Need to identify connections under sink...

[amfisted]

Afternoon all

My daughter moved into her current, late Victorian house 6 months ago. Amongst the numerous issues that need sorting out is a horrible old kitchen mixer tap, which I recently volunteered to replace. I'm OK with basic plumbing, but having purchased all the fittings I thought I'd need for this particular job, I arrived at my daughter's house this morning and quickly realised that the task was more complex than a cursory glance under the sink the other day suggested.

The current tap is connected via hard copper pipe with two isolating valves. Above the isolating valves are two connections: the first appears to be one of those "screw on, cut in" valves that people sometimes use when installing washing machine feeds and it supplies a blue flexible hose. The other one, well: I've no idea what it is. It feeds a grey hose which also disappears behind the washing machine, though as far as I know the machine only has a cold feed ( need to pull it out to check).

I've posted pics below: any constructive observations concerning what I might be looking at replacing/ reconnecting very welcome ( and I do accept that the photos probably don't show all the relevant detail). Ideally I'd like to remove the back panel of the cupboard to access the hidden pipework, cut back below the isolators, fit new isolators then renew those two connections and fit the flexible tap tails above. I just need to be sure about what I'm dealing with. Is it possible that the grey hose might be feeding a boiler, for example?

 

[trojanhawrs]

The 2 items you're talking about are coming out of the same main as far as I can tell from your pictures which would indicate they're both cold feeds. Does she have a dishwasher too? The pipe on the left I would assume is the hot but that's just speculation.

 

[amfisted]

The 2 items you're talking about are coming out of the same main as far as I can tell from your pictures which would indicate they're both cold feeds. Does she have a dishwasher too? The pipe on the left I would assume is the hot but that's just speculation.

There's no dishwasher: the only appliances being supplied by water in her kitchen are the offending tap and her washing machine.

 

[jj4091]

The 2 items you're talking about are coming out of the same main as far as I can tell from your pictures which would indicate they're both cold feeds. Does she have a dishwasher too? The pipe on the left I would assume is the hot but that's just speculation.

Or a fridge freezer with cold water or ice making facility

 

[amfisted]

Or a fridge freezer with ice making facility

Nothing as posh as that, sadly.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

There's no dishwasher: the only appliances being supplied by water in her kitchen are the offending tap and her washing machine.

Follow the pipes? Might one connect to a garden tap, at the other side of the wall?

 

[amfisted]

Providing those connections are not boiler related, I'm happy to disconnect and reconnect them myself. Is it feasible that a boiler might be supplied by a feed like the ones in the photos? I'm no expert but I'd hazard a guess that only hard pipe is allowed in a situation like that, although given some of the other horrors we've discovered in the house it does give one pause for thought.

 

[amfisted]

Follow the pipes? Might one connect to a garden tap, at the other side of the wall?

Ah yes, there is a garden tap on the outside of that very wall, but its not working. Perhaps turned off via one of those valves. So with luck, I'm simply looking at a washing machine feed and a feed to a garden tap. All I need to do now is drive the 50 miles to my daughter's house and check for sure.

 

[trojanhawrs]

Ideally I'd like to remove the back panel of the cupboard to access the hidden pipework, cut back below the isolators, fit new isolators then renew those two connections and fit the flexible tap tails above.

You do know if you cut below the isolator you're going to get very wet?

 

[amfisted]

You do know if you cut below the isolator you're going to get very wet?

Couple of options to guard against that eventuality: a stopcock which is also under the sink, probably hasn’t been touched since Noah was a lad and will probably leak if interfered with, or the spindle out in the street. Either or both are likely to work.

 

[jj4091]

Couple of options to guard against that eventuality: a stopcock which is also under the sink, probably hasn’t been touched since Noah was a lad and will probably leak if interfered with, or the spindle out in the street. Either or both are likely to work.

Give your stopcock a good squirt of WD40 before you try turning it

 

[amfisted]

Give your stopcock a good squirt of WD40 before you try turning it

Will do, cheers. The wildlife in that corner of the kitchen cupboard won’t be happy about the oily smell, but sod em. I’ve also bought a key for use on the old fashioned outdoor stopcock in the pavement.

 

[trojanhawrs]

Give your stopcock a good squirt of WD40 before you try turning it

Not really supposed to use WD on potable water, those valves look alright if they're not leaking I wouldn't touch them.

 

[CBW]

The pipes just just look as though they go straight up and to the two from the isolation valves.

 

[amfisted]

The pipes just just look as though they go straight up and to the two from the isolation valves.

My current intention is to cut out the existing isolation valves along with the connections to the washing machine and the garden tap and the pipework above, then install new inline compression valves for the WM and garden tap below, with new, flat faced isolation valves above to take the flexible tap adaptors. If anyone can think of a better way of doing it, please let me know.