replacement shower problem

[silverside]

Hi All,
I decided to replace my electric shower and thought it would be a simple case of removing the old unit and installing the new one. I switched of the power and the water supply and began dismantling the unit. Everything is straight forward except for the end of the plastic water supply pipe that connects to the water inlet on the shower unit. These two points are joined together by a brass assembly that looks like a short piece of pipe 10cm in length with 2 large brass nuts 4cm wide near either end. The nuts themselves do not appear to be functional but I can’t move them despite using a spanner. It would seem that the only way to remove the old unit is to saw it off from the plastic pipe at the bottom of the brass assembly.
Is that my solution or am I missing the obvious and if I do saw it off what’s the correct procedure for bridging the gap between the pipe and the water inlet on the new shower unit.
Any practicle DIY advice welcome.

Cheers
Jim

 

[John M]

Pickkie would be handy

 

[JohnD]

it's not one of these, is it?

 

[silverside]

Yes JohnD, it looks exactly like that and I now have this horrible felling that your going to give me BAD NEWS.

Jim

 

[JohnD]

hahaha!

It;s just a connector. Used e.g. if you have a damaged pipe, you cut out the damaged section and join the two ends with it.

If that's what you've got, I can only guess that someone had cut the pipes too short and couldn't think of a neater way of joining them. It is a relatively expensive part, too.

If you can't undo it, get some better spanners. It is important that you grip the midde of the fitting and brace it with one spanner, while you undo one of the nuts with the other. this will avoid putting twisting stress on the pipes. Keep it in your Plumbing box in the shed in case one day you damage a pipe e.g. when nailing down a floorboard.

It is rather unsightly, so you can probably, when fitting your new shower, get a piece of chrome-plated copper pipe and a chrome straight connector.

If it is shorter than my picture, it might be a check valve or a service valve, but when you get it off have a look inside and see if it is just a pipe.

 

[silverside]

Further to my original query about the brass connector I have been informed by a work college that it is most probably a "Straight Coupler Compression Fitting" but he has never fitted one...!!??!!
Am I correct in assuming then, that tightening the nuts has clamped the coupler onto the the pipe and water inlet making them water tight, and it should just be a simple case of loosening the nut at the water inlet end of the old shower to free the unit. then sloting the new one in place and retightening the nut without the need for a sealant.
Wife has started being sarcastic - well I did say it would only be a 10 minute job - so I need to save face.

Jim

 

[Softus]

it's not one of these, is it?

40mm nuts?
_____________________

Water connections aside, I don't wish to rain on your parade, silverside, but....oh, what the heck.

It surprises me that nobody has asked you which shower you're replacing and what you're installing in its place.

There are circumstances in which installing a higher rated shower unit creates a risk of fire from overheated cable. Every time you install a shower it's prudent to revisit the design of the circuit and ensure that everything is (a) safe and (b) up to current (no pun intended) standards.

Please also be aware that there are also circumstances in which part of the work you're currently doing is Part P notifiable.

 

[silverside]

Water connections aside, I don't wish to rain on your parade, silverside, but....oh, what the heck.

It surprises me that nobody has asked you which shower you're replacing and what you're installing in its place.
SOFTUS - I use a shower curtain and my walls are tiled, just in case you cant sleep tonight thinking about it. In other words if you dont know the answer to my question then keep all other pionts to yourself. However if you answer my query and then draw my attention to
other matters that I should be aware of, then thats fine.
To all other readers - the old and new showers are both Triton and are of the same ratings.
Jim

 

[NickStone]

In other words if you dont know the answer to my question then keep all other pionts to yourself. However if you answer my query and then draw my attention to
other matters that I should be aware of, then thats fine.

Jim, Softus gave you good advice irrespective of whether he answered your original question. This is a great resource for those of us who want advice - free advice, too - and your comments might be seen as a touch ungrateful. That impacts on the rest of us who appreciate the resource and want to keep it going.

 

[John M]

Bun Fight

 

[JohnD]

No curmudgeons please!

 

[Softus]

Water connections aside, I don't wish to rain on your parade, silverside, but....oh, what the heck.

It surprises me that nobody has asked you which shower you're replacing and what you're installing in its place.

SOFTUS - I use a shower curtain and my walls are tiled, just in case you cant sleep tonight thinking about it.

Eh?

In other words if you dont know the answer to my question then keep all other pionts to yourself.

I do know the answer, but others had provided it already. What I was querying was the mention of 40mm nuts, which I don't think can be a correct measurement.

As for my other points, you don't actually have any choice as to whether or not I post them, but if you're not interested then I have no problem with that.

However if you answer my query and then draw my attention to
other matters that I should be aware of, then thats fine.

How odd that you think it makes any difference whether or not you think it's fine.

This is a safety issue and other people stand to benefit from the point being made.