention of it on their website.

I doubt it’ll s makes any difference, especially Amazon, where a lot of products come direct from China (different regs). It doesn’t have to be a Cat 5 valve, can be what’s called a break tank, but the pressure would be poor to it.

 

[Elkato531]

Amazon.co.uk

These are much cheaper with no backflow risk. The plumbing is easier too.

 

[Madrab]

I think, from doing a little research, that I'd need to fit a Cat Risk 5 backflow valve which isn't going to happen. I should also contact Amazon and all the other UK sellers of them in case they aren't aware. That includes B&Q who sell them too and make no mention of it on their website.

All these types of appliances are legal to sell, they just have to be installed properly. That's down the customer.

One of the reason there are so many ablution devices for sale is due to a certain demographic who want to use as it's their belief, they don't seem to care that once it is installed onto the mains that there is a risk that they and their neighbours could be drinking their own $hit if backflow occurs.

There are a few that are compliant that aren't mains supplied, which one is it you have bought? Why on earth would anyone want one anyway, whatever happened to having a shower or using a basin and a cloth?

What are they

For any ablution - upflow bidet then the best approach is an air gap in the water supply through a cistern with weir/full flow overflow being required - there are other valve devices that provide CAT5 protection but they increasing complicated to fit and service. Toilet's are a little more complicated but if they are filled from the mains then the fill valve must be of a certain filling type, where the outlet from the valve is a certain height above the overflow outlet of the cistern, which a large majority of toilets aren't fitted with. You will also find that there are many recommendation on here that suggest replacing fill valves with Fluidmaster PRO bottom fill valves, whilst they are a very good valve unfortunately they don't comply with backflow regs, as they don't provide CAT5 backflow or backpressure protection.

There's only one Fluidmaster valve that I now fit that complies and it's the one below, it's called Airgap - Only top fill type valves with a min air gap will comply.