Cheap flexible tap connectors - warning

[chrisw99]

Woke up at 3am on Saturday to an almighty hissing sound coming from the bathroom. Turned out the flexible tap connector hose had burst...

Does anyone know what could have caused this? It's only been on 3 years yet appears completely rusted - no leaks as far as I could tell, just always covered in condensation being in a steamy bathroom. I would have assumed these should be made from a rustproof material... obviously not. And even if the outer plaidwork rusted, why would the rubber hose inside have burst?

Now replaced with a JG speedfit plastic/rubber one for now. I dread to think that this could have happened when we weren't in. Caused enough of a flood in the 2 mins it took me to wake up and get to the stopcock.

 

[Madrab]

Make sure it's WRAS approved, anything else is just rubbish that isn't stainless steel. If it isn't WRAS approved then the EDPM rubber degrades over time too, then it bursts at the weak point of the braiding.

 

[foxhole]

Did you cause the braid damage was it done at installation?

 

[Keithmac]

I've got some that have been in 10 years and still look like new, lucky you caught it early!.

 

[chrisw99]

Make sure it's WRAS approved, anything else is just rubbish that isn't stainless steel. If it isn't WRAS approved then the EDPM rubber degrades over time too, then it bursts at the weak point of the braiding.

It was whatever B+Q sold 3 or so years ago. The ones on their website now say WRAS approved.

 

[just pumps]

Because the braid has fractured close to end I`m thinking it was under load there (tight bend) and the fractured braid punctured the rubber hose.

 

[Madrab]

It was whatever B+Q sold 3 or so years ago. The ones on their website now say WRAS approved.

Yeah, it's like screwfix (kingfisher), they have both types one approved for water one isn't which is pointless IMO, and it's all down to the quality of rubber and the braiding.

 

[JohnD]

...and the price

 

[Madrab]

£1 less .... false economy for sure.

 

[John D v2.0]

Maybe it was also moving slightly every time the tap turned off due to water hammer? That can be a problem too causing wear on the braiding..

 

[chrisw99]

Maybe it was also moving slightly every time the tap turned off due to water hammer? That can be a problem too causing wear on the braiding..

You could be right, we get dreadful water hammer, and I have just turned off the cold tap quickly whilst holding the replacement hose and I can feel it bulging slightly.

 

[John D v2.0]

You can fit a mini expansion vessel in your pipe work as far down stream as possible.
Also clipping the pipes properly can stop the movement itself.
Water pressure is generally at its highest in the night time due to low demand.

 

[chrisw99]

You can fit a mini expansion vessel in your pipe work as far down stream as possible.
Also clipping the pipes properly can stop the movement itself.
Water pressure is generally at its highest in the night time due to low demand.

Thanks, going to give one of the water hammer arresters a try, just ordered one from Screwfix. We recently had a conventional system replaced with a combi, so in the airing cupboard outside the bathroom where the cold feed went up to the header tank, this has just been topped off with a pushfit cap, so I can at least give one a go just by pushing it on to see if it has any effect without having to cut in anywhere yet.

I think our electric shower is currently operating as a pseudo-expansion vessel, because if you turn on the basin tap quickly you can see the shower unit being pulled down a couple of mm, then it clunks when you turn off the tap as it settles back.

 

[John D v2.0]

Do you have excessively high static water pressure? If so maybe a prv would be in order

 

[chrisw99]

Do you have excessively high static water pressure? If so maybe a prv would be in order

Never measured it to be honest. It is on the high side, always seen that as a good thing having an electric shower fed from the cold mains.