Hi All - kitchen tap is dropping a lot. So we bought a house where previous owner or his/her plumber had got kitchen tap fitted directly by copper pipes running into the tap in-spite of the pipes having an isolation valves. After researching and lot of YouTube and reading I figured the only way out is for me to stop water using isolation valve and then cut down the pipes and then put new kitchen tap. What I am unable to get through to my mind is - the copper pipes already have isolation valves, so there is no point in installing another isolation valves but then how do I connect flexible hose pipe that comes with the tap directly with the copper pipe? It might be a straight forward answer but most of videos only show how to connect using isolation valves etc. any help would be highly appreciated.
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sorted byYou then screw the flexible pipe nut onto the threaded portion on top of the isolation valve (ensure that there is a rubber washer/seal seated inside the nut of the flexible pipe....which there should be as standard) and tighten it onto the isolation valve and nip it up with your spanner. Reinstate the isolation valve and check for leaks around the union.
This of course assumes that they are standard flexible tap tails that are compatible with a 1/2" isolation valve....which is normally the standard for a kitchen sink tap. Bath taps can be 3/4".....but it will become immediately obvious if they don't fit.
The exisiting tap could have rigid tails instead of flexible ones. It may be possible to reuse these with the new tap or swap for new flexible tails. You shouldn't need to replace the pipes right back to the isolators just to find somewhere to connect onto. You could use adaptors like in melted's second link if there aren't already some on your pipes.
But if you can't gain access to the isolation valve in the first place to use spanners on it then you may well be forced to cut the copper pipe after the isolation valve and then either use one of the many push fit tap tail connections available.....or a compression fitting tap tail to join to the 15mm pipe you have now cut.
Here is a pic of a flexible tap tail connected directly to an isolation valve.
Lots of companies make them now.....Hepworth Hep20, JG speed fit etc.
Standard isolation valves have a sharp edge on the ends of the threads which can cut through the washer if flexible pipes are directly attached, you can buy inserts with a flat on the thread to fit in one,
screwfix.com/p/t…65R
or if there is room fit a compression fitting with a flat end on the copper pipe past the isolation valve to connect the flexible pipes to:
screwfix.com/p/p…416 (edited)
Challenge is the isolation valves are behind a wooden compartment in a fitted kitchen cupboard and far off from the tap - roughly 70 cms or so..and it looks like the only access is to turn off the isolation valves and cut the pipes to fix new pipes
Push fit tap rail connections..wow..I never knew about them and all thanks to you, this is it what I might be wanting to have all this while..wish I could tell you how helpful this is..awesome..much much appreciated