Quick Q: extending flexible tap tails: best practice?

[gasket]

Just a quick yes/no question folks.

Fitted a new monobloc mixer in the kitchen. It came with 300mm flexi hoses.

I needed 500mm to reach the isolator valves.

While you can get flexis in a dizzying array of lengths, monobloc ones are only stocked locally in 300mm.

So I bought a pair of 300mm flexis (with 1/2 BSP nuts and black washers on each end) and joined them to the 300mm monobloc flexis using a ball ISO valve (like this). I just removed the nut and olive and screwed them together.

Pretty cheap and gives me more than enough length (around 610mm).

Is there anything wrong with doing this? Am I leaving myself open to leaks since I've introduced two more threaded joints?

 

[Dan Robinson]

You shouldn't use a nut/olive compression fitting to connect onto something designed for a washer as the chamfer will cut through the washer and leak. Much better to use a Male Iron and a short piece of pipe.

You can get the flexi's in different lengths, but you need to know the M size of the tap end.

 

[gasket]

Thanks for the pointers. I'll pick up a male iron tonight.

 

[Madrab]

Yup, As Dan suggest, replaced a few of these where the flexi tail was tightened onto an ISO valve and the valve seat has cut the rubber washer over time, ending up in a leak.

Copper tails from your iso valves then the 15mm>1/2" male iron couplers for the flexi's to connect to.

 

[SandyLyon]

Could always go for ones with a Pushfit connector and use a small bit of plastic like these

http://www.screwfix.com/p/hep-o-push-fit-flexible-monobloc-tap-conectors-300mm-x-m12-x-15mm/4199f

Available in M10 and M12