Plumbing question

[John Brown]

Our shower mixer sprang a leak at the outlet.
After ripping out several tiles and some damp plasterboard, I found that I was unable to dismantle the outlet joint(s) without cutting through the pipe that goes up to the shower head, as there is no give in the pipework.
Assuming I can fix the leaking joints, is there some fitting I can use that to bridge my cut pipe and allow me to reconnect without ripping out more wall? I am envisaging something like a special compression fitting that has an extra long socket at one side. If not, can I get a piece of flexible pipe that will mate with 15mm copper at both ends?

John

 

[Phil Pascoe]

:idea: You can get straight end feed (solder) connectors without the central ridge so that you can slide them down one side and back into place (at least, you could).

 

[Baldhead]

A few years ago a kitchen fitter drilled through 1/2 water pipe, I managed to get a straight connector without the central ridge so fitting it was simple, it was from either Plumb Centre or PTS.

HTH

Baldhead

Edit: Here's what I used, http://www.plumbcenter.co.uk/en/plumbin ... 5-mm-10836 only in 1/2 size.

 

[John Brown]

Not sure I trust my soldering in such a tight space, but thanks for the tip.
I'm thinking there might be just enough latitude in a standard compression fitting. Maybe I'll give it a go.

John

 

[Baldhead]

Not sure I trust my soldering in such a tight space, but thanks for the tip.
I'm thinking there might be just enough latitude in a standard compression fitting. Maybe I'll give it a go.

John

John

Just make sure the pipe and the fitting is cleaned with wire wool, when the solder is applied and still hot, wipe the joint with a piece of leather, this smooths out any snots and looks much more professional, google soldering, all the advice you need is freely available

Baldhead

 

[AndyT]

These exist and might help

a compression repair coupler

a flexible stainless steel hose

a telescopic radiator valve tail. Images from Toolstation for convenience. Bits from anywhere handy.

I'm sure I've seen a corrugated copper flexible tap connector but these seem to have been superseded by the superior item in the second photo.

(Disclaimer - I'm not a plumber.)

 

[Stu_2]

I'm no plumber, so I find push-fit are the easiest to use. Much easier than compression fittings, especially in a tight space.

I pay a little more for the John Guest stuff, rather than the really cheep stuff.

 

[Racers]

I have filed out the stop on end feed connectors in the past.

Pete

 

[Deejay]

Afternoon John

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbin ... 697/p68637

as per Andy's first pic.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbin ... 807/p33084

Cheers

Dave

 

[John Brown]

Well, I manged to wangle a standard straight coupling compression fiting in. I divided the slack between the comp fitting into the shower outlet and the two ends of the straight coupling and it worked fine. The problem, however, turned out to be the washer in the first part of the shower outlet(which then has a something to 15mm adapter screwed onto it).
So I had to get the cutter out again! I found a couple of replacement rubber washers and put it all back together, this time with a flexible hose. No leaks as far as I can see, but a load of Fernox LS X got itself into the flter mesh in the shower head - my fault - I should've waited longer before testing. Of course, I didn't know that at the time - I thought I'd buggered up the mixer as there was such a pathetic trickle coming out!
Hey ho, now I have to repair the damage to the tiles and plasterboard.

Thanks to all for help and advice.

John

 

[John Brown]

That flexible stainless thing in Andy T's post would have been ideal, if it can change its length. The flexible hose I used I had to loop it around like a giant lower case alpha character.

John

 

[RogerS]

Trouble with flexible hoses is that they reduce the internal bore and hence flow rate.

 

[Silas Gull]

If the wall is plasterboard that should give you plenty of scope to expose enough pipe to effect a sound repair using compression or push fit. Sometimes it's better to look at the bigger picture in a case like this. How much of the plaster is water damaged, anyway? IMO it's the worst kind of substrate to have anywhere near a shower.